2018
Lahaina, Hawaii
Sarnafil Roof Gives Hawaiian Resort Peace of Mind
Most guests at the Aston Kaanapali Shores resort in Lahaina, West Maui, Hawaii are there to enjoy the amazing accommodations and amenities -- such as free ukulele and hula lessons -- at this beachfront resort. They certainly don't want their relaxation to be disrupted by offensive noise, falling debris, and odors caused by a roof tear-off and replacement. This was just one of the challenges Commercial Roofing & Waterproofing (CRW) Hawaii Inc. of Waipahu, Hawaii faced when installing a new roofing system on this 463-room resort.
The 604,000 square foot built-up asphalt roof on the hotel had "a lot of roof leaks," according to Richard Valencia, director of facilities at Aston Kaanapali Shores. Not only did the new roof have to be installed without disruption, but it also had to be watertight and built for longevity, since photovoltaic panels were going to be installed on the new roof, making it difficult to access the roofing membrane afterwards.
Project
Aston Kaanapali Shores
Lahaina, Hawaii
Owner
Aston Hotels & Resorts LLC
Roofing Contractor
Commercial Roofing & Waterproofing Hawaii Inc.
Waipahu, Hawaii
Architectural Engineering Consultant
Allana Buick & Bers, Inc, Honolulu, Hawaii
General Contractor
Johnson Controls, Inc.
Honolulu, Hawaii
Roofing System
Adhered Roof System with G 410
80 mil feltback membrane in white
Project Size
604,000 square feet
James Engler, building envelope manager and associate principal at Allana Buick & Bers Inc. of Honolulu, an architectural engineering firm, added that the new roofing system also had to be able to handle high winds and the flashing of multiple penetrations, which is why he suggested the Sarnafil adhered roofing system. "It is our 'go to' roofing material," he remarked. "Not only does the membrane have proven performance and durability, but we have a very good relationship with Sika Sarnafil and always receive good support from their local and technical representatives."
The old modified bitumen roofing system had lots of rips and was leaking through to the insulation, so a total roof tear-off was mandated. In addition to the roof material and insulation, this involved the total removal and disposal of all roof hatches, edge scuppers, damaged drain bowls, edge metal assemblies, vent assemblies, pipe-conduit support blocks, existing exhaust fans, and 54 pitch pockets. "We had an extremely cramped staging area -- about 30 feet by 60 feet -- and only two parking lots were allowed for loading/unloading the rooftop via crane," explained Anthony Channels, field supervisor at CRW. "We had to get all the materials up to the rooftop, off the ground, on the same day it was delivered as well as removing all the debris."
Channels added that doing the tear-off and installation during hurricane season was also tricky. "We utilized counter weights and debris nets to ensure rubbish didn't blow off the roof. We also installed 3,200 linear feet of screen around the perimeter of the rooftop to make sure the guests were kept safe," he stated.
... And Aloha to the New Roof
Once the old roofing system was torn off, CRW quickly went to work installing the new insulation, cover board, Sarnafil membrane, flashings, walk pads, and related roof accessories. Fortunately, Channels said he finds the Sarnafil membrane very easy to install. "I love working with this system. There were a lot of details on this project and Sarnafil single-ply systems are great for detail work. It really is one of the best roof membranes out there," he stated.
All roof-mounted mechanical equipment had to be temporarily disconnected, relocated, and raised. "There were 100 plus air handling fans, and those fans had to be kept working while this was going on," Engler said. He added that the PMMA-based Sika Liquid Flashing was a great help. "I love that flashing material, and it works well on penetrations of all different shapes, which helped when putting the fans back in place. It's another way Sika comes up with innovative ways to deal with things."
The roof had some unique details that also had to be addressed. "There was a lot of asphalt on the parapet walls, so we sometimes had to come up with ways to properly install the membrane on those areas," Engler commented. "There were also areas where the return on the membrane was less than eight inches, and there was also a seismic joint connection between two of the buildings. Fortunately, we were able to work through these issues with Sika Sarnafil technical representative and CRW, and together we found ways to overcome these obstacles and remain watertight.”
In addition to working as unobtrusively as possible, CRW also had to be diligent about safety, since the building was 11 stories high. Johnson Controls, Inc. of Honolulu, the general contractor on the project, made sure all fall restraints -- such as temporary safety railings around the entire perimeter -- were in compliance with their safety specifications, and Johnson Controls did regular safety audits. Controlled access zones were also put in place and were OSHA compliant.
Resting Easy With New Sarnafil Roof
Today Aston Kaanapali Shores guests and management are resting easy, knowing the new, Energy Star rated roof is watertight and durable. "The finished product is great, and we had a very good experience with CRW and Anthony Channels," said Lowen Okamoto, construction manager at Johnson Controls.
"We had a lot of rainfall since the Sarnafil roof was installed, and there have been no leaks," Valencia commented.
"There's a reason we are big advocates of Sika Roofing Systems. We like to design roofs with a belt and suspenders practice, because we feel like it is better to do things right the first time," Engler explained. "Sika gives us good support and a good product, which is why they are our number one choice for roofing."