For many commercial roofing systems, the challenges of Ontario’s winters mean “wait until spring” for installation, because they cannot effectively be installed in sub-freezing temperatures or during weeks of lake-effect snow storms.

This situation was confronting Olympia Tile & Stone, a Toronto-based manufacturer and distributor of ceramic, porcelain, and natural stone tiles.

Olympia’s main office and flagship showroom facility was covered with an aging and deteriorating roofing system, and leaks had begun to occur, disrupting business operations.

Olympia needed an immediate fix. A built-up roof (BUR) was on the building, and initially, the company wanted to replace it with another BUR.

Guycan Aluminum, Ltd. was the roofing contractor called in to do the job. As project plans moved forward, it became clear that a winter installation would be necessary. According to Guycan Marketing and Sales Manager Sean Claveria, “with a built-up system, we would have needed to postpone the project until spring when the snow and ice melts. Olympia Tile could not afford to wait because the current roof wouldn’t withstand another winter season. Leaks were already causing damage to their product inventory.”

Guycan and Olympia began to consider alternatives, and the single-ply Duro-Last roofing system was discussed. Guycan is an authorized Duro-Last contractor.

Alber Crimi, Olympia’s Facility manager, had heard about Duro-Last from a former colleague. “After his recommendation, we started comparing the cost of the Duro-Last system with the built-up option,” said Crimi. “Once we included the value of Duro-Last’s 15-year warranty and the fact that our maintenance problems would be gone, it became an easy choice.”

Guycan began the project in November of 2008 and despite challenging weather conditions, including cold temperatures, high winds and record snowfall; Guycan was able to install the new 50-mil Duro-Last roofing system in 28 working days.

“The Duro-Last membrane stayed flexible and easy to work with throughout the whole installation process,” said Claveria. “And because the system was manufactured in Duro-Last’s factory to fit the roof, we were able to install the Olympia project relatively quickly.”

The job was completed in February 2009 and, at 12,000 square meters (130,000 square feet), is the largest Duro-Last installation in Canada.

Winter weather in Ontario clearly presents many roofing challenges, but “we’re able to overcome them with the Duro-Last system,” concluded Claveria. “It’s a great year-round solution for our customers.”

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During Installation

Completed Project

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) District Office in Bay City, Michigan recently chose to install the Duro-Last® roofing system on its facility in order to meet high-quality sustainability standards and to qualify for LEED® certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

An environmentally-conscious organization, the DEQ had authorized contractor Buchinger Roofing, Inc. of Reese, Michigan install about 27,600 square feet of the Duro-Last membrane on its building.

The white roofing system helped the facility meet LEED requirements in several ways. Its high reflectivity and emissivity qualities can help reduce the energy required for cooling the building. The building’s roofing system was manufactured at the Duro-Last facility in Saginaw, Michigan, which lowers transportation mileage and costs. Duro-Last’s custom prefabrication reduces on-site waste produced during the installation; scrap that is produced may be returned to Duro-Last for recycling into other construction products.

The Duro-Last roofing system also complements many other sustainable building features that were incorporated into the training facility’s design such as low-water plumbing fixtures; skylights in 75% of the occupied space; recycled denim insulation; a state-of-the-art air filtration system; and a computerized lighting system to control electrical usage. Furthermore, much of the material from the previous building was recycled, and paving material was crushed and used as on-site fill.

The DEQ District Office implemented “green” features including more than 28 skylights on the rooftop; a ground-mounted solar panel (10-kilowatt) array; and a wind turbine. The solar panel array and wind turbine installations are expected to be installed later this year. Both are anticipated to produce 30% of the building’s electrical load.

With so many skylights, the DEQ needed a high-quality, leak-proof roofing system that could be easily installed around penetrations and provide worry-free protection. In addition to deck sheets, Duro-Last prefabricates curbs and flashings in a controlled factory environment to fit these rooftop penetrations precisely.

“The skylights bring in natural light to the building, which will help reduce our electricity costs,” said Tim Diebolt, Chief, Office of Business Services at the DEQ. “There are a lot of holes (penetrations) in that roof, so the fact that the Duro-Last roofing system is made to fit these areas gives me confidence that there will be no leaks.”

The ‘green’ benefits from the Duro-Last roofing system along with other sustainable initiatives for this building should prove very valuable to the DEQ. Plus, with acquired LEED certification, this organization can lower its operating costs and increase its asset values; conserve energy and water; provide a healthier and safer working environment for employees; possibly qualify for tax rebates and incentives; and demonstrate a commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility.

Duro-Last Roofing®, Inc. recently donated over 4,500 square feet of roofing membrane to Beacon House in Marquette, Michigan. Beacon House is an independent organization that provides lodging and other support services in a “home-like” environment for patients, their caregivers, and family members traveling to Marquette County for medical treatment.

Beacon House was contacted by Trevor Wagester, Associate Sales Representative for Duro-Last, when he heard about what the Beacon House is calling their “Extreme Makeover” campaign, and their need for a new roof. “Beacon House is sustained solely by the generosity of businesses, foundations, and guest donations,” he said. “We hope that others will follow in helping Beacon House with the many improvements that they need.”

Four roofing contractors in Michigan came together to help with the cause. Local Roofing of L’Anse, Lake State Roofing, Inc. of Iron Mountain, and Great Lakes Roofing of Sault Sainte Marie all donated their time to help install the roof. Pellow Roofing and Sales of Marquette coordinated the ordering of the roof, removed the rock ballast, and provided the crane as well as the labor for the installation and addition roofing materials. All of the roof installers worked together as a team with the single goal of getting the roof installed.

“Our prayers have literally been answered,” said Marcy Griffen, Executive Director for Beacon House. “We will no longer need to worry about our roof leaking when the big storms of the Upper Peninsula roll in. We are so grateful to Duro-Last and all the roofing companies coming together to help us.”

