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Roof Deck Construction

Bob and Chris Vila meet with David and Jed Walentas from Two Trees Development, the developers of the waterfront warehouse rehab, on the top of a nearby building to get some ideas for the project building's roof deck. In this example, the roof below the deck is a double-ply rubber membrane. Portions of the deck are made with pressure treated timbers and a renewable hardwood decking called ipe, although the majority of the surface area is concrete pavers. New York City building codes will be a major consideration in the construction of the Pepper Factory's roof configuration. Jed Walentas highlights some of the major factors, including the height of the safety railing and the percentage of combustible materials that can be used in rooftop construction.

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Interior Demolition for the Warehouse Conversion Now Playing

Interior Demolition for the Warehouse Conversion

Roof Deck Construction Now Playing

Roof Deck Construction

Architectural History of the Brooklyn Warehouse Now Playing

Architectural History of the Brooklyn Warehouse

Clip Transcript For:

Roof Deck Construction

computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" Hey guys -- Are you doing -- they're welcome I Jenkins. Dan let me ask you a question first let's get out of here are always hate walking on these things before -- put -- How did you come up with the idea of creating a condominium roof deck for the use of the whole the whole building here well we had these spectacular views. You can say yeah we had this big roof deck. And people love to be on the roof and them. In the city it'll actually this -- grid tar beach. For the it's there -- taxes which are tied to the apartment below and come up. And then we built six prior to the us. That we can sell to anyone in the building -- building on our apartment on the lower floor. In the back without a view you can have your own private roof -- as a wonderful alternative so there's a half dozen that are. Individual what are they twenty Waterston. -- And at 35 feet. Games like that and there's another four on the four corners of the building and what -- the people that don't have the extra cash to buy a roof deck for them right we built a 5000 flood. Common deck so that they have their own you know as a roof decks and deck for the whole building everybody gets its they can come -- all right stud that that I love the tar beach tag on the whole thing. What about the construction --"

" If you have any problems kind of restrictions and -- Com obviously the biggest concern is on his -- life safety concern. And as you can see here we have our railing surrounding the whole thing has to come up 42 inches above the finished surface. I'll had to do a little bit of work ahead of -- where the pavers were going to come to to make sure that. The railing came up high enough that that's certainly always your your biggest concern. And then there are other life safety concerns by errors that concern has actually in New York City building code provision that limits your combustible materials on a roof to 20% of the surface."

" To -- what's the materials that tell us about the construction -- us. But you can see we have a pressure treated frame here. -- protective surface that separates it from the roof and lets it drain and the roof is a rubber membrane of the us double ply rubber membrane over it -- over insulation that's the same throughout. The roof pitches for drainage and and we tried to level off that you -- deck here -- each tape deck now this is a Brazilian hardwood that. Is renewable -- and it's it's not damaging any of the great rainforests that's exactly areas right exactly right but it's a terrible work -- difficult to work with the mechanics are not so happy it's almost as hard as the steel frame that we have here holding all this together yes so behind you Chris it's the same stuff it's. I'd -- with privacy. Right. And then half of the space is kind of roofed over. What's the construction up there. This is not galvanized steel joists are just with a corrugated job sheeting over it a little bit overlap on the all disappeared together stainless steel fasteners yeah and it's a nice combination gives you a little bit -- shade. And also you have sunny area and what amenities do you get I notice you got a water line up here we bring water phone and power and provide a little bit light. Okay no gas you can't cook up here. I guess a little electric terror -- charcoal. Grill and then on the other side you've got that concrete paver system that. I've actually never used this installation before is it looks like rigid foam insulation right rigid foam insulation again that gets it up off the roof it protects it and provides some structural integrity."

