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fitness center as the initial phase.
"e fitness center was the most difficult part of the job
due to the EPDM [ethylene propylene diene terpolymer] roof,"
Carmona said. "It takes a lot of work to clean an EPDM roof. So
we started with the hardest."
Defective conditions on the EPDM roof included punctures,
deteriorated sealing on the termination bar and counterflashing,
drains that were starting to fail, and seals on penetrations, corners,
scuppers, and target patches that were starting to split or lift up.
Safety First
Standard personal protective equipment (PPE) was always used,
including safety glasses, safety vests, hard hats, gloves, boots,
and respirators when spraying. e contractor's typical safety
vendors include RWC Roofing Products and Airgas.
"Our primary point of contact at the school, Dobby
Schmidt, would stop by at least two times per week,
unannounced, to check on the project," Small said. "Our
regional manager also stopped by unannounced."
Crew members used fall protection within 6 feet (1.8 m)
of the perimeter or where the parapet walls were shorter than
42 inches (106.7 cm), and they placed lines of safety flags 6 feet
(1.8 m) from the walls in those areas.
Other precautions involved blocking off open curbs with
plywood and sending a crew member inside when re-decking
abandoned curbs to quickly clean up in the event of any dropped
tools or material.
"Safety was the biggest challenge for me as the project
manager," Carmona said. "e buildings were in operation at all
Green Roof
The roofs were EPDM (ethylene propylene diene terpoly mer) and
BUR (built-up roof) cap sheet roofs, and they were in fair to poor
condition.