The Dallas Independent School District (DISD) Chooses SPF Foam

1-DISD troubles—looking for long term cost-effective solution
2-SPF benefits
3-About Alpha Applicators

1-Two Hundred Seventy Five Roofs Required Repaclement

The Dallas independent school district chose foam roofing as the roof replacement material for over 275 school buildings, representing over 1.5 million square feet in Dallas, Texas. Alpha Applicators was the contractor chosen for this project, and this article relates some of the unique requirements of such a large project. Topics discussed include safety considerations, materials used, and installation process. Unusual factors discussed include logistical requirements for such a large project, approaches to applying foam roofing to a wide variety of existing roof types, and diligence required in working near inquisitive students.

Below: The Dallas Independent School District (DISD) struggled with 275 school existing coal tar pitch roofs representing over 1.5 million square feet of high maintenance costs and deteriorating performance. Sprayed Polyurethane Foam was chosen due to low life cycle costs and exceptional insulation and leak free performance, among other factors. The contractor chosen replaced over 42 of the 275 roofs with SPF systems during a 3 year period.

1a-DISD Seeks Out A Long Term Cost Effective Solution

Dallas Independent School District (DISD) was struggling with an old existing coal tar pitch roof system across 275 buildings, which was plagued with minor leaks and rising maintenance costs. After SPF roofing was chosen as the type of replacement roofing Michael Smith (Roofing Department Director at DISD) declared: “I may never have to worry about roofs again.” SPF roofing was chosen as the re-roofing material for several important reasons.

2-Sprayed Polyurethane Foam Roofing Benefits

-Low Cost, Long Life Cycle (Meets Strict Budget Requirements)
-Easy Preparation (No tear off needed)
-Superior R-value and Insulation, Cut Energy Costs
-Low Maintenance, Leak Free
-A ‘Green’ Environmentally Friendly Solution

2a-SPF Foam Roofing Benefits Made Sense for DISD

Sprayed polyurethane can last the life of a building with a proper installation. An SPF roof can be restored to original performance levels with a recoat. Because existing substrates could be left intact, land fill waste would be diverted, providing substantial cost savings. SPF closed foam is not only water resistant, but also an excellent insulator—this means less maintenance, leak free performance, and improved building efficiencies.

Cool roof coatings used on SPF roof systems also maintain very cool roof temperatures, further improving energy efficiency. Traditional dark roof materials, such as modified bitumen or asphalt can reach temperatures exceeding 150 degrees farenheit on a 90 degree day. The typical home may expect savings as high as 50-80% on monthly electrical and gas heating and cooling bills with an SPF system. A large commercial property such as the DISD school buildings could reasonably expect similar (if not greater) energy costs savings.

DISD also had an existing maintenance crew in place which was trained in SPF roofing. SPF systems require little or no maintenance compared to the most traditional roofing systems, such as the existing coal tar pitch system which required replacement. A properly installed SPF roof lasts the life of a building and can simply be maintained with recoats every 15 years. Each life cycle an SPF roof lasts creates substantial savings vs all other roof systems which would eventually need to be replaced.

And finally, SPF roofs are extremely hail resistant. Existing insurance premiums required to cover hail damage for the current coal tar pitch roof system were expensive for DISD. Alpha Applicators (the contractor chosen) offered a 15 year warranty vs hail damage at no extra cost. And finally, the SPF system could also be installed without interrupting teachers and students. All these factors made SPF re-roofing the best possible re-roofing solution for DISD.

3-About Alpha Applicators: SPF Contractors

Alpha Applicators was chosen due to their high customer satisfaction rates, 15 year hail warranty, and safety conscious work ethic. The entire project spanned over three years, and over 42 facilities were re-roofed during this time. In total, over one hundred employees worked on the project, with three foam and three coating rigs. Often employees worked seventy hours a week, including nights and weekends to avoid interrupting school schedules.

It's great that we are starting to see more & more foam roofing projects being chosen by government related organizations, whether state, local, or national. I think this is just a signal that society at large is starting to recognize that foam roofing is the superior flat roof solution.