Keeping a community dry

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn how this community center went from leaky PVC to energy-efficient solar panels! 

The Athens Community Center in Athens, Ohio hosts everything from fitness classes and community art shows to childcare programs and voting space. It is the backbone of the town and brings together residents of all ages to build strong connections and support one another. So when the multi-level building’s PVC roof began leaking, threatening to disrupt operations, community leaders quickly began searching for solutions. 

The old roof system had been damaged by both hail and time, with seam separation and other issues causing the leaking. But even with the rush to make sure the community center stayed dry, leaders in Athens wanted to make sure the roof was not just repaired but built back better. Andrew Chiki, the deputy safety director for the City of Athens, explained, “Our city has a commitment to reduce our carbon emissions by 50 percent in the next 10 years. We also have a commitment to reuse and recycle materials on these types of projects whenever possible, so sustainability was a key element for us.” So when they saw Damschroder Roofing (from Fremont, Ohio)’s proposal that utilized Duro-Last’s Recycle Your Roof program, they knew it was the right partner for the job. 

The project began with removal of the old membrane, which was then shipped back to Duro-Last where it was recycled into products such as commercial flooring, walkway pads and concrete expansion joints. From there, the crew was able to inspect insulation and install DensDeck coverboard. More than 18,000 square feet of this product was installed to support the solar panels that would finish the roof off.  

Once the membrane and EXCEPTIONAL Metals gutter system were in place the Damschroder team brought in Kokosing Solar in Athens. Nick Fry, technical sales representative and estimator at Damschroder, shared a bit about the partnership, saying, “The team at Kokosing Solar was amazing to work with. Originally, they were going to supply all of the components for the solar system, but we discovered that the anchors weren’t compatible with Duro-Last materials so we had to find a solution without losing ground on the timeline. Their crew actually got up on the roof and mapped out the exact location for each anchor with chalk lines so we were able to work quickly once we had an alternative option in place.” From there, it was smooth sailing! The crew of nine were able to complete the entire reroof in a month and the community center leaders got a 20-year NDL warranty from Duro-Last. 

To see the project and learn more about the process, check out this video from Duro-Last!