The Roof Protecting Over 60,000 Tons of Fertilizer

By Evelyn Witterholt. 

Learn how Damschroder Roofing took on the difficult task of re-roofing a 40,000-square-foot steep-slope roof with a Duro-Last membrane. 

The Andersons, Inc. in Maumee, Ohio has a large arched building that stores over 60,000 tons of fertilizer. After major windstorms led them to constantly lose shingles, the owners resolved to have a single-ply membrane installed. In an episode of Stories From the Roof, we spoke with Dana Howell, owner and president of Damschroder Roofing, and Don Garno, quality assurance regional manager at Duro-Last, about their experience with this massive job. 

One of the biggest challenges of the job was with the steep slope of the roof. Dana tells us that although this factor was difficult, it was not their first time installing a roof of this large a scope. “We've done it before on other salt domes all over Ohio,” he said. “At the same time, 40,000 square feet isn't something you do in a day. So you've got to make sure that you keep everybody healthy and still conquer this thing.” 

Their team decided that a Duro-Last prefabricated membrane was the best choice because it can withstand the heavy winds the building constantly faces. Another issue their team kept coming up against was the fertilizer eating away at the standard metal fasteners. Due to the corrosive properties of fertilizer, Damschroder Roofing and Duro-Last decided to get creative by using stainless steel fasteners. 

“Even though our standard fasteners have an e-coating on them, over time they still become susceptible to corrosion," Don said. “That was something that was discussed with the engineering team as well when Dana brought the project to us to ensure that we were coming up with the best solution for this particular project.” 

Listen to the entire podcast or read the transcript to learn more about Damschroder Roofing and their work on The Andersons’ arch building.