Samaritan Albany General Hospital PVC Roof Restoration 

Phase I and Phase II both had a 10-year-old PVC roof. Both were deteriorating and splitting allowing for water intrusion with each rain.

Premium Roof Services restored an additional 13,000 SF of PVC roof membrane in Albany, Oregon for the Samaritan Albany General Hospital (AGH) this summer.  Phase I of the roof restoration was located on the upper wing over 15,000 SF of PVC roof membrane located over the Neonatal departments of the hospital.  Phase II was for another 13,000 SF over PVC roofing membrane located over the ER room, Laboratories and Diagnostic Imaging departments.  Phase I and Phase II both had 10-year-old PVC roofs that were deteriorating and splitting allowing for water intrusion with each rain. These roof systems were exposed single-ply PVC roof membranes over a built-up roof with metal roof substrates and foam insulation.

PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) is a synthetic plastic polymer used in the manufacturing of several products including roof membranes. According to Wikipedia, PVC is the third most widely manufactured synthetic plastic.  In the manufacturing of PVC roof membranes, plasticizers are added to the PVC to increase the flexibility of the plastic and increase elasticity.  Plasticizers are additives meant to lower the cold-flex temperatures and increase the durability to PVC.  Over time these plasticizers evaporate or migrate out of the plastic. This process is accelerated when the PVC material is exposed to UV, heat and thermal cycles. As the plasticizers dry out of the PVC roof membrane, the roof loses its ability to move with the building and thermal cycling. The PVC then becomes brittle, cracks and separates beginning at the seams and areas of heavy wear on the roof such as ponds, waterways and drains.PVC-roof-membrane.

The PVC roof membranes of AGH showed signs of multiple repair attempts at drains, waterways, crickets and at seams throughout the roof.  Roof repairs including caulking, acrylic and other roof coatings were prevalent throughout the PVC roof membrane.  The temporary coating repairs were completely worn off in the roof crickets, waterways and drains after only a few short seasons.

Concerns with this section of the hospital’s roofs were similar to Phase I.  Phase II of the AGH roof restoration project was located over a lower level wing that housed the Physical Therapy, Laboratories, Diagnostic Imaging and the ER departments.  Similar to Phase I of the roof restorations, noise, debris, disruption and, of course, costs were the main concerns when choosing a solution to their PVC roof leaks.  A complete roof replacement would have included a roof tear-off, disposal and replacement of the entire built-up roof system which consists of multiple layers of roofing and insulation.  This would have created an extreme amount of noise, debris and risk to the patient exam rooms and offices as well as cost much more than a SureCoat Roof Restoration.

Additional obstacles of restoring the PVC roof membranes at the hospital involved repairs throughout the roof at delaminating seams and areas where the roof membrane had begun to deteriorate.  The PVC was eroding in the drain and cricket areas so badly that rain water was running into and under the roof membrane until it hit the roof drains.  At this stage of wear, the exposed PVC roof membrane no longer distributed waterproofing ability as this portion of the roof leaked during every rain.

As a result of Premium Roof Services outstanding services, Mr. Keen, Plant Engineer II of Samaritan Albany General Hospital wrote this letter of recommendation:

For a few years we started developing some small random leaks to our roof.  Our maintenance crew would chase them down and repair them the best we could.  As the problem began to occur more often, something had to be done to fix our roof.  Being a hospital we had a couple of big issues to work around, one being the area below the roof which is the women’s birthing center and another was not being able to turn off the main air intake on the roof which supplies the air to some of our operating rooms. If we were to do a complete tear-off, we would have to shut down operating rooms and have to relocate everyone on the floor below for the duration of the project.  Doing a complete tear-off and re-roof was just not an option.

After reading about the SureCoat System on their website, I contacted them to find out who our local approved contractor was.  They put me in touch with Eric Keithcart, owner of Premium Roof Services.  When I met with Eric to look at our facility and situation he was in agreement that the SureCoat Roof System was definitely the way to go.  We would be able to keep the operating rooms open while the work was performed and not need to relocate anyone on the floor below the roof.  When Premium Roof Services showed up on site to begin work, they worked very conscientiously to make sure any leak areas that they found were repaired before they began washing the roof to insure the staff and patients below were safe and dry.  The project was completed ahead of schedule and the results were instantaneous!  The second roof they did for us had more of the same issues and the same results.

With money always being an issue with any project, the SureCoat System came in under any of our complete re-roof quotes.  Even though we spent less money to have our roof repaired, we have a better warranty and a better-quality product.  At our hospital we do our absolute best to try and not inconvenience the patients and staff.  Premium Roof Services and the SureCoat System fit directly into this category.

Eric and his crew are top-notch!  Premium Roof Services is our ONLY contact for any of our roofing needs.  –  Jeff Keen, Plant Engineer II

Together with a SureCoat Systems’ Product Specialist, Premium Roof Services was able to specify and execute a solution which addressed all the issues that the hospital’s roofs had been suffering from for the past several years.  As an Approved Contractor of the SureCoat Roof System, Eric Keithcart was able to extend the industry’s best roof warranty to his repeat customer once again.  For more information on Premium Roof Services or their commercial roofing solutions, visit www.premiumroofservicesbend.com.

SureCoat Systems specializes in waterproofing systems for industrial and commercial flat and low-sloped roofing, exterior walls and concrete.  SureCoat Systems has developed an exclusive line of roof coatings and waterproofing products that conserve on energy and protect buildings from water intrusion. Learn more at www.surecoatsystems.com.