Denver, Colorado (10/14/2002) --- Everyone involved with roofing the new 120,000 square foot roof of Columbia Falls Middle School in Columbia Falls, MT agreed that mechanically attached single ply systems are the easiest to install in Montana's cold weather. Dewey Swank, project manager for Swank Enterprises, the general contractor on the project, said that hot roofing systems are too difficult in the Montana climate.
"Because these roofs are often installed in mid-winter when the weather is cold, single ply systems work better here. There is very little built-up roofing or modified bitumen in this area and very few subcontractors with hot roof experience," Swank said.
A Johns Manville UltraGard® 45-mil TPO single ply system was selected for this project because according to Alan Petersen, a partner with Architects Northwest, TPO is more economical and much less expensive than the metal roof he had originally considered.
"The construction budget for this project was $75 per square foot, and we came in at $70 per square foot," said Petersen. "The school district got a good building that is well insulated for that cost."
Western Sheet Metal & Roofing mechanically attached the custom gray TPO roofing system over a metal deck. Three inch JM ISO 1™ insulation was used extensively over a fire barrier board and a polyethylene vapor retarder.
"This was probably the first colored TPO project in this area," said Greg Pearson, General Manager, Roofing Department, Western Sheet Metal & Roofing. "The architect selected gray because the roof is visible from the ground and the school is a series of gray hues. The roof is a big part of the whole project because you can see Glacier National Park in the background so it was important the roof blended in and did not detract from the architecture. An added benefit was the reflectivity of the gray TPO versus a black surface that would absorb the sun's energy," he said.
There are 14 different roof areas within the project with many sizes and levels. Three of the roofs are sloped. The installation was done during the winter.
Dave Wick, the Principal for the school said that he wanted a good quality, long-lasting roofing system to protect the investment of the school district. The Columbia Falls Middle School replaced an older facility and is designed to service the area for the next 50 years.
Johns Manville, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is a leading manufacturer and marketer of premium-quality building and specialty products. In business since 1858, the Denver-based company has sales in excess of $2 billion and holds leadership positions in all of the key markets that it serves. Johns Manville employs approximately 9,500 people and operates 52 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and China. Additional information can be found at www.jm.com
