Stars, stripes and skill: The largest flat American flag roof

By Dani Sheehan. 

River City Roofing’s American flag installation showcases both the company’s roofing skills and commitment to serving those who have served for our country. 

If you fly in on a clear day to Peoria, Illinois, the roof of River City Roofing Co.’s headquarters displays something extraordinary – a massive 143x75-foot American flag. This isn’t just a symbol of patriotism; it’s a showcase of the roofing craftsmanship and innovation the company’s founder, Tim Garrison, and his team maintain. 

When Tim noticed their own building’s roof leaking, he saw an opportunity to do something beyond a simple roof replacement. Inspired by a similar project in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Tim envisioned using GAF’s colored membrane to create the largest American flag roofing system in the country. His goal wasn’t just to restore the roof – it was to showcase River City Roofing’s skill while paying homage to the veterans that have served our country. We recently sat down to talk to him more about the installation and challenges that came with this project. 

Like any large-scale project, this one presented its fair share of challenges. First, Tim had to ensure the flag adhered to federal regulations for its proportions. To meet this standard, Tim used an online American flag calculator, and even had to weld additional membrane to make the red stripes wide enough.  

The biggest challenge came with the stars. “You can’t glue TPO on top of TPO,” Tim explained. “We couldn’t just lay down all the blue and place the stars on top.” One of his crew members ended up putting the project into a computer program to mark the placement of the stars, and from there, the task ran more smoothly. 

The installation itself took about three days. Tim’s crew laid down insulation, followed by a DensDeck® cover board with low-rise foam, ensuring the surface looked seamless. “We didn’t want any plates showing through, so we took extra steps to make it look perfectly flat,” Tim shared. The team even tore everything off two weeks before and used shrink wrap to cover the area until the new membrane was installed, as well as reduce the visibility of foot traffic from the dirty tear off and demo process.  

More than just the roof of their own building, this project is also a statement for River City Roofing Company’s vision and culture. Along with showcasing the American flag, they put a paver patio on the roof for employees and clients to enjoy, where they also showcase different front to back sections of various types of single ply membrane systems and products – mechanically attached, fully adhered, fleece back, EPDM and more. “It’s very much a commercial showroom now,” Tim said. “We can bring employees and clients up here and walk them across different types of flat roofs rather than showing samples in a binder.” 

In addition to completing this incredible project, River City Roofing remains committed to giving back to the community. Every year, on Veterans Day, they surprise a veteran in need with a free, new roof. This year, Tim and his team plan to hold the gathering after the surprise roof installation on the company’s rooftop patio, showing off the new flag roof! “It feels fitting to honor our veterans on a roof that represents so much,” Tim said.  

Though they applied to the Guinness Book of World Records, Tim admitted that the roof didn’t qualify due to being a part of the roofing system. “They said if it were a mural or painted on, we could have applied for a record, but because it’s the actual roof, they did not have category for it,” he shared. Instead, they’ll settle for the largest flat roof American flag for now!