Otto-Eldred CSD had a dilemma on their hands.  Their single-ply EPDM rubber roof over their gymnasium had served its purpose and was beginning to show it's age with seams delaminating and the rubber starting to deteriorate.  They had to find a solution fast because if water entered the building it would destroy their hardwood GYM floors.

The school was faced with the standard re-roofing costs of removal and replacement which was far more that the school budget would allow.  A Board member who was involved with a spray foam exterior wall insulation project at the Eldred WWII Museum remembered some literature and samples that United Thermal Systems had given them for roofing, and brought that idea to the school Board of Directors for consideration for use at the High School.  They decided to seek further information as to the applicability of the product for their project and wanted to get "budget" pricing .

After UTS visited the school to look at the condition of the existing roof, it was determined that the GACO Western 95% solids elastomeric silicone roof coating was a perfect solution to their problem.  This system did not require removal of the existing rubber membrane, and the cost was approximately 1/3 that of a full replacement roofing system.  One of the other main benefits was that the coating was white in color which would reduce the heat absorption from the suns rays and would help to reduce their HVAC costs.   In addition, they would receive a full    10-Year "Systems" warranty (materials and labor, not pro-rated) with the GACO system.  The Board agreed that this was the best solution to their problem and gave the go-ahead for the project.

The roof was prepped by applying an "etching" solution to the aged rubber to open the pores of the membrane.  The roof was then pressure-washed to remove the solution and residual dirt.  The surface then received 4-5 mils of a water based epoxy roof primer made especially for single ply rubber membrane.  The seams were then treated with a proprietary fibrated silicone liquid seam sealer.  Finally, 22 mils of white silicone coating was applied to the roof surface.

After the project was completed, the roof was inspected by the manufacturer to ensure compliance with UTS written specification to the school, as well as the manufacturer's requirements for the product warranty.

The school was extremely happy with the outcome of the new roofing and agreed that this was by far the most efficient and cost effective solution to their problem.  The school has also indicated that as their other roofs need replacement, this will be the first consideration for restoration.