Located in San Antonio near the San Antonio International Airport, Marymont Technology Park is an 85,000-square-foot complex serving a variety of businesses and community service offices. When the facility began experiencing roof leaks, the building owner sought a specialized solution so tenants could continue conducting business as usual.
Market Makers Inc., Houston, a firm specializing in residential and commercial roofing sales and design, was asked to assess the roof system and make recommendations regarding repairs or replacement. Market Makers then called a trusted industry partner, Absolute Roofing and Waterproofing, Austin, Texas, for help with the new roof system’s installation.
Plan A
An initial inspection revealed the roof system had been coated with an asphalt-based product. Market Makers engineers made several trips to the complex and took multiple samples to determine the existing roof system and deck type.
The samples revealed the materials underneath the coating were granulated modified membrane over built-up tar and gravel on a Loadmaster Roof Deck System consisting of light-gauge corrugated metal with mechanically attached 1/2-inch-thick gypsum board. The asphalt-based coating applied to the existing substrate had failed for multiple reasons.
Consequently, the deck experienced a lot of wear and was not a suitable substrate for mechanically attached systems and adhering another roof system over the coating was not possible. Tearing off the roof system down to the deck would compromise the roof deck, and repairs to the deck would have been too costly. Further complicating the situation were numerous skylights and rooftop HVAC units, drains and scuppers.
Market Makers engineers recommended removing all existing roofing materials plus the roof deck and installing a new metal deck and mechanically attached TPO membrane roof system. However, these extensive renovations cost significantly more than the client had in its budget.
Plan B
The engineers then developed an alternative solution using 1/2-inch-thick DuraStorm VSH™ Coverboards, VersiWeld® 60-mil-thick TPO membrane and a VacuSeal™ V2T Vent-Secured system.
“With nothing penetrating the deck and not having to fully adhere anything on the roof surface, we were able to provide a roofing solution that not only made sense structurally but also monetarily,” says Jay Rodriguez, vice president of Market Makers.
Rodriguez then called Absolute Roofing and Waterproofing for help with the new roof system’s installation.
“Jay brought us into this project,” says Dustin Guess, president of Absolute Roofing and Waterproofing. “Market Makers is our most valued trade partner, and it has a strong partnership with the building owner.”
In March, the Absolute Roofing and Waterproofing crew began work on the 100,000-square-foot, four-building roofing project by first meeting with manufacturer representatives from Versico Roofing Systems, V2T Technology and Market Makers.
“This was our first V2T install, so we wanted to ensure all the details were installed to specs the first time around,” Guess says. “We also did a lot of logistical planning so tenants would experience minimal disruption to their businesses.”
Using aerial photos such as the sample staging map shown above, crew members were able to visualize and navigate material deliveries to offloading and staging areas within the complex and routinely communicate with tenants throughout the project, helping minimize business disruptions.
Working from retractable lanyards attached to safety carts, workers began by laying Versico DuraStorm VSH Coverboards over the existing roof system, placing VacuSeal Air Distribution Strips for the vents and then rolling out the VersiWeld TPO membrane. The crew marked the DuraStorm VSH Coverboards at predetermined locations based on shop drawings provided by V2T Technology for the distribution strips and vents and flashed the membrane before working on another section. Everything was loose-laid; the only securement was along the roof perimeter into the parapet walls and around the HVAC units and skylights.
After working for a week and a half and completing the roof system on the first building, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a statewide lockdown.
“Fortunately, roofing is considered an essential business in Texas, but we had to pivot and implement safety protocols so the owner and tenants felt safe,” Guess explains. “Because one of the tenants in the second building is a dialysis center, we wanted to ensure the health and safety not only of our crew but also the tenants and their customers. Among other safety measures, we mandated masks or face sleeves immediately, which was one month before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mandated masks, so everyone was comfortable with us continuing with the roof recovery project.”
The right stuff
In May, the roof re-cover project successfully was completed thanks to a dedicated team of engineers, contractors, consultants and manufacturers working together to deliver the best roofing solution for a client.
“Installation throughout this project was smoother than most,” Guess says. “Versico Roofing Systems and V2T Technology were available for the project’s entirety. This ‘added value service’ provided does not come with a fee or hourly cost associated with all the front-end work. Putting in the time and effort to ensure the solution was the right one for the client is a testament to what true trade partnerships are about.”
Project name: Marymont Technology Park
Project location: San Antonio
Project duration: March 10—May 12
Roof system type: TPO
Roofing contractor: Absolute Roofing and Waterproofing, Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin, Texas
Roofing manufacturers: V2T Technology, Charlotte, N.C.; Versico Roofing Systems, Carlisle, Pa.
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