Photos courtesy of Potteiger-Raintree Inc., a Tecta America company, Glen Rock, Pa.
Photos courtesy of Potteiger-Raintree Inc., a Tecta America company, Glen Rock, Pa.
Photos courtesy of Potteiger-Raintree Inc., a Tecta America company, Glen Rock, Pa.
Photos courtesy of Potteiger-Raintree Inc., a Tecta America company, Glen Rock, Pa.
Photos courtesy of Potteiger-Raintree Inc., a Tecta America company, Glen Rock, Pa.
Photos courtesy of Potteiger-Raintree Inc., a Tecta America company, Glen Rock, Pa.
Deer Point Condominiums, located on the coast in Ocean City, Md., offers ocean views to permanent residents and vacationers alike.
Deer Point Condominiums' 7,500-square-foot roof is composed of 20 individual areas that interconnect over tenant-occupied space and double as sun decks. The condominiums' original roof system, which featured a thermoplastic single-ply membrane, had proved to be unsuitable, and Deer Point Condominiums' board opted to install a new waterproofing system on the building as part of a complete exterior renovation.
"The original roof system was susceptible to algae in the coastal environment, which was not only unsightly but slippery and dangerous," says Tony Frey, vice president of sales and marketing for Glen Rock, Pa.-based Potteiger-Raintree Inc., a Tecta America company. "Furthermore, it was unable to withstand pedestrian traffic and abrasion from outdoor furniture and had become stained and damaged."
Potteiger-Raintree originally had been asked to be a subcontractor for the project; however, before work began, the general contractor left the project. Deer Point Condominiums' owners, in turn, asked Potteiger-Raintree to install the waterproofing system, as well as the railings and siding.
A nontraditional solution
Work on Deer Point Condominiums began in March 2006.
"We had to be done before Memorial Day—that was a big push," Frey says. "That's the beginning of the big rental season for that area."
After removing the existing thermoplastic membrane, Potteiger-Raintree's first obstacle was to correct the roof's slope, which didn't provide positive drainage.
"With the existing roof system, water was actually rolling down the roof and into the occupied units," Frey says. "We installed tapered extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation to correct the slope."
Selecting a waterproofing system that would meet the project's requirements proved to be difficult, as well.
"The system needed to be able to withstand pedestrian traffic and abrasion," Frey says. "Because the sun deck is an architectural feature, aesthetic considerations were important, as well. Concrete pavers were not feasible because of structural limitations of the building's wood frame construction, and many systems we considered simply were not durable enough. We finally chose Siplast's Terapro System, a liquid-applied, fully reinforced, layered membrane finished with a durable quartz surfacing. Each liquid layer of the system is made of a catalyzed polymethyl methacrylate resin.
"Presenting this nontraditional solution to Deer Point Condominiums' board was interesting, but after we explained how the system meets their criteria, they approved our proposal," Frey continues. "They needed a durable waterproofing system, not a traditional roof system that shouldn't see this much foot traffic."
After correcting the slope, the company attached and primed new exterior-grade plywood decking over the XPS insulation. Penetrations, vertical-to-horizontal transitions at dividing walls and all other details were treated with Terapro Flashing Resin. Next, the first waterproofing layer of Terapro System was roller-applied.
Reinforcing fleece was embedded into the first waterproofing layer and saturated with a second waterproofing layer. A wearing layer of Terapro Flashing Resin was applied, and Pro Colored Quartz was broadcast into the wet resin's surface. Protective Terapro Clear Finish was applied to complete the installation.
"The completed 110-mil thickness application is monolithic, seamless and durable," Frey says.
Safety issues
Safety was a primary concern during the project.
"A big issue we faced was access. The building's backside was accessible only through a stairwell with traffic from the crews and building tenants," Frey says. "Removing and supplying material through this stairwell required constant monitoring.
"Access to the third floor roof area also was difficult to control," Frey continues. "Each of the building's units has interior exits onto the deck. Signs were posted, and notifications of restricted areas were sent to all tenants."
Because tenants often were present in the work area after work hours, each area had to be completely cleaned daily. Removal of the balcony railing was required at the beginning of the project, so Potteiger-Raintree fabricated a temporary railing to eliminate fall hazards.
"This wasn't a construction site you could just leave open at the end of the night," Frey says. "The tenants' safety was a primary concern."
Additionally, the coastal high winds presented material handling issues.
"We had to take care to ensure no materials or debris found their way into the bay," Frey says.
A great feeling
The project was completed in May 2006 and met with Deer Point Condominiums' owners' and tenants' approval.
"The city of Ocean City does not have a great reputation for quality work," says Ray Byrne, president of the Deer Point Condominiums Association. "I consider Deer Point Condominiums extremely lucky to have picked the right company to handle our difficult renovation."
The project also proved rewarding for Potteiger-Raintree.
"Everyone was extremely pleased with everything we did," Frey says. "That's the most rewarding part of any project—having an owner who is pleased with the work. And when you have 20 owners who are pleased … that's a great feeling."
Ashley St. John is Professional Roofing's associate editor.
Project name: Deer Point Condominiums
Project location: Ocean City, Md.
Project duration: March 2006-May 2006
Waterproofing system type: Liquid-applied, fully reinforced, layered membrane
Roofing contractor: Potteiger-Raintree Inc., a Tecta America company, Glen Rock, Pa.
Roofing manufacturer: Siplast, Irving, Texas
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