In a Class by Itself
New Insulated Roof Deck for High School in Los Angeles, California
by Ali Turner, editorial & multimedia manager
Wildwood Middle and Upper School, located in Los Angeles, California, was recently scheduled for a complete remodel of the large, single-building institution. Wilson Pacific Roofing, Chatsworth, California, was tasked with recovering the existing cap sheet roof, which was worn but still had a little life left. However, Wilson Pacific Roofing knew that the original plan of repairing the 55,000 sq.ft. roof and then coating it would be impractical with the amount of equipment and skylight alterations being constructed.
Known in the Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley as a premier residential and commercial roofing contractor, the team at Wilson Pacific Roofing was expertly equipped to take on the challenging job. The 44-year-old company is a member of the Polyglass® Contractor Program, which is a three-tiered program that rewards contractors for quality Polyglass roof system installations. Wilson Pacific Roofing has achieved the highest tier, Quantum Contractor, and benefits from personalized training, enhanced warranties, and exclusive meetings with Polyglass leadership.
The large building has a twin barrel-shaped roof structure with a flat blind valley that separates the two barrels. The existing roof sheathing consists of 1×8″ wood plank decking, and during the last reroof, all of the existing roof layers were stripped. At that point, a 4″-thick polyiso insulation board was installed and 1/2″ recovery board insulation was laid down. Next, the new glass-reinforced roof was hot mopped to the insulated roof deck.
“We were aware that foot traffic was going to be a frequent occurrence,” said Rick Wilson, owner, Wilson Pacific Roofing. “We needed a tough and durable roof system that could meet the challenges of this dynamic job.” Knowing how tough Polyglass roof systems can be, Wilson Pacific Roofing called on Rick Mapes, technical supervisor at Polyglass, to meet and formulate a roof system designed particularly for this high school.
Because the existing worn roof was still in fair condition, Wilson Pacific Roofing and Mapes agreed that the best course of action would be to recover the existing roof. The structure can easily support the additional weight, and it allows the team the ability to keep the roof insulation.
“Even though we saved the existing roof insulation, this reroof was no easy task,” expressed Wilson. Cutting through the roof deck to make platforms and curbs for 21 new skylights and six HVAC units left openings and voids in the roof insulation. These areas had to be filled back in with new 4″ polyiso insulation and 1/2″ Densdeck®. With the roof deck leveled, the reroof process could then begin.
Wilson Pacific roofing formulated a scope of work where the team could apply the Polyglass asphalt primer to the entire roof and then apply the 2-layer Polyfresko® G Roof system. This system consisted of the Polyflex® smooth modified sheet welded directly to the primed roof. Polyflex is a premium polyester reinforced APP modified bitumen membrane specially designed for heat-welded applications. Polyfresko G modified cool cap sheet was then applied onto the Polyflex sheet. This gave the high school a 20-year material and workmanship warranty with Polyglass. Polyfresko G features patented CURE Technology®, which utilizes an innovative thin film technology that attributes to the product’s exceptional granule adhesion, reflectivity, minimal staining, scuff resistance, and UV stabilization for long-term durability and performance.
With a new roof system overhead, staff and students at Wildwood Middle and Upper School can focus on the important tasks at hand. Wilson Pacific Roofing, with the help of Polyglass, was able to navigate the challenging reroof while also extending the life of the existing roof deck.
