Denver, Colorado (11/3/2003) --- The architects, Stat Wold of Michigan originally specified an EPDM roofing system for Hazel Park Junior High School in Hazel Park, Mich. However, an EPDM roof would have to be fully adhered, a process that could not be accomplished during the winter months. Therefore, Gary Hilton, president of Port Huron Roofing & Sheet Metal Inc. of Clyde TWP, Mich., recommended that a Johns Manville PVC roofing membrane be used instead, which was an alternative specification for the project.
“They thought it was worth the extra investment in PVC to begin the installation in the winter,” said Hilton. “It doesn’t have the temperature and humidity limitations of a fully adhered EPDM system.”
There were actually two roofing systems on the unique structure—the flat portions of the roof have JM PVC and the barrel shaped roof and the pitched roof are metal. According to Chris Thronson, the project manger for Skanska USA, the general contractors for the project, this school, which is a replacement for one built in 1920, was not only designed to be one of the best junior highs in the country from an architectural standpoint, but also from a functional standpoint.
“The school district was looking for a building that was going to add value to the educational process,” Thronson said. “It is divided into four separate wings with each wing dedicated to a subject area such as math or English. It’s a very nice building with a lot of masonry details and decorative brick.”
Despite the challenges with the overall construction, but because of the ease of working with PVC, the roofing installation went very smoothly. A vapor retarder was installed over a metal deck. Two layers of 3½ inch JM polyisocyanurate and tapered polyisocyanurate roof insulation was installed under the JM UltraGard® SR-72 tan roofing membrane, which was mechanically attached. The 53,000-square-foot roofing system has a 1-90 wind uplift rating and carries a 20-year warranty.
Because of the unique structure of the school, there were many separate roofing areas and lots of penetrations in the roof for HVAC, exhaust fans and gas piping. Port Huron Roofing used JM PVC flashings on these details.
“We’ve used Port Huron on a number of jobs and they are excellent roofing contractors,” said Scott Ellis, field superintendent for Skanska USA. “Gary Hilton provides excellent service and is easy to work with.”
Port Huron Roofing, a Johns Manville Peak Advantage™ roofing contractor, has been in business since 1991 and has annual sales of $10 million. It fluctuates in size from 30 to 80 employees between the summer and winter months.
The Michigan Division of Skanska USA Building Inc. is a full-service construction company in business since 1939. It is a division of Skanska USA Building Inc., a leading US construction company, with offices in Detroit, Farmington Hills, Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo.
Johns Manville, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is a leading manufacturer and marketer of premium-quality building and specialty products. In business since 1858, the Denver-based company has sales in excess of $2 billion and holds leadership positions in all of the key markets that it serves. Johns Manville employs about 9,000 people and operates 43 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and China. Additional information can be found at www.jm.com.