The highly-reflective white membrane will deliver energy cost savings to the Beacon House as well as provide the facility with a virtually maintenance-free, leak-proof roofing system. Backed by a 15-year full warranty, the Beacon House doesn’t have to worry about anything but caring for patients and their family members.

The Duro-Last roofing system has been installed on the Merrick, Inc. building in Vadnais Heights, Minnesota. The project was completed at the end of August 2008 and is the largest solar electric application in the state, with 525 solar panels installed that are expected to produce 130,000 kilowatts of electricity a year. Beneath the solar electric system, the building is protected by over 50,000 square feet of Duro-Last’s single-ply PVC roofing system.

Merrick’s prefabricated roofing system was manufactured at Duro-Last’s Sigourney, Iowa, facility and installed by authorized contractor Four Seasons Energy Efficient Roofing, Inc. of Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota. “Duro-Last’s white membrane was the ideal system for this installation because it is solar-ready. It’s easy to install, and because it’s prefabricated, I can be confident that Merrick won’t have to worry about leaks underneath the solar system,” said Darrell Schaapveld, owner of Four Seasons.

The Duro-Last roofing system is an excellent sustainability choice. The white membrane’s high reflectivity benefits the building in rooftop areas where sunlight is not being collected by the solar panels. Because every Duro-Last roof is factory-prefabricated, less on-site waste is produced during installation.

The Duro-Last-plus-solar roofing assembly complements the buildings many other sustainable building features. Among them: a geothermal energy system under the parking lot, powered by the rooftop solar panels, will provide both heating and cooling; every room will have occupancy sensors to control electrical usage; the building will have energy-efficient insulation and windows throughout, maximizing natural light.

According to Duro-Last Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Steve Ruth, “This installation reinforces our leadership in the sustainable roofing market. The Duro-Last roofing system is increasingly being installed throughout the United States as the waterproofing membrane of choice for solar, vegetative, and other ‘green’ building applications.”

The Consumers Energy Training Facility in Marshall, Michigan is protected by nearly 30,000 square feet of Duro-Last’s single-ply PVC roofing system.

The white Duro-Last roofing system has helped this facility meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® requirements in several ways. Its high reflectivity and emissivity qualities can help reduce the energy required for cooling buildings. The roofing system for Consumers Energy was manufactured at the Duro-Last facility in Saginaw, Michigan, which lowers transportation mileage and costs. Duro-Last’s custom prefabrication reduces on-site waste produced during the installation; scrap that is produced may be returned to Duro-Last for recycling into other construction products (Duro-Last also recycles manufacturing scrap). Unlike other roofing materials, the Duro-Last membrane is also recyclable at the end of its useful roofing life.

Authorized Duro-Last contractor Superior Services RSH, Inc. of Lansing, Michigan performed the Consumers Energy installation. Pumford Construction of Saginaw, Michigan was the Design Build Contractor on the project, with In-House Architect, Brian Swedorski, AIA, LEED AP, being responsible for the building design.

“Consumers Energy’s choice in using the Duro-Last roofing system makes a strong environmental statement, and we’re proud to be an important part of it,” said Steve Ruth, Vice President of Sales at Duro-Last. “The fact that the Duro-Last roofing system has been installed on the training facility reinforces their commitment to saving energy and promoting an environmentally-friendly facility.”

The Duro-Last roofing system complements many other sustainable building features that were incorporated into the training facility’s design such as low-water plumbing fixtures; skylights in 75% of the occupied space; recycled denim insulation; a state-of-the-art air filtration system; and a computerized lighting system to control electrical usage. Furthermore, much of the materialfrom the previous building was recycled, and paving material was crushed and used as on-site fill.

“It’s amazing to see all the sustainable features that were integrated into the training facility’s design by Pumford Construction,” said Dave Bradke, Director of Sales at Superior Services. “It’s also nice to see the Duro-Last roofing system getting more attention for its energy-efficient qualities. As our society continues to lean towards products that do not negatively affect our earth, I’m sure more building owners will choose Duro-Last to protect their facilities and the environment.”

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The Duro-Last roofing system has been installed on the Bardessono Inn & Spa in Yountville, California. The spa is scheduled to open in February 2009, and will be submitted to the U.S. Green Building Council for LEED Platinum certification. The spa consists of five separate buildings that are protected by almost 80,000 square feet of Duro-Last’s single-ply PVC roofing system.

The spa’s prefabricated roofing system was manufactured at Duro-Last’s Grants Pass, Oregon, facility and installed by authorized contractor Fidelity Roof Company of Oakland, California. Fidelity is also an approved installer for SunPower, the manufacturer of the PowerGuard solar electrical system that will provide electricity to the spa.

The Duro-Last roofing system is a key component of this sustainable construction project. The white membrane has reflectivity and emittance characteristics that exceed California’s Title 24 building requirements. Because it’s prefabricated, less on-site waste is produced during installation. As a company, Duro-Last recycles manufacturing scrap back into roofing membrane or other construction products. And unlike other roofing materials, the Duro-Last system is also recyclable at the end of its useful life.

The Duro-Last-plus-solar roofing assembly complements the spas many other sustainable building features. Among them: a ground source heat pump will provide both heating and cooling; every room will have occupancy sensors to control electrical usage; the spa makes extensive use of wood salvaged from native California trees; concrete and steel materials include a high percentage of recycled content; low-VOC paints and adhesives are used throughout the complex.

Steve Ruth, Duro-Last Vice President of Sales, said, “This project makes a strong environmental statement, and we’re proud to be an important part of it. The fact that the Duro-Last system has been installed on the Bardessono facility reinforces our leadership in the sustainable roofing arena.”