St. Mary’s Catholic Center
A master plan for historic preservation and the combining of 3 roofing types to create roof assembly backed by a 20-year NDL warranty.
Background
St. Mary’s Catholic Center hosts arguably the largest concentration of Aggie Catholics off-campus. Their needs for students and the growing BCS community means their center is home to mass services, ministries, group classes, student activities, community events, and room reservations for their members.
As one of the defining points of the College Station city as you enter from the West, the historical bell tower, originally constructed between 1938 and 1939, has seen the University Avenue corridor develop over its 80+ years. That age created the need for commercial roofing assembly replacement and for a roofing company capable of historic preservation.
Challenges
Clay tile roofs are extremely volatile and delicate if not handled with care. Their design and installation are vital to the longevity of the entire roof assembly. Those tiles had to be attached and joined to a tower that was originally constructed over 80 years ago. The delicate structure had to then be connected to the student center expansion project that was built over the existing building. The age of the structure meant that workmanship had to be meticulous. And the traffic patterns on streets and sidewalks near the church demanded a strict schedule.
Solutions
We initiated a multi-phase approach, including several expansions and repair projects to slowly and seamlessly integrate each phase’s design and materials with the existing structure. This process required an extensive traffic control plan to coordinate efforts moving in both directions, removing the old building the new. The project required multiple crews and project managers that were assigned to different sections of the roof to work in unison, according to our master project vision.
On the roof attached to the tower, we carefully stripped away the damaged roof deck, installed a new deck, and applied an underlayment that was specifically designed for this application. Then, we carefully installed a premium tile selected for its unique formation that limits water absorption and promotes a long lifespan. To create a seamless appearance, we attached Ludowici clay tiles with premium concealed copper fasteners for a seamless appearance and a 75-year warranty.
The student center’s existing tectum deck was also replaced. Our team performed a thorough cleaning of the remaining structure. After, we installed insulation and TPO roof components. We joined the old and the new with a standing seam metal roof across the expansion. The entire assembly went through a series of tests and garnered a 20-year NDL warranty from the manufacturers.
Our Work
