When faced with an aged, leaking roof, Aquazul Condominiums in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida selected Advanced Roofing, Inc. (ARI) in Fort Lauderdale for their expertise in reroofing occupied buildings under challenging environments with limited access to the roof. Aquazul’s 15-year-old roof was at the end of its service life and was starting to fail due to granule loss, recurring leaks, and moisture damage to the insulation, resulting in blisters throughout the roof surface. To remedy these issues, ARI selected an asphalt roof system by Johns Manville for the 23-story premiere, luxury beachfront condominium’s 10,223-square-foot roof.

Scope of Work

Aquazul’s, a contemporary glass tower condominium, features an elaborate building design that has many roof levels and essential mechanical equipment housed within a minimal roof area. The new roofing system needed to be able to withstand the heavy foot traffic on the roof caused by frequent inspection and maintenance of the equipment and chiller lines. A modified bitumen roofing system was the preferred solution to sustain this demand.

Asphalt roof systems are the preferred choice for projects that require an aesthetically pleasing, professional-looking, durable roof because of their ability to supply test-proven systems with waterproofing and unmatched adhesion characteristics that can last an average of 20 years. A Johns Manville SBS Torch Modified system with a quarter-inch tapered energy polyisocyanurate roof insulation and DynaWeld Cap SBS mineral-surfaced cap sheet with a two-part urethane insulation adhesive was used to replace the damaged, high-trafficked roof. Tapered insulation was added to the system to provide positive drainage and to optimize the roof life of the system which comes with a 20-year NDI warranty. With the building’s oceanfront location, ARI’s in-house sheet metal crew was used to fabricate and install new stainless steel flashings, coping caps, and gutters to prevent erosion and impact from the salt.  The ARI team went a step further and hand-painted the drain screens blue to compliment the design of the unique building.

The durability and longevity of an asphalt roof reinforced with walk pads make for a long-lasting, durable solution that can withstand the mechanical equipment and heavy foot traffic the Aquazul was accustomed to.

Overcoming Challenges

ARI faced several challenges when installing the roof system that included limited access to the loading area and safety concerns due to the extreme height of the building and approaching Hurricane Irma. When accessing the roof for loading and unloading materials and debris from this beachfront property, ARI used a hydraulic hoist set up on a scaffold canter livered over the edge of the roof and down 290 feet to a one-lane road located on the side of the building. This system worked well and limited disruptions to the operations of the building. Next, due to the extreme height of the building (23 stories) and sections of the roof were not secured by a parapet wall, ARI crew members were required to use a full safety tie-off when installing the new roof system. Lastly, the reroofing project took place during hurricane season with Hurricane Irma projected to make landfall in South Florida, causing our crews the need to break down the job site, secure materials, and equipment, and take down a scaffold with a hoist. Following the storm, our team was able to coordinate and have the project back on track within five days.

By working together with the building property manager to address the unique needs of their roof while providing a solution that corrected past issues, ARI completed the project safely, on time, and on budget, all while satisfying the client’s needs and avoiding disruptions for the residents at Aquazul Condominium.