Project Country: Florida

Project Description:

The Grand Bay Residences, a distinguished high-rise building located in the coastal community of Key Biscayne, Florida, faced substantial roofing challenges in 2021. This project presented a unique set of difficulties owing to the building’s proximity to the ocean, its imposing height, and the unpredictable weather conditions characteristic of Florida. Recognized for its reputation as a haven of tranquility and comfort, the Grand Bay Residences demanded a roofing restoration solution that went beyond a quick fix. The objective was clear: deliver a roofing system that would withstand the test of time, offering robust protection against the elements for years to come.

For this challenging project, Isaacs Roofing, a highly regarded and experienced contractor in the state of Florida, was chosen to take on the task of rejuvenating the Grand Bay Residences. Their extensive experience made them well-equipped to address the complexities associated with this roofing restoration, which involved overhauling 380 squares of the building’s roof.

Project Challenges

Elevated Working Conditions: The significant height of the Grand Bay Residences presented extreme working conditions for the roofing team. Ensuring safety and efficiency at such heights required meticulous planning and execution.

Proximity to the Ocean: The building’s location near the ocean exposed it to corrosive salt air and a humid environment. These factors accelerated the wear and tear on construction materials, necessitating specialized solutions, particularly during the roof installation process.

Unpredictable Weather: Florida’s unpredictable weather, characterized by frequent high winds, added complexity to the project. These conditions posed risks to construction work and made the precise installation of the roof surface more challenging. Securing roofing material in these conditions was crucial to prevent damage and ensure long-lasting results.

The Polyglass Solution

With over three decades of expertise in working with Polyglass materials, the Isaacs Roofing team faced the formidable challenge of re-roofing the beachside Grand Bay Residences in Key Biscayne, Florida. They turned to Polystick® TU Plus, a self-adhering double-layer waterproof barrier. This choice was guided by its ability to resist sunlight damage and punctures, making it an ideal shield against the corrosive effects of salt air and the burden of heavy tiles.

In the pursuit of secure roof assembly, PG500, a versatile bonding agent, played a pivotal role in securely fastening flashing components that direct water flow around openings. In the context of the building’s towering height and challenging wind conditions, the robust bonding of roofing elements was indispensable. Additionally, PG500 was used for the parapet walls and steep slopes, where a steadfast adhesive was essential to ensure long-lasting performance.

According to project manager Albert Del Sol, “The successful completion of the Grand Bay Residence commercial roofing project using Polyglass roofing systems surpassed our expectations. We accomplished the project within the budget and on schedule, delighting our client with outstanding results. I highly recommend Polyglass for its diverse range of top-tier roofing systems. Specifically, their tile underlayment products, like Polystick® TU Plus, have demonstrated exceptional reliability compared to their counterparts in the market.”

Polyglass roofing systems offer an excellent choice for roofing contractors seeking to provide clients with resilient, energy-efficient, and versatile roofing solutions. Albert’s endorsement echoes the sentiments of many clients in the past, emphasizing how the use of Polyglass roofing materials consistently leads to elevated levels of client satisfaction, regardless of the project’s complexity.

Product Information

Polystick® TU PLUS

This is a type of underlayment that sticks to the roof, providing a waterproof barrier. It’s specially reinforced to support heavy roof tiles and resist damage from the sun’s UV rays. Its self-sticking bottom layer allows it to grip tightly to various surfaces, helping to smooth out any rough spots on the roof deck. This makes it an excellent choice for roofs where tiles are attached with adhesive foam or mechanically fastened.

Key Benefits

• High-Temperature Approval: Approved for use up to 265°F, ensuring resilience in extreme conditions.
• Stability and Durability: Crafted with a proprietary asphalt compound and fiberglass mat for exceptional dimensional stability.
• Enhanced Safety: Non-wicking polyester reinforced surface for superior slip resistance, prioritizing safety.
• Flexible Installation: Extended exposure duration, allowing up to 12 months for mechanically attached roof coverings and up to 6 months for adhesive set roof coverings, or as per local building codes, providing installation flexibility.

PG 500

It’s a special adhesive, applied without heating, that’s perfect for SBS (Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene) roofing systems and other types of roof membranes. It’s flexible and stretchy, which is great for parts of the roof that might move or shift a bit. It’s thicker than regular plastic cement, which makes it excellent for waterproofing repairs. PG 500 is also really handy for sticking roof membranes to steep surfaces or the edges of flat roofs.

Specifications and Advantages

• Offers significant adaptability to accommodate temperature-related expansions and contractions of the roof system.
• Exceptional adhesion strength.
• Exhibits outstanding weathering properties across a wide spectrum of challenging temperatures and weather conditions. Resistant to mudcracking, maintaining high flexibility, resilience, and durability throughout all seasons.
• Eliminates the necessity for kettles and torches.
• Uniform and strong adhesion ensured by the interlocking fiber matrix.
• Displays excellent resistance to flow when used on vertical surfaces at high temperatures.
• Non-detrimental to asphalt-based roofing membranes.
• Free of asbestos, composed of 100% recycled cellulose fibers.

Experience Unmatched Roofing Solutions with Polyglass Products

Whether you require the UV-resistant Polystick TU Plus underlayment, designed to address deck imperfections and handle heavy tile loads, or the versatile PG500 adhesive that guarantees a secure bond even in the most challenging conditions, Polyglass products offer the quality that your project requires. Initiate a conversation with us today and become part of a community of accomplished contractors, much like Isaacs Roofing. Reach out to us now to explore how our advanced roofing systems can help you overcome the challenges of roofing and waterproofing, consistently exceeding your client’s expectations.

