Commercial Roofing Lakewood High School Natatorium

The Lakewood High School Natatorium roof was in terrible shape and was in dire need of replacement. Because of the persistent problems with standing water, a new approach was used in the design for the roof drainage. Absolute Exteriors, Inc, the installing contractor, enrolled in a new program entitled The Certified Drainage Program (CDP). The CDP Program was used for the first time on a roof project in Northeast Ohio and proved to be an extremely successful approach to drainage.

The Natatorium roof was a worn out Goodyear EDPM Rubber Roof System. It had a 1/8” per foot insulation slope to the drains, and suffered from falling seams, flashings, and inadequate drainage. The replacement went out to bid in June 2005 and was to be completed before the start of school – August 28th – which presented a challenge to all companies bidding.

Since the building housed a pool, the roof required a vapor barrier to be installed first because of moisture build up. GPD spec’d. a 10-mil polyethylene protected by a 1/4” layer of Dens- deck (a gypsum based underlayment board). Two layers of 2” poly-iso board were then installed over the dens-dek, then the tapered system on top of that. The final layer was another layer of ½” primed Dens-dek. The rubber membrane was then installed, using the fully adhered method, over the top of the Dens-dek. The installation was finished off with button top walk pads and a pre-manufactured Fascia –Coping System. The roof was inspected by the Membrane manufacture for warranty issuance and earned the highest score in the Northeast Ohio area for 2005 installations with RPI. “This roof was the best installation I saw and inspected this year,” said Wendell Hershberger, the RPI warranty inspector. Great opportunity and preparation met, and it was successful.