Roof leaks can be a museum’s worst enemy, threatening water damage to artifacts and disturbing delicately controlled indoor environments. That’s why an $8.3 million renovation to the core exhibits at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in 2007 was done in parallel with fixing approximately 75,000-sf of the flat, spray-applied polyurethane foam (SPF) roof that had provided almost 10 years of service.
“We were redoing the core exhibit so I thought it was a good time to check the roof,” explains Robert Spacek, Facility Operations Specialist for the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum.
The original roof was a foam and silicone-coated system. Although SPF roofs can often last 20 years or more, and are renewable indefinitely with simple recoats every 10-15 years, this one was showing some wear and tear. As part of the renovation, there was talk of tearing off the existing roof and replacing it with another solution. This option, however, would be extremely expensive and time-consuming. Plus, the artifacts and records would have had to be moved and the building closed to the public during renovations.
“This particular roof was still in excellent shape and performing well. There was nothing wrong with the base foam roofing insulation,” explains John Austin, Vice President of Spray Polyurethane Foam and Coatings for F.W. Walton Inc., the contractor on the project. “But there were some leaks related to the rotunda and control joints in the windows, and membrane repairs were ineffective to prevent those roof leaks.”
Spacek made a request to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) for funding for the roofing project. The NARA architects were subsequently asked to research the cost of replacing the entire roof. After consulting with BASF technical experts, it was discovered that only certain parts needed minor repairs, so a tear-off and replacement could be avoided.
Once the project was approved, the bid went to Houston-based F.W. Walton, Inc. Having found the root of the problem, Austin used ELASTOSPRAY SPF from BASF to perform minor repairs on various parts of the existing roof, followed by a recoat of the entire roof to provide a consistent and fresh aesthetic appeal. This renewal would continue to deliver on the energy savings inherent in SPF roofing systems, prolong the life expectancy of the original roof and provide a quick installation with minimal disruption. All at a far reduced cost compared with a tear off and replacement. Plus, it would divert a lot of waste from landfills.
For more information, contact:
BASF Corporation
100 Park Avenue
Florham Park, NJ 07932
info@basfconstruction.us
construction.basf.us
And thanks to the decision to repair and recoat the original roof, the work didn’t inconvenience the public or expose artifacts to the elements.
“We didn’t have to change anything,” says Spacek, who adds that it was his first big job with this type of roofing system. “Things went really well. The contractor was very easy to get along with. In all honesty, I didn’t understand a lot about this stuff until I started this job. I am very pleased with the results. It has been a very satisfactory experience for me.” +
Related Stories
| Sep 4, 2013
Smart building technology: Talking results at the BUILDINGChicago/ Greening the Heartland show
Recent advancements in technology are allowing owners to connect with facilities as never before, leveraging existing automation systems to achieve cost-effective energy improvements. This BUILDINGChicago presentation will feature Procter & Gamble’s smart building management program.
| Sep 4, 2013
Last chance to pre-register for BUILDINGChicago/Greening the Heartland Conference at 20% savings
Attendees of the BUILDINGChicago/Greening the Heartland Expo and Conference can still save 20% off the at-site registration fee by registering online in these final days before the event opens on September 9 and concludes on September 11.
| Sep 3, 2013
'School in a box' project will place school in San Diego public library
Thinking outside the box, LPA Inc. is designing a school inside a box. With an emphasis on three E’s—Engage, Educate, and Empower—e3 Civic High is now being constructed on the sixth and seventh floors of a public library in downtown San Diego. Library patrons will be able to see into the school via glass elevators, but will not have physical access to the school.
| Sep 3, 2013
Delinquency rate for commercial real estate loans at lowest level in three years
The delinquency rate for US commercial real estate loans in CMBS dropped for the third straight month to 8.38%. This represents a 10-basis-point drop since July's reading and a 175-basis-point improvement from a year ago.
| Sep 3, 2013
EDGE studio, GBBN announce merger
GBBN Architects and EDGE studio of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania are very pleased to announce the merger of their firms under GBBN Architects effective September 1, 2013.
| Sep 3, 2013
Jon Pettit (1952-2013) - DLR Group Managing Principal
Jonathan (Jon) E. Pettit, AIA, died August 19, 2013 in Seattle following treatment for cancer. He was 61. Pettit was a DLR Group managing principal and practiced for his entire professional career with DLR Group.
| Aug 30, 2013
Modular classrooms gaining strength with school boards
With budget, space needs, and speed-to-market pressures bearing down on school districts, modular classroom assemblies are often a go-to solution.
| Aug 30, 2013
Local Government Report [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Building Design+Construction's rankings of the nation's largest local government design and construction firms, as reported in the 2013 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 30, 2013
A new approach to post-occupancy evaluations
As a growing number of healthcare institutions become more customer-focused, post-occupancy evaluations (POE) are playing a bigger role in new construction and renovation projects. Advocate Health Care is among the healthcare organizations to institute a detailed post-occupancy assessment process for its projects.
| Aug 29, 2013
First look: K-State's Bill Snyder Family Stadium expansion
The West Side Stadium Expansion Project at Kansas State's Bill Snyder Family Stadium is the largest project in K-State Athletics history.
