Redefining quality

• Photos courtesy of KY-KO Roofing Systems, Phoenix.
• Photos courtesy of KY-KO Roofing Systems, Phoenix.

No one promises a roof system will last forever. So a roofing crew from KY-KO Roofing Systems, Phoenix, was not surprised when it was asked to perform roof system repairs on an existing tile roof system at The Palisades, an apartment complex in Phoenix. But the crew was surprised to discover the roof system had been on the building for just 10 years and simple repairs would not be sufficient.

"After inspection, we informed The Palisades personnel that because of material failures and faulty tile installation practices, we would need to completely rebuild the roof system by removing tile, installing a new underlayment and reinstalling the existing tile," says Joe Nelson, tile division manager for KY-KO Roofing Systems. "We also would need to bring in matching tile to replace broken tile and compensate for additional tile to allow for a proper 3-inch (76-mm) headlap."

At first, The Palisades management wanted spot repair for the leaks on many of the roof systems. However, once KY-KO Roofing Systems showed the extent of the problems, The Palisades management realized a complete roof system removal and replacement was the best course of action. The possibility of doing the work in phases was discussed, but management decided to complete the entire project at one time. This led to what would be an overhaul of the apartment complex's roof system.

"This was an established, fully occupied apartment complex of 536 units," Nelson says. "The roof systems failed only 10 years after original construction. It is estimated that half the 36 buildings—35 buildings and an office building—had leaks. This project seemed unique to me because the owners of The Palisades understood the seriousness of the problems and decided to bite the bullet and just take care of all of it."

A fixer-upper

KY-KO Roofing Systems received the job when the apartment management company requested a roof system repair estimate. The company had been referred to KY-KO Roofing Systems by another management company KY-KO Roofing Systems had worked with in the past.

The project was about 380,000 square feet (35302 m²), and the crew had issues to address from the beginning.

"The original roof system was on a plywood deck and consisted of one layer of No. 30 organic felt lapped 2 inches (51 mm)," Nelson says. "Shrinkage of the underlayment had caused there to be no sidelap in areas. The fasteners had pulled through, leaving holes. Pigeon droppings had plugged up valley pans and wall flashings. A Monier 'S' profile concrete tile had been installed on 1 x 2 battens. However, the tile in most areas was overexposed and in some areas only had 1-inch (25-mm) to 1 1/2-inch (38-mm) headlap on the tile. No ridge closure was installed."

The roofing crew removed and stacked the concrete tile and shifted it to remove, bundle and dispose of the old battens. The roofing crew then cleaned the deck with a broom.

Overhaul

KY-KO Roofing Systems began installation of the roof system, a majority of which had a slope of 5-in-12 (23 degrees), with two layers of Ridglass Products Inc.'s TG-2 fiberglass SBS-modified bitumen underlayment over the existing plywood deck. Fascia components and plywood deck areas damaged by water were removed and replaced. New battens were installed to provide a minimum of 3 inches (76 mm) headlap of tile.

"The existing salvaged tile then was reinstalled," Nelson says. "We salvaged about 94 percent of the existing tile. However, we purchased enough tile for about 12 percent of the area. The other 6 percent was to compensate for improper headlap of the existing tile installation. The tile coursing had been stretched significantly past its installation specification of a minimum of 3 inches (76 mm) headlap. We decreased the exposure to its recommended exposure when we reinstalled the tile using more tile than the original installation.

"Modifications to the eave detail included lowering the 1 x 4 kicker at the eave fascia and installing edge metal under the new underlayment with a metal bird stop," he continues. "Ridge closures were installed at all ridge lines to reduce windblown water exposure at the ridges."

Triple-crown valley metal, a style of metal with three inverted "v"'s to control water flow, was used in the valleys. Existing chimney flashings were modified to become base flashings, and additional flashing was installed with a counterflashing surface-mounted and sealed with caulking. Replacement tile consisted of Westile Roofing Products' tile, which fits the local Monier 'S' profile molds.

Safety precautions were taken, including using warning cones and caution tape to cordon off dangerous ground traffic areas. There were danger signs to alert people to the overhead work, and the crew wore fall-protection harnesses and anchors when doing third-story work and work at the eaves.

Obstacles

KY-KO Roofing Systems faced some challenges along the way, including various obstacles that led to project delays.

"The project took about 1 1/2 months longer than anticipated to complete, primarily because of weather conditions," Nelson says. "Rain precluded tear-off, and safety issues with regard to wet surfaces also were considered. Luckily, the contract allowed for weather-related extensions to the deadline. A one-week delay also was created when our forklift needed repairs."

Transporting materials to the site became an issue, as well.

"Another one-week delay occurred at the end of the project when we had trouble getting the final shipment of tiles," Nelson says. "We had preordered a number of shipments of tile for the project and ended up needing one more than expected. By the time we were sure of how much additional tile was needed, we suspect concrete shortages played into part of the delay.

"Also, because The Palisades is an established complex, access to some buildings was limited," he continues. "In some areas, we had to traverse landscaping to get forklift access."

However, these were not the only obstacles. KY-KO Roofing Systems faced challenges internally, as well. The company was increasing its residential tile work at the same time it was hiring qualified workers to help with The Palisades project. The company was in an upswing in residential business before starting The Palisades and looked to The Palisades project to develop the crews it needed for its growing residential work.

"We were looking at doubling our tile installation force without wanting to compromise our standard of installation," Nelson says. "Recruited personnel were assigned to work with an existing crew before doing any work on their own. They were then tested on their own with a roof system. If they were unable to maintain our standard, they were released and others were brought in. During the seven-month process, five foremen and their established crews were hired. Only two foremen and their crews made it through testing.

"We hit our crew goal and kept some of the best at The Palisades to finish the project," he continues. "I think this affected us and the project in a positive way, increasing our crew numbers and the consistent quality of the work."

The bright side

Although hit by what seemed like continuous challenges, KY-KO Roofing Systems pulled through and the project still held rewards.

"Two positive things came out of this," Nelson says. "One was the personal relationships built with The Palisades management staff. I deal with customers on much smaller projects who think the only way to get anything done is to get angry and be controlling. There was none of that. It was just common respect that made the difference."

He continues: "The other was the concentrated removal and replacement procedure training we were able to provide for our employees. We started out with one foreman, who was promoted to job-site superintendent to run the project, and his crew of four workers. At the end of the project, through our new hires, we came out with three strong foremen and three strong workers."

Also rewarding was how well the job turned out, Nelson says.

"You can hardly tell we were there, and that is good with a roofing project of this type," he says. "We had no accidents causing harm to any of our crews that first aid couldn't cure. We had no injuries to tenants. The roof is installed correctly. It turned out pretty much the way we set out to do it."

The project carried its own personal reward for Nelson.

"The peace of mind I have moving into our future exceeds all else I have as a manager," Nelson says. "This is the largest project I have been involved with, and that's kind of cool."

Krista Reisdorf is associate editor of Professional Roofing magazine.

Project name: The Palisades

Project location: Phoenix

Project duration: December 2003—July 2004

Roof system type: Tile

Roofing contractor: KY-KO Roofing Systems, Phoenix

Roofing manufacturer: Westile Roofing Products, Casa Grande, Ariz.