Duro-Last® 2019 Edge-to-Edge & Deck-to-Sky™ Award

By Duro-Last.  

Upscale apartment community now protected by new Duro-Last roofing system that will withstand the harsh New York winters. 

Rochester, New York in the 1970s was a hub for live music and economic growth. Known as the hot spot for jazz musicians making their way through the upstate region, as well as the grand opening of the 30-story Xerox Tower and 28-story Lincoln First Bank Tower, the city drew in large crowds that eventually settled in the area. The influx of residents led to a boom in the housing industry, which included the construction of the upscale Renaissance Apartments.  

This eight-story structure features 187 residential units as well as an indoor pool, spa, courtyard, fitness center and a variety of commercial spaces. Designed to cater to families and young professionals, amenities include spacious floor plans and rooftop patio access for three units on the top floor. As the years wore on, the facility began to show its age and leaks began to develop in the original built-up roofing system. When the building was sold to new management in 2018, they knew they had to address the roof problems before any planned interior renovations could begin. 

Sector Roofing from Ithaca, New York, bid a custom-fabricated Duro-Last® Roofing System for the project, ultimately winning out against competing proposals that included a ballasted system and adhered EPDM. Despite the cold weather and heavy precipitation typically seen during the fall and winter seasons in upstate New York, the Sector Roofing team started clearing the existing roofing system in mid-November. 

“Space is limited around the facility, so we had to be strategic in how we planned out the logistics of this project,” explained Timofey Nikulin, owner of Sector Roofing. “There was a small area on the east side of the building that provided some workable space, so for the clearing phase we set up a chute from the rooftop down to two dumpsters on the ground. This is also where we had to stage the new material and position our equipment to load it onto the roof.” 

Working in segments to ensure that the roof stayed watertight throughout the project, Sector Roofing installed two layers of Duro-Guard® ISO insulation above the concrete deck before mechanically attaching the gray custom-fabricated 60 mil Duro-Last membrane. In addition to custom-fabricating the deck sheets to match the unique dimensions of the rooftop, 28-inch tabs were utilized throughout the entire system to accommodate the elevated wind loads experienced in the region. 

“The most time-consuming part of the project was the elevated sections where multiple cell phone towers are located,” Timofey said. “We started with these areas and had to carefully jack up the equipment to be able to remove the old roofing system. From there we were able to install the new materials and then reposition the equipment on the rooftop. It wasn’t difficult to do, but it took quite a bit of time and we had to be very careful with every step.” 

Once the membrane was installed, termination bar and fascia cover were used along the interior of the parapet walls to provide an attractive watertight finish. Gutters and downspouts from EXCEPTIONAL® Metals were utilized for adequate drainage, and 2-Piece Snap-On Compression was installed along select portions of the front-facing perimeter. To help offset the labor involved in working around the rooftop equipment, Sector Roofing also leveraged the custom-fabricated curbs, stacks and pipe boots offered by Duro-Last. 

Finally, the Sector Roofing team had to find a compatible solution to replace the rooftop patios that had been removed during the initial tear-off. Utilizing Duro-Last’s newly released Roof Pavers, they were able to efficiently loose lay the interlocking tiles and finish the project in plenty of time for residents to enjoy the warm summer sun. 

“While the frigid temperatures and snow accumulation were a bit of a challenge for us, the mechanically attached system allowed us to work right through the winter and meet the building owner’s needs,” Timofey explained. “In the end, they have been very happy with how their new roof is performing. Additionally, their 20-Year Supreme Warranty gives them a level of confidence they wouldn’t have gotten in other roofing systems, which means they get to focus on moving forward with interior renovations now.” 

Products used: Duro-Last® 60 mil membrane, Duro-Last® Roof Pavers, custom-fabricated stacks, Roof-Trak® III Walkway Pads; Duro-Guard® ISO; EXCEPTIONAL® Metals 2-Piece Snap-On Compression, fascia and cover, pitch pan, downspout, gutter  

Learn more about Duro-Last in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directory.