Johns Manville Offers an Efficient Approach to Restoration

25 years after construction, Orlando’s City Hall roof needed to be evaluated for replacement or restoration. Through extensive research, including moisture survey testing, it was determined that restoring the existing roof was the most efficient approach for this seven-level, nine-story downtown showcase.

The building’s impressive dome and floors of various sizes provide visual interest but create significant challenges regarding access and materials. An extensive amount of pre-planning with countless material decisions -- such as what to use to transition from a flat surface to a ledge that leads to another level surface, how to get workers and materials into narrow spaces, and how to treat the many rounded corners not typically found on most roofs -- were all thoughtfully considered.

To avoid disrupting vehicle and foot traffic in and out of the building, material deliveries were offloaded at night and scaffolding was erected to cordon off traffic. For the many areas of the roof not accessible by door, crews repelled down to work spaces as narrow as two feet wide. For the shortest time frame possible, HVAC systems were shut down and triple charcoal filters put in place to combat the odors that can emanate from coating products endure the elements for 20-plus years. JM provided 100 percent of the roofing materials for this project which ran 120 days with a core crew of eight to ten, and up to 16.

The Johns Manville PMMA solution quick-dry feature allowed the crews, after being repelled down into the tight spaces, to stay in place to apply the base coat and then a short 20 minutes later apply the top coat. This one product choice alone saved a significant amount of time since the crew didn’t have to access those hard-to-reach areas twice. Some competing PMMA products can require up to 24 hours before a top coat can be applied.

“Johns Manville was a great materials partner. During the planning stages, my rep brought ideas to the table on how we were going to reach and treat the numerous smaller spaces,“ said Dan Noderer, Executive Vice President for McEnany Roofing. “They are not a drop-and-go vendor. They stayed with us through the entire job to make sure we had what we needed when we needed it.” The experience and know-how brought to the team by Jim Peters, City of Orlando Assistant Construction Manager, Dan Noderer, and Todd Rauktis with JM, resulted in a complex project going well and completed ahead of schedule.