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Storm-Ready Roof Decking and Underlayment

Jesse Gonzalez joins Bob at the Punta Gorda storm-ready home to explain the roofing process. The crew has already nailed on the 30 pound asphalt-impregnated felt paper. They are now hot mopping 90 pound roll roofing with asphalt adhesive to make it adhere to the felt paper below. Gonzalez shows Bob the decorative wood dormers on the front of the house that are wrapped in house paper to protect against water intrusion. Bob remarks on the decorative arches above the front entry porch and the front window. They mirror each other as design elements and will both feature decorative columns. Around the back of the house the crew is completing a section of roof deck. They are using 5/8-inch plywood sheathing for a stiffer, more wind-resistant roof deck. The crew uses metal plywood clips to align the plywood and keep it even for nailing.

Building a Hurricane-Resistant Home

Bob talks with Leslie Chapman-Henderson from the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) about the technologies involved in securing a roof. Chapman-Henderson explains the importance of keeping a roof secure in high-wind situations. Uplift force is explained as wind is that pulls on a roof, with a force that can tear the roof right off the home, causing catastrophic building failure. Keeping a roof secure involves affixing the roof decking, the plywood, so no new holes are created during a storm that would allow more wind to come in. FLASH standards specify plywood of a certain thickness, 5/8" minimum thickness with 6" inch nailing pattern, securely nailing into the trusses. Pneumatic nail guns, employed in a hurry to save costs, often miss the underlying truss. Simpson StrongTie straps are used to secure the truss to the structure. Tie-downs secure the roof vertically and horizontally. Bob and Chapman-Henderson review the Punta Gorda storm-ready project completed last season. The house in Punta Gorda was a monlithic concrete structure, poured in one solid pour with steel reinforcing bars embedded throughout. Steel fastenerstied directly to the exposed rebar to secure the roof. The roof decking and tie-down followed FLASH's Blueprint for Safety, just as the current roof does. Chapman-Henderson presents Bob with an award from the Governor's Hurricane Conference for his work to increase awareness of the need for storm-resistant homes. According to Chapman-Henderson reviews the governor's program that makes $250 million in Florida funds and $100 million from HUD to help people in Florida retrofit their homes to bring them up to code and make them storm resistant. The My Safe Florida Home is available to low- and modest-income residents. Eligible viewers are encouraged to call the 800 number or go to mysafefloridahome.com to begin the process.

Reviewing the Apartment's Paint Colors, Finishes, and Roof Deck

Bob is back in the penthouse apartment, this time in the main hallway that has the Marmorino wall finish that flows into the lavatory, which features a thyme green semi-gloss paint from the Bob Vila Signature Collection. The warm green walls highlight the stark white plumbing fixtures from Toto USA's Mercer collection. Bob takes a quick jaunt up to the ipe wood roof deck.

Hurricane-Resistant Roof Tiles

Bart Cox of Hanson Roof Tile and Dave Peck of D. Peck Roofing explain the roof covering system to Bob as they tour the Punta Gorda storm-ready site. Cox explains how Hanson Roof Tile has improved their design and now manufactures extruded cement barrel tiles at four plants in Florida. The tiles are made of cement, sand, and pigment, and are extruded, cut, and pre-drilled for fasteners at the factory. Cox explains that tiles were once laid directly on top of the roof paper with no fastener or adhesive. In Florida, high winds later forced roofers to apply cement adhesive to the tiles. When fabrication shifted to a less-permeable cement product, the tiles no longer adhered to the cement. Now they are mechanically fastened into the roof decking through the pre-drilled holes. Dave Peck, who has been roofing for the past 15 years, explains a system that has evolved over the years in response to hurricanes, water, and wind damage. Their crews now mechanically attach the 30 pound felt paper, then hot mop each course of 90 pound roll roofing with asphalt and nail it in place along the upper edge of each course. At the final point of susceptibility, the hip or ridge line, the roofers now use a metal hip and ridge nailer board. The cap tiles are nailed to the board with additional foam adhesive underneath to keep them in place. Experience has taught the roofers that hip and ridge tiles must be firmly affixed to prevent blow-off and damge to field tiles and other property.