Case Study - Briarcliffe College, New York

"The result was a beautiful leak-free roof over the heads of students and staff."

Problem: Repair and waterproof 109,000 square foot roof.

Solution: Gaco Western specification SI-22-GS (silicone roof system).

Briarcliffe College in Bethpage, New York offers a variety of programs to interested applicants. From criminal justice, to computer technology, to graphic design, this Long Island college has established itself as a center of learning in New York.

In the summer of 2005, the college was looking for a way to extend the life of the building's 109,000 square foot roof. The 18-year old foam roof was performing fairly well, although leaks had developed around some air-handling units.

Gaco Western representative Tony DeVito inspected the roof, and designed a custom roof system to both solve the leaks and improve the appearance of the roof. Gaco Western approved applicator D'Onofrio General Contractors Corporation began work in May of 2005.

First, the roof was power washed to clean off dirt and grime, and give a better idea of the work needed. The power washing revealed cracks and missing chunks of foam in the existing roof system.

Before the application of the new roof system could begin, the D'Onofrio crew filled all the cracks with sealant. Filling the cracks ensured that the finished roof would be as uniform as possible, with no cracks to mirror through the applied GacoFlex coating.

The existing system was removed around the air handling units, replaced with Gaco Western's 273 polyurethane foam, and carefully flashed to prevent future leaks. Holes in the foam were also patched with Gaco 273 foam and then the excess shaved off to bring the new foam level with the existing roof.

With the detail work completed, application work could begin. As the first step, the S-1011 gray silicone basecoat was spray-applied and allowed to cure. Next, the S-1048 tan topcoat was spray-applied, and granules were broadcast into the wet coating. The tan color of the topcoat had been custom matched to provide a perfect complement to the broadcast granules. The tan and brown mixture of granules came from a Texas quarry, and provided the perfect finishing touch to the project.

The roof work was completed by the middle of June 2005. The result was a beautiful leak-free roof over the heads of Briarcliffe students and staff.

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