Photo courtesy of Clarity Contractors, Mays Landing, N.J.
Photo courtesy of Clarity Contractors, Mays Landing, N.J.
In 1884, Richard Wetherill built a Gothic Revival-style home on the corner of 14th and Potter Streets in Chester, Pa. Considered a pioneer and integral to establishing the town as a major industrial center during the 19th century, Wetherill was known worldwide in the iron and steel industries. The Wetherill company's foundry and machine shop was one of the largest and most recognized shops in North America for manufacturing cable cars, elevator machinery, ship boilers and the Corliss steam engine.
Known then and now as The Castle, the building was acquired by Widener University, Chester, in 1967 and currently is used as a sorority residence hall. In 2016, Clarity Contractors, Mays Landing, N.J., was selected to evaluate The Castle's 132-year-old low- and steep-slope roof systems and make recommendations for repairs and/or replacement.
Evaluating the fortress
During May 2016, Clarity Contractors evaluated the overall condition of The Castle's roof areas.
"Because the building was built in 1884, the original copper flashings needed to be replaced, and the slate roof was showing signs it was reaching the end of its life cycle," says Chris Comer, general manager for Clarity Contractors. "So we recommended a full roof system replacement, and the customer agreed it was the best option."
On July 21, workers began removing the slate by hand from the 6,500-square-foot steep-slope roof areas and preparing the 3/4-inch-thick tongue-and-groove wooden plank roof decks for new slate-style asphalt shingles. The low-slope turret roofs had accumulated several layers of polymer-modified bitumen membrane, coatings and built-up roofing.
"Working out of a lift and off of slater's jacks, we strategically attached TPO membrane at valleys and other locations to act as a chute to direct the removed debris," Comer explains. "The other end was attached to an Equipter® lift to catch the old roofing material and transport it to a dumpster. This process prevented the material from piling up on the ground, keeping the area around the building clean."
Old World updates
Once the tear-off process was complete, workers applied Carlisle WIP® (water and ice protection) 100 and CertainTeed DiamondDeck® High Performance Synthetic Underlayment to the wooden decks on the steep-slope roof areas followed by CertainTeed Highland Slate® shingles. On three turret roofs, workers installed a Carlisle fully adhered EPDM membrane roof system.
To preserve and aesthetically enhance The Castle, workers also installed 55 sheets of 16-ounce copper soldered into flashings, Berger® Stainless Steel Snow Guards, seamless 5-inch K-style gutters with 3- by 4-inch downspouts and Hercules® RetroDrains.
Wherever possible, Clarity Contractors salvaged materials to maintain the building's unique details.
"The original ornamental terracotta ridge caps were in better shape than we thought, so we reused them wherever we could," Comer says. "We preserved a piece of history, and the original materials make the roof look awesome. With the combination of new and old materials, we were able to maintain the building's historical look while staying within budget."
A majority of The Castle's roof has an 18:12 slope, so workers accessed ridges using a 120-foot boom lift to establish anchor points for the workers' safety line and harness system. Slater's jacks and planks also were used as needed for access, and an Equipter boom lift was used to transport materials around the job site and to various roof areas.
To ensure pedestrian safety, work and storage areas were barricaded with a fence to prevent unnecessary traffic.
A crowning achievement
On Oct. 2, 2016, Clarity Contractors completed its work on The Castle at Widener University. Working during August with 17 days of 90 F or hotter temperatures required workers to take additional safety breaks. This, combined with focused attention to maintaining the building's historical details, resulted in an additional 24 workdays and delayed the overall project by two weeks.
"Historical renovation is nothing like a typical production shingle job," Comer says. "We ran over on workdays because we couldn't rush perfection. Old World craftsmanship and attention to detail were a must to get the job done right. This project became a labor of love."
Although Clarity Contractors encountered several challenges during The Castle project, its crew remained steadfast and dedicated to preserving a mark in history and successfully provided renovated roof systems fit for royalty.
"The most rewarding part of the project was seeing the beautiful, finished project," Comer says. "It takes real dedication to keep coming back to a difficult and complicated job, work safely in extreme heat and not lose motivation or start cutting corners. I'm so proud our crew hung in there and delivered a quality project."
Project name: The Castle at Widener University
Project location: Chester, Pa.
Project duration: July 21, 2016-Oct. 2, 2016
Roof system types: Asphalt shingle; EPDM membrane
Roofing contractor: Clarity Contractors, Mays Landing, N.J.
Roofing manufacturers: Carlisle Construction Materials Inc., Carlisle, Pa.; CertainTeed Corp., Valley Forge, Pa.;
OMG® Roofing Products, Agawam, Mass.
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