Shopping around

When settlers first arrived in the Pocono Mountains, legend says American Indians blessed them by saying, "May your moccasins be dry, your path free from logs and briars, and the sun shine on your lodges."

The blessing, unfortunately, did not apply to asbestos-containing, failing, nonreinforced roof systems, which covered the Stroud Mall, Stroudsburg, Pa. The mall, located in the Pocono Mountains, and its roof systems needed more than a blessing.

Jurin Roofing Services Inc., Quakertown, Pa., was reroofing the mall's Bon-Ton department store under direct contract with Bon-Ton when the mall's owner decided to repair and replace the mall's remaining roof systems. Working on the department store helped Jurin Roofing Services win the Stroud Mall project.

"The roof consultant who specified the Stroud Mall project happened to be on-site doing the initial survey of the project during our [Bon-Ton] operations," says Chris Jurin, vice president of Jurin Roofing Services. "He observed our work, was happy with what he saw and invited us to the project prebid meeting."

Project management

The mall's EPDM and built-up roof (BUR) systems are 270,000 square feet (24300 m²); the BUR system contained asbestos. The original roof systems featured a steel deck covered by a base layer of wood fiberboard insulation that was set in a mopping of asphalt. A 1/2-inch- (13-mm-) thick wood fiberboard was loose-laid over the existing systems. A nonreinforced button-down system topped off the roofs.

Photos courtesy of Jurin Roofing Services Inc., Quakertown, Pa.

Jurin Roofing Services installed EPDM roof systems on a 270,000-square-foot (24300-m²) area.

Jurin knew to successfully tear off the roof systems and install new EPDM ones, project management would play as important a role as skill.

The EPDM membrane was installed in low-rise urethane foam.

"The mall reroofing project required a high level of management supervision to complete the project effectively and with as little interruption to internal operations [as possible]," Jurin adds.

Jurin Roofing Services managed the BUR system removal by coordinating with a local environmental contractor. The contractor removed the system, cleaned the deck and deposited tear-off materials into approved containers.

Managing the job with the environmental contractor was significant—if the tear-off process fell behind schedule, Jurin Roofing Services' reroofing schedule also would slacken. To make sure this didn't happen, representatives from both companies met daily.

The environmental contractor began tear-off work at 5 a.m. each morning. This allowed Jurin Roofing Services' crews to arrive at 7:30 a.m. to install the new EPDM roof system on recently torn-off and cleaned BUR areas.

The EPDM membrane was installed in low-rise urethane foam.

And during the project, Jurin Roofing Services could not forget about the people inside the building—the tenants and shoppers. For example, in some areas, the deck was exposed on the underside. The company ensured these areas were protected to prevent interior merchandise damage or personal danger.

"The mall management worked well with our company to provide interior protection where needed," Jurin says.

Jurin Roofing Services further considered tenants' needs by stopping work from late November 2001 (two months after work started) to March to let the holiday shopping season thrive. The company resumed work March 4 and finished April 12.

To ensure open communication occurred, Jurin Roofing Services met biweekly with mall management. If problems needing immediate attention occurred, mall management contacted Jurin Roofing Services' project manager.

Observing

Carlisle SynTec Inc., Carlisle, Pa., saw the Stroud Mall project as an opportunity to use its SynTec/China JV (joint venture) technical exchange program. Carlisle formed a joint venture with Beijing Building Materials Group, now known as Beijing Carlisle Waterproofing Materials Co., to manufacture EPDM, adhesives (bonding and splicing materials), polyurethane coatings and modified bitumen sheets. The exchange program was created as part of the agreement to allow Beijing Carlisle Waterproofing Materials' employees to observe U.S. projects.

According to Orlando Lobo, Carlisle's director international, the program's goal is to transfer Carlisle's technical expertise to Beijing Carlisle Waterproofing Materials so the company can educate the Chinese roofing market.

"The transfer of technical knowledge is being accomplished by training in [Carlisle's] Installation Workshop, observing in-place and ongoing Carlisle projects, and [Carlisle] sending its 'experts' to China to participate in training and information exchange," Lobo adds.

Carlisle sent five Beijing Carlisle Waterproofing Materials' employees to Stroudsburg to observe Jurin Roofing Services' application methods. Jurin says though language barriers existed, his employees and the Beijing representatives were able to communicate.

Jurin Roofing Services' application methods included the 15- to 20-person roofing crew mechanically attaching 1.5-inch- (38-mm-) thick polyisocyanurate insulation to the metal deck. Next, a Carlisle Fleeceback black EPDM membrane was installed in Fast 100 low-rise urethane foam.

Preparation

Being prepared for a project of this magnitude is essential to its success. And Jurin believes his company prepared for and managed the job thoroughly. He says Carlisle sent the Beijing representatives because it was confident in his crew's work.

"We [were] able to look at the project and envision the process for removal and replacement, as well as the finished project before we began work," Jurin states.

Kate Gawlik is associate editor of Professional Roofing magazine.