The Caswell Cove
condominium complex in Milford, Conn., is a peaceful coastal gem. Situated on
the banks of the Housatonic River, it offers waterfront vistas, access to an
adjacent private marina, and magnificent sunset views. But while the setting is
spectacular, it was no friend to the complex’s seven 25-year-old EPDM roofs.
The salt-laden spray
coming off the brackish river, hurricanes, cold winters, hot summers — and even
seagulls dropping the sharp remnants of their crab dinners — were causing the
roofs to age prematurely.
Thanks to minor repairs
made along the way, there were no leaks or other issues; however, the
condominium association’s board of directors and property-management company
wondered if replacement time had come.
The maintenance team at
REI Property Management asked several contractors to bid on a full replacement.
In what proved to be the winning proposal, however, Advantage Roofing &
Siding of Milford suggested something different — restoration with silicone
coating.
The project shows the good
things that happen when both contractors and customers focus on doing things
the right way. The condo association’s board was proactive and acted before
problems arose, and then kept an open mind in weighing its options. For its
part, Advantage did its due diligence in recommending the best solution for its
client and then cut no corners in delivering a high-quality project.
The Advantage team also
learned and adapted along the way, finding new ways to ensure quality and boost
crew efficiency – best practices they will use on future projects.
Pre-Project Homework
Before recommending
coating, Advantage took the necessary steps to confirm the roofs were, in fact,
good candidates.
Co-owner Mark Villano and
Lead Foreman John Girardi inspected the roofs, looking for any soft spots where
water had penetrated, any deteriorated edges, or any seams or details that
needed attention. In a follow-up inspection, a technical representative from
roofing system manufacturer Mule-Hide Products Co. walked the roof with them
and discussed options.
Finally, core cuts
provided a picture of the history and condition of the entire system, from the
membrane to the roof deck. The roof remained sound with no underlying issues.
“These roofs were the best
possible candidates for coating,” said Mule-Hide Products Territory Manager Tim
McDermott.
An adhesion test confirmed
that Mule-Hide 100% Silicone Roof Coating would be compatible with the
substrate and that there was nothing, such as encapsulated moisture, that would
inhibit adhesion.
A ‘No-Brainer’
Villano, Girardi and McDermott then met with the condo
association’s board and made the case for restoring the roofs.
“It was almost a no-brainer,” said REI Property Management
Maintenance Supervisor Charlie Scrivines.
Coating the roofs would cost approximately 60% less than
replacing them. A 20-year, no-dollar-limit system warranty and a 50-year
limited warranty on the materials would take the roofs off the board’s list of
things to worry about.
There remains the potential to recoat the roofs in the
future, further extending their lives. There would be minimal disruption to
residents. The reflective coating would lower residents’ energy costs. Finally,
there would be tax benefits.
The project would be considered “maintenance,” so the total
cost could be written off as an expense in the year Advantage Roofing completed
the job. Replacing a roof, on the other hand, is generally considered a capital
improvement, and for tax purposes, the cost-benefit is a depreciation over 39
years. (Note: Property owners should consult their tax and accounting
professionals for guidance on their specific project.)
With
approximately 315 squares of roof across seven buildings, it was the most
significant coating job Advantage had undertaken. They expected it to take an
entire month, but smart logistical decisions, careful attention to detail, and
a willingness to learn and adapt processes during the process allowed the
10-person crew to finish in just three weeks.
Easing Roof Access
One of the best choices Advantage made in planning the job (and one that
was almost not made) was renting a 150-foot super boom man lift to access the
roofs.
While the buildings are only three units high, the site’s quirky terrain
creates a much greater distance between ground and roof. Using 50-foot ladders
to access the roofs would have been “a nightmare,” Girardi said.
Advantage determined that using ladders would more than double the time
required to complete the job, tire the crew, increase the risk of accidents and
create the potential for coating to drip onto the buildings’ siding or shingled
roof sections.
A Sunbelt Rentals representative toured the job site and took
measurements before recommending the appropriate lift to cover the required
distances and handle the weight of crew and materials.
“They gave us the perfect lift for this job,” Girardi said. “If it had
been any smaller, we would have been in a bad spot.”
Squeaky-Clean Surfaces
For the coating to adhere correctly, removing years of accumulated dirt
and EPDM dust was first required. While essential, the step can often be
tedious and time-consuming. The Advantage crew took to the internet in search
of a better way, and by the time they began work on the second roof, they had
found it.
As before, they applied the 115 Cleaner from Mule-Hide Products and let
it sit for the specified time. But rather than just using the spray from the
pressure washer to remove the cleaner and dirt, they added a Ryobi 15-inch
surface cleaner attachment. The inexpensive tool gently scrubbed the surface in
a circular motion, cleaning it thoroughly without damaging it.
“We covered so much
square footage so much faster,” Girardi said. “You’re really doing yourself a
disservice if you’re not using something like this.”
Divide and Conquer
With seven roofs to tackle, the crew split into teams, ensuring a
continuous workflow. While one team was coating one roof, another was preparing
the next one, cleaning the membrane and applying Seal-Fast Liqui-Flash from
Mule-Hide Products to seal edges and details. Crew members also would backtrack
to do quality checks and complete any necessary touch-ups.
Meticulous Attention to Detail
To reach the desired thickness of 40 wet mils/38 dry mils, a single coat
of 100% silicone roof coating was applied at a rate of 2.5 gallons per square
foot.
Because of the windy coastal conditions, application with a sprayer was
not an option and instead, crews used rollers.
Some easy math and chalk lines helped ensure that the coating was applied
at the correct thickness. The crew calculated that one pail of finish coating
would cover 200 square feet of roof surface. By marking off 200-square-foot
sections, they could simply empty the pail in the middle of a square and spread
it, confident it was the desired thickness.
To ensure even application, the crew pushed the coating into place rather
than rolling it back and forth as when applying paint to a wall.
“Sometimes the
roller isn’t even moving much because you don’t want to make it too thin,”
Girardi said. “You can visually tell that the coating is even.”
A Success for All Involved
The proactive approach, careful planning and meticulous work paid off.
“It was a really good experience for us,” Girardi said. “Even the field
tech who did the warranty inspection was amazed at how it transformed the
rubber roof to what it looks like now.”
Scrivines, REI’s property manager, concurred, saying how the job went as
smoothly as a job could and paid compliment to the crews’ communication
efforts.
“They were right on
point with everything in terms of delivery times and getting the job done on
time; everybody was very happy with the work from beginning to end,” he said,
adding, “If we had waited another two years, we probably would have needed to replace
two of the roofs; now we’ll be good for another 20 years.”
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