Photo courtesy of Venture Construction Group of Florida Inc., Stuart, Fla.
Photo courtesy of Venture Construction Group of Florida Inc., Stuart, Fla.
Photo courtesy of Venture Construction Group of Florida Inc., Stuart, Fla.
Photo courtesy of Venture Construction Group of Florida Inc., Stuart, Fla. 
Photo courtesy of Venture Construction Group of Florida Inc., Stuart, Fla.
Photo courtesy of Venture Construction Group of Florida Inc., Stuart, Fla. 
Photo courtesy of Venture Construction Group of Florida Inc., Stuart, Fla.
Photo courtesy of Venture Construction Group of Florida Inc., Stuart, Fla.
Photo courtesy of Venture Construction Group of Florida Inc., Stuart, Fla.
The YMCA of the Treasure Coast, Stuart, Fla., is a cause-driven charitable organization committed to strengthening its community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The organization strives to nurture the potential of every child and teen, improve the overall health and well-being of every adult, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. The YMCA of the Treasure Coast welcomes people of all ages, gender, race or ability.
On April 27, 2015, a windstorm and hail severely damaged the roof systems on two of the YMCA facilities—the Richard C. Geisinger Sr. Branch and the SportsWorld program center. The YMCA of the Treasure Coast selected Venture Construction Group of Florida Inc., Stuart, Fla., to replace and repair the roof systems.
The facilities
The Richard C. Geisinger Sr. Branch is the YMCA of the Treasure Coast's main branch. It includes a pool, fitness center, gymnasium and sports fields. Programs offered at this facility include a Teddy Bear Academy child care center for preschool children, after-school care for school-age children, summer camps for 4-year-olds through eighth graders and the YMCA of the Treasure Coast Masters swim team.
The building's original roof system consisted of 8,000 square feet of asphalt shingles; 34,378 square feet of 1-inch-thick standing-seam metal panels; 5,382 square feet of low-slope built-up roofing; and 15,667 square feet of high-grade purlin bearing rib (PBR) metal panels with a 1:12 slope. The roof systems were 40 years old and had been leaking for more than 30 years.
The SportsWorld program center includes facilities for gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, cheer, roller skating, indoor hockey, basketball, flag football, indoor soccer, archery and volleyball, along with a rock wall, a rope swing, a party room for birthday parties, a snack bar and a retail area. In addition to open gym time for children and adults, SportsWorld offers after-school programs for school-age children, summer camps and a Parents' Night Out program.
The existing roof system on SportsWorld consisted of 438,000 square feet of high-grade PBR metal roof panels installed into the purlins of the building structure.
Given the project's size, the variety of roof systems involved and the roof systems' ages, Venture Construction Group of Florida worked with roof consultant Blake E. Joyce, P.E., LEED AP from Joyce Engineering LLC, Richmond, Va., and representatives from Mule-Hide Products Co. Inc. and Englert Inc. to help choose the best materials, systems and approach.
"Whenever we have a large, complex job such as this one, it's our duty to take the time to dissect and analyze the existing roof systems, the buildings and even the drainage systems so we can find the best solutions for the customer," says Stephen Shanton, president and CEO of Venture Construction Group of Florida.
The new roof systems
A crew of 25 to 30 workers began working on the Richard C. Geisinger Sr. Branch's roof systems Jan. 4. The design team chose an Englert standing-seam metal panel roof system to cover 65,000 square feet; a Mule-Hide Products Silicone Roof Coating System to cover 5,000 square feet; and a 60-mil-thick TPO membrane roof system to cover 150,000 square feet.
On the areas for the metal panels, the crew removed the existing roof systems down to the plywood decks and discovered the plywood and insulation had rotted completely. The crew shoveled fine pieces of plywood and insulation off the roof and then installed new 4-inch-thick insulation and plywood to meet current Florida building codes; fastened 30-pound felt underlayment; adhered Polystick® TU PLUS underlayment; and installed Englert Series 1000 1 1/2-inch-thick, 24-gauge, 16-inch-wide standing-seam metal snap-lock roof panels with a blue Kynar® coating.
The roof over the basketball gymnasium was replaced with polyisocyanurate insulation and Mule-Hide Products' 60-mil-thick mechanically attached TPO membrane with heat-welded seams, and built-out parapet walls received custom Kynar-coated blue coping metal to create a perfect termination and seal. The new TPO membrane roof system was chosen to eliminate the leaks that had plagued this part of the facility.
