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Vinyl Gives New Life to Leaky Hospital
A leaky hospital roof is more than just an inconvenience for the doctors and nurses treating patients beneath it. Having to work in sub-prime conditions could damage sensitive medical equipment, or worse, affect patient health.
When persistent roof leaks at Powell Hospital in Powell, Wyoming, necessitated swift repair action be taken, hospital administrators were fully aware that a treatment for the leaks wasn't sufficient; they needed a cure, and vinyl provided it.
"This was a problem the hospital could no longer live with," said Chris Cooper, Powell's facility manager. "We determined the majority of the roof leaks were due to failure of the existing roofing system around parapet walls, flashings and roof details, and the gravel ballast on top of the roof made finding leaks very difficult."
After an analysis of available roofing products and their accompanying warranties, the team tasked with solving the hospital's roofing problem chose a Duro-Last roofing system made of prefabricated, single-ply, white thermoplastic vinyl. The fact that 80-85 percent of all seams and detail work would be hot-air welded was what convinced the hospital that this product would prevent a repeat of the original problems.
Hot-air welding ensures permanent seams that are easily checked for quality control during the installation process. The finished seams resist thermal cycling, freeze/thaw effects, ponding water and all other aspects of Wyoming's extreme weather conditions.
The white roofing system added an additional benefit for the hospital: it would reflect the sunlight and reduce cooling costs. In addition, white reflective roofs can help reduce urban heat island effects.
With the design of the new roofing material finalized, the facilities team turned its attention to finding the right contractor to complete the installation. They awarded the work to Broken Arrow Construction, a local roofing contractor that had earned a favorable reputation for its work. The roofing contractor expertly assembled membrane components into a long-lasting high performance roof system.
While it's true the installation team was wary of inclement weather slowing its progress (the day they wanted to begin the installation eight inches of snow fell on Powell), timing the installation to accommodate the hospital's operations was even more of a concern.
"We had to plan around the operating room schedule," said Kyle Nix, Broken Arrow Construction's operations manager. "And the only time they didn't operate was on Friday afternoon and on Saturday."
"I couldn't be happier with the Duro-Last vinyl roof," said Cooper. "It looks great with its new durable, virtually maintenance-free roofing system."
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