The Nautical Towers, with its panoramic beach views and distinct architectural style, is a gem in Fort Lauderdale. Unfortunately, beneath its striking exterior, the building was wrestling with a significant challenge – its rooftop was retaining excessive amounts of water due to poor drainage and inadequate design. This issue, known as water ponding, was leading to repeated water intrusion within the building, compromising both the structure’s integrity and the comfort of its residents.

On September 15^th, 2022, Perkins Roofing, a leading roofing contractor based in Miami, Florida, was enlisted to help solve this problem. As a Quantum Contractor with Polyglass, Perkins Roofing brought to the project their high level of expertise in roofing services, Polyglass products and a proven track record of installation quality. Moreover, this project posed unique challenges.

Project Challenges

Ideally, every roof should be designed with a slight slope to direct water towards drainage points, efficiently disposing of rainwater and preventing any form of water accumulation. Unfortunately, the original roof of the Nautical Towers had a flat surface as well as inadequate wall termination details, which resulted in severe water ponding issues – a chronic problem that can cause substantial damage over time.

In the case of the Nautical Towers, the inadequate roof slope meant that water collected in large pools on the rooftop after every rainfall. With nowhere else to go, the standing water began to infiltrate the structure, leading to considerable water damage inside the building and threatening its structural integrity.

A complete re-roofing would typically be the go-to solution for such a scenario. With that said, the Nautical Towers were confronted with a budgetary challenge. The funding required for a full roof replacement was well beyond the building’s financial capabilities, which called for a creative solution.

Complicating matters further was the height of the high-rise condo. The very characteristic that made the Nautical Towers an iconic part of Fort Lauderdale’s skyline posed a problem when it came to roof repairs. Heavy roofing materials and equipment needed for a conventional roof overhaul were difficult to transport to the top of the high-rise building. This not only required manual labor, but also specialized equipment and potential street closures for crane operations.

The Solution

With these complications in mind, Perkins Roofing had to think outside of the box, and leverage their knowledge of advanced Polyglass roofing products and their practical experience to develop a strategy that could effectively address all the issues.

“Perkins Roofing offered the building a Polyglass silicone restoration as a solution to restore the existing roofing system based on a certified engineer’s moisture survey,” said Dean Perkins, President of Perkins Roofing. “We recommended the solvent-based silicone system as it is more compatible for recoatability. Silicone is slippery when wet, so we also installed a Traffic System to the mechanical units on the roof along with a walk pad from the roof access door to the stairwell.”

As Dean said, the first step in this restoration process was to conduct a number of repairs using a variety of Polyglass roofing products. They used Elastoflex® SA V and Polyflex® SA P  , both self-adhered roofing membranes with excellent dimensional stability and puncture resistance, to ensure a robust underlayer for the subsequent coatings. PG 500, a high-quality adhesive perfect for a variety of waterproofing repairs, was also used for its superior flexibility.

Polyflash® 1C was used for sealing various details like roof drains, vents, curbs, walls, pitch pans and other unusually-shaped objects. It’s a special kind of sealant that hardens when it comes into contact with moisture in the air. It’s made of a modified plastic-like material called polyurethane, which is changed (or “modified”) by adding silane for better performance and durability.

Combined with PolyBrite Reinforcing Fabric, a flexible stitch-bonded polyester fabric, these products provided an ideal solution to the unique flashing needs of the Nautical Towers building. The repaired and reinforced roof was then prepared for the silicone restoration process. First, the team used PolyBrite® 98, a water-based, one-part primer/bleed blocker. This primer helps the silicone roof coatings stick better to the roof, creating a strong base for the following layers.

Following the primer, a base coat of PolyBrite® 95, a moisture-cure silicone roof coating, was applied. This product extends the life cycle of new and existing roof systems, while also providing exceptional protection from ultraviolet sun and other weather exposures. Once the base coat was in place, another layer of PolyBrite 95 was applied as a top coat to ensure maximum protection.

Finally, a traffic coat of PolyBrite 95 with silica sand was applied to areas with heavy foot traffic, like the path to mechanical units and the walk pad from the roof access door to the stairwell. This additional layer increased the roof’s durability and provided improved traction – this made the rooftop safer for maintenance and other necessary visits.

The silicone restoration strategy was ideal for several reasons. For one, silicone is naturally water-resistant, so it’s an excellent solution for the water retention issue. The lightweight nature of silicone and the ease of application allowed for the materials to be transported to the high-rise location with less hassle than traditional roofing materials. It also led to significant cost savings when compared to a full roof replacement.

Product Information

PolyBrite® 95: This is a silicone-based roof coating that forms a continuous layer when applied over a roof. It protects the roof from sun damage and other weather elements, extending the roof’s lifespan.

PolyBrite® 98: A water-based primer that helps Polyglass silicone roof coatings stick better to various surfaces. It’s the preparatory layer before the actual coating.

PolyBrite® Reinforcing Fabric: A lightweight, white polyester fabric that strengthens cold process roofing systems for a robust and durable finish.

PolyFlash® 1C: A single-component white compound that seals different roofing and waterproofing details, preventing leaks and ensuring a watertight roof.

PG 500: A high-quality adhesive used to bond SBS roofing systems and other membrane systems. It’s ideal for attaching roofing details and making waterproofing repairs.

Polyflex® SA P: A self-sticking roofing sheet with a granulated surface, used in low-slope roofing for its toughness and resistance.

Elastoflex® SA V: A superior quality, self-adhesive roofing product reinforced with a fiberglass mat, providing excellent stability and durability to the roof.

For more information about Polyglass products, please contact us today.