2019
Helena, Arkansas
Sarnafil Sets the Standard at Phillips Community College
Recognized as the first community college in Arkansas and recently ranked as the third-best community college in the state, Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas is used to setting standards. Since its inception in 1964, Phillips Community College has grown to become a multi-campus, two-year college offering 25 associate degree programs to more than 2,300 students. The nursing school has received many accolades over the years, including being ranked second in top-ranked Arkansas LPN programs and rated one of the best nursing schools in Arkansas.
Recently the TPO roof on the Nursing Building on the Helena campus needed more than TLC. The roof was failing and there were “leaks all over the place,” according to David Dunigan, the maintenance coordinator at Phillips Community College. So Phillips Community College turned to its “go-to” for reliable roofing systems: the Sarnafil roofing system. The Sarnafil single-ply PVC system offers sustainability features like longevity, energy efficiency, recyclability, and minimal maintenance.
“The Sarnafil membrane is cost-effective and we’ve had wonderful experiences with it,” said Ken Amburgy, principal at SCM Architects of Little Rock, Arkansas. “That is why we’ve been specifying it for almost six years now.”
“The Sarnafil system is a reliable, top-quality membrane,” agreed Oscar Jimenez, superintendent of Kirk Roofing & Construction of Conway, Arkansas. “The company is strict about making sure the roof is installed correctly, and they stand by their product.”
“We used the Sarnafil system on two other buildings on campus, and we’ve been pleased with the performance of those roofs,” added
Dunigan.
Owner
University of Arkansas
Roofing Contractor
Kirk Roofing and Construction Inc.
Conway, Arkansas
Construction Manager
SCM Architects
Little Rock, Arkansas
Project Size
24,000 Square Feet
A Draining Installation
Kirk Roofing faced many challenges when installing the new roof system on the Nursing Building. The job involved tearing off the old TPO membrane and metal deck and installing three inches of ISO, ½ inches of gypsum cover board, and then adhering the 60 mil Sarnafil EnergySmart membrane in white. Kirk Roofing also removed the shingles from the mansard roof surrounding the flat roof and replaced the shingles with standing seam metal.
All of this was done while school was still in session, creating safety and traffic concerns. Safety barriers had to be put in place to protect students, faculty, and other users of the building and traffic issues had to be considered. “In addition, parking was tight, which made it difficult to stage and move things around,” Jimenez stated.
The weather was also problematic. “We dealt with typical Arkansas winter weather, including cold temperatures and freezing rain,” Jimenez explained. “But I’m proud to say that we were able to temporarily seal up the roof when needed to withstand bad weather, including pouring rain.”
The mansard roof had overflow scuppers going through it and connecting to downspouts that discharged water out of the building. “We use through-wall scuppers with PVC clad metal that sent water to downspouts through soffits,” Jimenez commented. Added Amburgy, “Sarnafil let us line scuppers with conductor heads that attached to downspout drains, which was much better looking. That’s something you can only do with a single-ply membrane.”
Other details involved dealing with three to four rooftop HVAC units, the main gas line penetrations, and rooftop gooseneck details. “The Sarnafil representative was very helpful with the spec writing and in figuring out the details,” Amburgy commented. “And Kirk Roofing did a good job getting the details done correctly.”
Living Up To Standard
All of that hard work paid off as the Nursing Building roof is now performing up to its high standards. “We’ve had some pretty good rains since the new roof was installed, and the roof has held up well with no issue or needed repairs,” said Dunigan. “Kirk Roofing is the best roofer that we’ve ever dealt with, which is why we are using them on future projects.”
Chances are that the roofs Kirk Roofing installs at Phillips Community College in the future will be Sarnafil roofing systems. ”We’re now using the Sarnafil roof on the gym, fine arts, and technology institutes buildings,” Amburgy stated. “It is the University standard.”
