Quickly, Quietly and with Quality: Royalty Meets School’s Needs for a New Roofing System Installation
The old ballasted EPDM roof on the North Knox Junior and Senior High School building in Bicknell, Indiana, was in need of replacement. It was showing signs of deterioration, and leaks were beginning to develop. “The roof had been on the building longer than I’d been here,” said North Knox School Corporation Superintendent Darrel Bobe.
Currently home to 1,300 students and staff, North Knox Junior and Senior High School was opened in 1974.
Prior to the high school – junior high project, new single-ply PVC roofing systems, manufactured by Duro-Last® Roofing, Inc., of Saginaw, Michigan, had been installed on two other buildings in the School Corporation.
Impressed with the Duro-Last product and the installations on those schools, North Knox specified that Duro-Last be installed on the high school – junior high building that has a 200,000-square-foot roof.
“We were very pleased with the product and the work done by the contractor on the other two buildings,” said Dr. Bobe, “and we approached them first about this project. But they felt that the scope was beyond their capabilities, so they recommended Royalty Roofing to us.”
Royalty President Andy Royalty and Vice President Dale Sventeck evaluated the roof and prepared a proposal for the installation, with a particular focus on the cost. As a public school system, North Knox was necessarily concerned about the budget for the project, and Royalty’s bid came in less than the others received by Dr. Bobe.
“After we inspected the roof, we decided that we could install the new Duro-Last system without tearing off the EPDM,” said Andy Royalty. “Plus, the existing insulation was still in very good shape and didn’t need to be replaced or increased. In addition, we were able to remove the existing metal coping detail around the perimeter of the building and reinstall it at the end of the project. Those three factors allowed us to put a proposal together that would meet the school’s budget requirements.”
The roof ballast needed to come off, however, and this was an area of concern for Dr. Bobe.
“Our campus is busy during the summer with classes, athletics and other activities taking place,” said Dr. Bobe. “We couldn’t allow the removal of the old ballast or the installation of the new roofing system to interfere with day-to-day operations.”
Royalty management and crew worked with the school to schedule the project around summer activities at the building. Removal of the rock ballast using specialized vacuum equipment was very noisy, but Royalty did this phase of the project during off-hours and in areas of the school grounds that didn’t have a lot of traffic.
The other significant challenge was getting the new roof installed before the start of the school year in mid-August. By the time the bids were received and the school board approved the project, it was already July. But according to Andy Royalty, the company wouldn’t let a quick deadline stand in the way.
“Whatever it takes to get the job done – we’ll find a way,” he said. “We knew going in we would have a tight window. But the experience of our crew combined with prefabrication of the Duro-Last roofing system allowed us to get the new roof installed within the time frame required by the customer.”
Because North Knox’s roofing system was prefabricated in a Duro-Last factory to fit the rooftop dimensions, Royalty was able to use crews efficiently during the installation process. Every Duro-Last roof system is delivered to the job site with up to 85% of membrane seaming completed in the factory. Also, custom fabricated stacks and curb flashings eliminate most rooftop labor from critical roof areas – transitions and changes of plane.
Royalty Roofing installed a white, 40-mil Duro-Last roofing system on the school building. Because the membrane would be mechanically attached, Royalty conducted multiple pull-tests on the roof deck before beginning the installation to select appropriate fasteners for penetrating the EPDM membrane and the underlying Tectum roof panels.
“That building sits on a hill in the middle of several farm fields and gets a lot of wind,” said Andy Royalty. “Because of that, we used a very secure fastening pattern across the entire roof, and enhanced the attachment around the perimeter as well.”
According to Dr. Bobe, the installation moved along smoothly. “The crew was courteous throughout the process and clearly experienced. They made sure the grounds were clean and free of debris. We hardly knew they were installing a new roof.”
“We pride ourselves on the professionalism of our entire team,” said Royalty. “Also, because we install Duro-Last, we’re able to maintain the cleanliness of the jobsite more easily than with other roofing products. A Duro-Last installation by Royalty is quiet, fast, and safe, without loud machinery, hazardous materials, fumes, hot tar or mess.”
Because of his previous experience with the Duro-Last system on other buildings within the School Corporation, Dr. Bobe expects the high school – junior high roof to be watertight and trouble-free for years to come. “The Duro-Last 15-year warranty gives me confidence in the long-term durability of the product,” he said. “Plus, Royalty provided their own 10-year Workmanship Warranty, which tells me that they stand behind the integrity of their installation. I’m not expecting there to be any issues with the roof, but if something comes up, I’m confident that Royalty will take care of it.”
“We’ve been in business since 1986, and our longevity is the result of our commitment to providing high-quality roofing products and workmanship as well as exceptional service after the installation,” said Andy Royalty. “We’re pleased to add North Knox School Corporation and Dr. Bobe to our list of satisfied customers.”
Photo Descriptions:
Top: The North Knox School project was about 200,000 square feet in total
Middle: Royalty was able to re-use the existing edge detail on the perimeter of the roof
Bottom: Prefabricated curb flashings manufactured by Duro-Last helped Royalty to install the roofing system quickly
Click here to download a testimonial letter from North Knox’s Dr. Darrel Bobe
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When you need a flat, low-sloped, or metal roof for your commercial, industrial or institutional facility, it’s critical that you choose a commercial roofing contractor based on the qualifications of the contractor as well as the roof system manufacturer. Together, they will resolve your roofing issues, provide a return on your investment, and be there for future facility work and/or service.
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With over 30 years in the commercial roofing industry, we have dealt with a myriad of commercial and industrial roofing situations. We are confident in our ability to understand and effectively address your commercial roofing challenges. To date, we have installed over 45 million square feet of flat, low-sloped, and metal roofing. Our product of choice since 1995 for flat and low-sloped projects is the Duro-Last roofing system.
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