The
Caswell Cove condominium complex in Milford, Conn., is a peaceful
coastal gem. Situated on the banks of the Housatonic River, it offers
waterfront vistas, access to an adjacent private marina, and magnificent
sunset views. But while the setting is spectacular, it was no friend to
the complex’s seven 25-year-old EPDM roofs.

The salt-laden spray
coming off the brackish river, hurricanes, cold winters, hot summers —
and even seagulls dropping the sharp remnants of their crab dinners —
were causing the roofs to age prematurely.

Thanks to minor
repairs made along the way, there were no leaks or other issues;
however, the condominium association’s board of directors and property management company wondered if replacement time had come.

The
maintenance team at REI Property Management asked several contractors
to bid on a full replacement. In what proved to be the winning proposal,
however, Advantage Roofing & Siding of Milford suggested something
different — restoration with silicone coating.

The project shows
the good things that happen when both contractors and customers focus on
doing things the right way. The condo association’s board was proactive
and acted before problems arose, and then kept an open mind in weighing
its options. For its part, Advantage did its due diligence in
recommending the best solution for its client and then cut no corners in
delivering a high-quality project.

The Advantage team also
learned and adapted along the way, finding new ways to ensure quality
and boost crew efficiency – best practices they will use on future
projects.

Pre-Project Homework

Before recommending coating, Advantage took the necessary steps to confirm the roofs were, in fact, good candidates.

Co-owner
Mark Villano and Lead Foreman John Girardi inspected the roofs, looking
for any soft spots where water had penetrated, any deteriorated edges,
or any seams or details that needed attention. In a follow-up
inspection, a technical representative from roofing system manufacturer
Mule-Hide Products Co. walked the roof with them and discussed options.

Finally,
core cuts provided a picture of the history and condition of the entire
system, from the membrane to the roof deck. The roof remained sound
with no underlying issues.

“These roofs were the best possible candidates for coating,” said Mule-Hide Products Territory Manager Tim McDermott.

An
adhesion test confirmed that Mule-Hide 100% Silicone Roof Coating would
be compatible with the substrate and that there was nothing, such as
encapsulated moisture, that would inhibit adhesion.

A ‘No-Brainer’

Villano, Girardi and McDermott then met with the condo association’s board and made the case for restoring the roofs.

“It was almost a no-brainer,” said REI Property Management Maintenance Supervisor Charlie Scrivines.

Coating
the roofs would cost approximately 60% less than replacing them. A
20-year, no-dollar-limit system warranty and a 50-year limited warranty
on the materials would take the roofs off the board’s list of things to
worry about.

There remains the potential to recoat the roofs in
the future, further extending their lives. There would be minimal
disruption to residents. The reflective coating would lower residents’
energy costs. Finally, there would be tax benefits.

The project
would be considered “maintenance,” so the total cost could be written
off as an expense in the year Advantage Roofing completed the job.
Replacing a roof, on the other hand, is generally considered a capital
improvement, and for tax purposes, the cost-benefit is a depreciation
over 39 years. (Note: Property owners should consult their tax and
accounting professionals for guidance on their specific project.)

With
approximately 315 squares of roof across seven buildings, it was the
most significant coating job Advantage had undertaken. They expected it
to take an entire month, but smart logistical decisions, careful
attention to detail, and a willingness to learn and adapt processes
during the process allowed the 10-person crew to finish in just three
weeks.

Easing Roof Access

One
of the best choices Advantage made in planning the job (and one that
was almost not made) was renting a 150-foot super boom man lift to
access the roofs.

While the buildings are only three units high,
the site’s quirky terrain creates a much greater distance between ground
and roof. Using 50-foot ladders to access the roofs would have been “a
nightmare,” Girardi said.

Advantage determined that using ladders
would more than double the time required to complete the job, tire the
crew, increase the risk of accidents and create the potential for
coating to drip onto the buildings’ siding or shingled roof sections.

A
Sunbelt Rentals representative toured the job site and took
measurements before recommending the appropriate lift to cover the
required distances and handle the weight of crew and materials.

“They gave us the perfect lift for this job,” Girardi said. “If it had been any smaller, we would have been in a bad spot.”

Squeaky-Clean Surfaces

For
the coating to adhere correctly, removing years of accumulated dirt and
EPDM dust was first required. While essential, the step can often be
tedious and time-consuming. The Advantage crew took to the internet in
search of a better way, and by the time they began work on the second
roof, they had found it.

As before, they applied the 115 Cleaner
from Mule-Hide Products and let it sit for the specified time. But
rather than just using the spray from the pressure washer to remove the
cleaner and dirt, they added a Ryobi 15-inch surface cleaner attachment.
The inexpensive tool gently scrubbed the surface in a circular motion,
cleaning it thoroughly without damaging it.

“We covered so much
square footage so much faster,” Girardi said. “You’re really doing
yourself a disservice if you’re not using something like this.”

Divide and Conquer

With
seven roofs to tackle, the crew split into teams, ensuring a continuous
workflow. While one team was coating one roof, another was preparing
the next one, cleaning the membrane and applying Seal-Fast Liqui-Flash
from Mule-Hide Products to seal edges and details. Crew members also
would backtrack to do quality checks and complete any necessary
touch-ups.

“It was a really good experience for us. Even the field tech who did the warranty inspection was amazed at how it transformed the rubber roof to what it looks like now.”
John Girardi, Lead Foreman, Advantage Roofing & Siding

Meticulous Attention to Detail

To
reach the desired thickness of 40 wet mils/38 dry mils, a single coat
of 100% silicone roof coating was applied at a rate of 2.5 gallons per
square foot.

Because of the windy coastal conditions, application with a sprayer was not an option and instead, crews used rollers.

Some
easy math and chalk lines helped ensure that the coating was applied at
the correct thickness. The crew calculated that one pail of finish
coating would cover 200 square feet of roof surface. By marking off
200-square-foot sections, they could simply empty the pail in the middle
of a square and spread it, confident it was the desired thickness.

To
ensure even application, the crew pushed the coating into place rather
than rolling it back and forth as when applying paint to a wall.

“Sometimes
the roller isn’t even moving much because you don’t want to make it too
thin,” Girardi said. “You can visually tell that the coating is even.”

A Success for All Involved

The proactive approach, careful planning and meticulous work paid off.

“It
was a really good experience for us,” Girardi said. “Even the field
tech who did the warranty inspection was amazed at how it transformed
the rubber roof to what it looks like now.”

Scrivines, REI’s
property manager, concurred, saying how the job went as smoothly as a
job could and paid compliment to the crews’ communication efforts.

“They
were right on point with everything in terms of delivery times and
getting the job done on time; everybody was very happy with the work
from beginning to end,” he said, adding, “If we had waited another two
years, we probably would have needed to replace two of the roofs; now
we’ll be good for another 20 years.”