case study category: MILITARY

The 18 year old BUR roof system with ongoing leaks for several years is restored to watertight condition in a matter of days with a new TRITOflex waterproofing membrane system.

The Navy did not want to tear-off the built-up roof and open the building up to the elements. Additionally, there were sections of this building that were added on to at some point and the deteriorating expansion joints between the sections were an issue that required attention.

Limited Options

To avoid a tear-off, the architect recommended a recovery of the existing roof system with 80 mils of liquid rubber waterproofing membrane system. TRITOflex is a water-based, environmentally safe coating system with no VOC’s. Also recommended was a 20 mil white acrylic top coat to be applied over the TRITOflex waterproofing membrane to create a reflective barrier to the sun and reduce heat absorption into the building. This recommendation addressed the building’s ongoing leaks and facilitated an aesthetically pleasing, monolithic waterproofing barrier over the existing deteriorated roof system and wall flashings. Due to the 1900% elongation properties of the TRITOflex membrane, the expansion joints were simply recovered with the liquid rubber coating also.

Quality, Non-Disruptive Installation

The new roof recovery system was installed in 4 days without disturbing the occupants and will provide the Navy with a 20 year warrantied watertight roof that also reduces their cooling costs in hot California temperatures.

For over 8 years, Triton’s industrial-grade, non-toxic roofing systems have been used to repair, restore, and recover over 1 million square feet of roof at this Naval Air Station in central California. This 80,000 sf EPDM roof was in need of replacement with a stronger, safer, and smarter option.

The remaining thickness and durability of the existing EPDM membrane could be utilized to their advantage, rather than wasted with a disruptive and costly tear-off. By adding the seamless TritoFlex 2K rubber membrane directly to the existing EPDM rubber, they achieved over 160 dry mils of rubber working together to keep the building watertight with no more seams and termination points to worry about. The TritoFlex 2K installation was completely non-disruptive to the building operations, which involve hundreds of people at any given time. The product contains no VOC’s, no odors, and no harmful solvents.

After installation of the industrial-grade TritoFlex 2K rubber membrane, the Certified Contractor applied two layers of TritoCryl 1K white acrylic coating for two purposes: reflectivity and sustainability. The reflectivity of the coating will increase overall lifespan and decrease heat transfer. The coating will also act as a sacrificial layer, allowing for the roof to be sustained and renewed indefinitely without ever tearing it off or replacing the waterproofing layer. The final step of the project was the installation of our TritoWalk safety yellow, slip-resistant walkway coating. The granulated coating was rolled on to a 50 dry mil thickness as an alternative to traditional walk pads which are heavy, create water dams, and are difficult to repair or replace.

Triton manufactures stronger, safer, and smarter alternatives to traditional roofing technologies. Institutional facilities around the country choose industrial-grade, non-toxic products from Triton to restore and recover their existing roofs.

The weather on Shemya Island can change in an instant. With limited options available for flat roof replacement, the instant-set TRITOflex material was a natural fit.

Shemya Island, one of the farthest inhabited islands on the west end of the Aleutian archipelago, is host to the Eareckson Air Station. Building #3045’s EPDM roof system had partially blown-off in a storm and was in desperate need of a re-roof. United Roofing Group was called in to provide analysis and recommendations.

Limited Options

With volatile, constantly changing weather patterns in this region of the world, material selection and the logistics of installation were critical decisions. The contractor knew they would need to be creative and think outside of the box. Some sections of the old roof system would have to be torn out and replaced, but most could be left undisturbed to avoid opening up the building to this volatile environment. United Roofing recommended the existing EPDM membrane be covered with a mechanically attached layer of plywood and then immediately sprayed with the instant-set, seamless TRITOflex membrane. With the ability to withstand unforeseen precipitation, TRITOflex creates an instantly watertight membrane. During the summer, temperatures will only reach highs of 60 F. In the winter, snow falls almost daily as precipitation probabilities are nearly 90% half of the year. Therefore, it made sense to select a product like TRITOflex with great cold-temperature flexibility, UV resistance, impermeability, and the highest wind uplift ratings in the industry.

Smooth, Eco-Friendly Installation

Areas of saturated insulation were torn out, replaced, and repaired. A layer of plywood was mechanically attached over the existing EPDM roof system. As the cover board was installed, certified spray technicians used two spray rigs and installed the water-based, VOC-free TRITOflex rubber membrane in one coat to 80 mils (2 mm) dry. The TRITOtrowel brush-applied liquid rubber is then used around drains, scuppers, and flashings for extra reinforcement.

The Air Station received a new, watertight roof to withstand the harshest Shemya Island weather patterns and is backed by a 20-year warranty that covers wind up to 130 mph. Another roof completed with quality products installed by quality people.

The existing metal roof system at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson had previously been coated with other popular roof coatings and required constant maintenance.

This metal roof on the base was previously coated with a reflective acrylic system in some areas and a sprayed polyurethane foam system in others. The acrylic coating required constant maintenance to prevent the spray foam underneath from turning into a sponge. Acrylic coatings are permeable and allow moisture to pass through, which can lead to eventual rusting of the metal it’s supposed to protect. Other problems had been caused by continual movement of the metal, which is to be expected.

Making a Smart Choice

Rather than continue to chase leaks and spend money on constant maintenance, the U.S. Air Force’s team of engineers and designers considered their options. Tearing off the entire roof and replacing it would not only be expensive, but very disruptive to base operations. Recovering the metal with a mechanically-attached single-ply membrane was an option, but drilling thousands of fasteners into the metal was a concern. Not only does this create the possibility for moisture migration, but those fasteners reduce the energy efficiency of the roof by creating a thermal bridge.

The other option was to install a spray application of TRITOflex seamless rubber directly over top of the existing coating and metal at 80 mils, creating a monolithic waterproofing membrane over the entire roof. TRITOflex is a water-based, zero VOC, and is part of an environmentally-friendly system. With extremely high elongation of 1,900%, the ability to withstand ponding water indefinitely as an impermeable membrane, and excellent durability, the only preparation needed was a simple pressure wash. Additionally, the TRITOflex system will hold up to the environment of an Air Force Base located in the desert, including jet fuel exhaust, dust storms, extreme heat, and an occasional hail storm.

Cost-Saving Installation

The Air Force Base chose the Triton solution and not only saved money compared with their other options, but preserved the high R-value obtained by installing polyurethane foam in the first place and avoided wasting that investment. The Certified Triton Applicator completed the system with the TRITOtherm ceramic top coat for additional energy efficiency and protection in the desert sun, even when the roof becomes dirty over time.

The U.S. Air Force made the right decision to invest in a watertight, flexible, and durable monolithic membrane that will withstand movements of the metal underneath and is guaranteed with a 15-year material and labor warranty, with extensions up to 35 years.