Botetourt County, working with roofing manufacturer The Garland Company (Garland) and Roanoke-based contractor McNeil Roofing, recently unveiled a new roof on the General District Courts Building. The roof delivers several benefits for the environment, including lower energy consumption during the summer months, improved indoor air quality, and the elimination of three dumpsters’ worth of waste that would have gone to a landfill in the event of a full tear-off and replacement.
According to Garland territory manager Brian Foley, “During our roof inspection, we saw areas of water intrusion and an aging roof, but with strategic replacement of wet and damaged insulation, a thorough cleaning of the entire surface, and the application of a bright-white fluid roofing system, we knew we could meet Botetourt County’s sustainability objectives.”
Gary Larrowe, Botetourt County Administrator, agreed. “We knew we needed to address the leaks that the old roof was causing, as water can lead to mold and poor indoor air quality, but we wanted to do so in the most responsible way possible both for taxpayer dollars and the larger environment. The system we chose was both more economical than a full replacement and less wasteful, as a complete roof replacement on a building the size of the Courthouse can generate up to three dumpsters’ worth of waste.”
The new fluid applied roof was installed directly over the old roof. As it dried, it created a single monolithic membrane over the entire surface of the roof, keeping water out. It is a bright white color that is highly reflective of UV rays, keeping the building cooler and decreasing the amount of energy needed to run air conditioning systems.
Added McNeil, “The other benefit of a fluid-applied roofing system is the project itself is less intrusive and disruptive than a large-scale construction project. We were able to put down the low-odor new roofing system without requiring anyone to change their normal day-to-day work or causing any disruption.”
The General District Courts Building, located in Fincastle, handles Criminal, Civil, and Traffic cases for the 25th Judicial District of Virginia.