The low-slope roof area between the basketball gym and locker room was covered in Mule-Hide Products' Silicone Roof Coating System using a single-wide tank spreader.
Concurrent work on the SportsWorld facility began Jan. 18, where a crew of 12 workers removed PBR metal roof panels and applied Mule-Hide Products' Silicone Roof Coating System also using a single-wide spreader.
In addition, Venture Construction Group of Florida workers installed associated flashings and completed other exterior and interior post-storm repair work, including replacing three windows, repairing interior water leaks, replacing four large HVAC units, and repairing and painting more than 20,000 square feet of Kynar-coated blue metal siding.
Challenges
The Richard C. Geisinger Sr. Branch is a busy place with a high amount of pedestrian traffic, including many children coming and going between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. To ensure everyone's safety and to minimize disruptions to the facility's daily activities, deliveries and material loading were scheduled at nighttime and during other off-times. Some tear-off and installation work was completed during the night. Safety personnel also were stationed on both sides of the building at all times.
In many cases, the crew only was able to work during certain hours. For example, work on the roof above the Teddy Bear Academy ceased during the children's nap times. The crews adapted their schedules to accommodate daily activities at the job site and the constant changes in weather conditions common in Florida.
Helping the community
In addition to accommodating work schedules to keep YMCA of the Treasure Coast open to the community during construction, Venture Construction Group of Florida helped the organization pay for their new roofs. Insurance payments for the storm-damaged facilities covered only a fraction of the costs for necessary repairs, leaving the YMCA of the Treasure Coast administrators unsure how they would be able to fund the project.
"They needed a lot of help; they were in a really bad situation," Shanton says. "Venture Construction Group of Florida has been part of the Martin County and Palm Beach County communities for nearly 20 years, and our team always tries to go above and beyond for community members, particularly nonprofit organizations. Giving back also is one of Mule-Hide Products' core values, so the project was a wonderful opportunity for both companies to put these values into practice by stepping in to help the 5,000 adults and children who visit their facilities every year."
For the Richard C. Geisinger Sr. Branch, 25 percent of the labor and materials was an in-kind donation from Venture Construction Group of Florida. For the SportsWorld facility, 82 percent of the labor and materials was an in-kind contribution, with Venture Construction Group of Florida providing labor and materials and Mule-Hide Products donating materials.
In addition, the Venture Construction Group of Florida crews took some time to have fun with the preschool children at the Teddy Bear Academy. When the children saw construction signs posted throughout the facility featuring Minion characters from the popular "Minions" and "Despicable Me" movies, they thought the work was being done by a crew of the small yellow creatures. When Venture Construction Group of Florida workers learned about this, they surprised the children with "Minion Day," dressing in T-shirts emblazoned with the characters and wearing Minion goggles. The preschoolers received construction vests and stickers and posed for photos with the workers.
All in a day's work
After helping YMCA of the Treasure Coast overcome logistical and financial challenges to rebuild its storm-damaged facilities, the Venture Construction Group of Florida's crew successfully completed work on the Richard C. Geisinger Sr. Branch April 28; work on the SportsWorld facility was completed May 26.
"We are extremely honored and happy Venture Construction Group of Florida and Mule-Hide Products came to our aid when we needed it most," says John Lass, president and CEO of YMCA of the Treasure Coast. "They made sure the job was done with integrity and quality, and the Venture Construction Group of Florida crew even took the time to have some fun and amuse the children attending our facilities."
Shanton says helping organizations such as YMCA of the Treasure Coast is part of being a roofing professional.
"It is part of the culture in all my construction companies to give back to the community, support local charities and educate residential and commercial property owners throughout the restoration and repair process from start to finish," he says. "Being able to help property owners rebuild after a disaster strikes is an amazing feeling. I love my business, and I love my industry!"
Chrystine Elle Hanus is Professional Roofing's associate editor and NRCA's director of communications.
Project name: YMCA of the Treasure Coast
Project location: Stuart, Fla.
Project duration: January 2016-May 2016
Roof system types: Metal; silicone; TPO membrane
Roofing contractor: Venture Construction Group of Florida Inc., Stuart, Fla.
Roofing manufacturers: Englert Inc., Perth Amboy, N.J.; Mule-Hide Products Co. Inc., Beloit, Wis.
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