"We had to build a 4-tiered scaffold to roof the top section," said Black. "The scaffolding took twice as much lumber as we had anticipated. We had to start roofing at the top and work down. We really didn't have any problems except the crew was a bit nervous to work at this height. Safety issues were dominant because of the extreme exposure and the necessity to legally meet OSHA standards," he said.

 

There were a number of other unusual features about the roofing project. The parapet walls on the side of the roof are 3 feet, 6 inches wide so they had to be treated as though they were part of the roof. The men had to full harness and work the walls on their hands and knees. Because the roof is such a prominent feature of the building and is visible from the ground, a white roof was essential. Sixty mil UltraGard EPDM membrane was chosen for the job.

 

Dick Ducey, a retired Johns Manville employee, who serves on the building committee for the Archdiocese of Denver, was a consultant on the job. He felt that an EPDM single ply membrane was the right roof for the job because it has a good performance record and is easy to mold. "There are two side gutters that take intricate molding and EPDM is easy to shape in these conditions," Ducey said.

 

Ducey selected Black Roofing for the job because he thinks they are one of the best contractors in the area. John Brookover, the plant manager for the Church also is high on Black Roofing saying the crews have been very good at getting things together and he expects the roof to have a long life. "Our last roof had a long life and we expect the same type of performance from this one," Brookover said.

 

Black also believes the roof will wear well because EPDM stands up well to sun and wind. "I've been using EPDM since Johns Manville brought it out in the 1980's," Black said. "It's the right product for the job because you can get the look you want and the life you expect." The Johns Manville representative on the job was Sue Girard who is new to the Denver area. She also received high marks from Black who said she was "easy to work with."

 

Johns Manville Corporation is a leading manufacturer and marketer of premium quality insulation and building products. The 140-year-old Denver-based company had sales of $1.65 billion in 1997. Johns Manville produces and markets commercial/industrial roofing systems; insulation products for buildings and equipment; and engineered products including high-efficiency filtration media, fibers, fabric and nonwoven mats used as reinforcements in building and industrial applications. Johns Manville employs approximately 8,300 people and operates 50 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and China. Additional information about Johns Manville can be found on its homepage on the world wide web at www.jm.com