JM’S Robust Supply Chain Crucial to Success of Museum Re-Roofing

Beyond Fixing, a Laudable Team Effort Ensures Irreplaceable Art Protected

Re-Roofing the Contemporary Art Museum (CAM) in St. Louis

Description: The Contemporary Art Museum (CAM) in St. Louis is part of the popular Grand Center Arts District. Its 500,000 annual visitors are nearly double the city’s year-round population of approximately 294,000. Known locally as the CAM St. Louis, exhibits are rotated annually from an off-site collection of more than 36,000 objects and showcase around 2,700 pieces. In 2021, the roof protecting these precious objects started to fail.

Challenge: The design and implementation for re-roofing this two-story, 16,135-square-foot art museum created a series of hurdles, including retaining aesthetic features while improving detailing, the addition of permanent rooftop safety equipment, and performing all work within a scheduled two-month shutdown of the museum. CAM engaged Cale Prokopf, President of RoofTech Consulting, Inc., and his team to become CAM’s sole source for designing and managing the project. Once engaged, RoofTech performed a series of due diligence visits, after which aesthetic mock-ups were completed to better understand final design parameters.

Solution: The results of infrared (IR) moisture testing provided the option to leave the existing material in place, constructing a new roof over the old—shortening the project duration and saving the client money. The recommended solution included the use of a grey JM fleece-backed 115 mil TPO adhered using JM’s Roofing System Urethane Adhesive (RSUA). The design team at RoofTech Consulting, Inc. specified two-part foam in full coverage, which gives the best possible attachment by covering the entire surface area of the fleece-backed membrane. For the flashings, JM 60 mil TPO adhered with JM Membrane Bonding Adhesive did the job.

Additional upgrades included reworking rooftop daylighting structures, new pre-manufactured—and in some areas custom-fabricated—stainless steel metal edging, and pre-manufactured egress platforms with access stairs to assist with safely traversing the seven different roof elevations. All this and installation of the new roof was accomplished in a timeframe that had zero room for the slightest delay.

Cale Prokopf’s ownership of the project and leadership of the team—and his meticulously detailed plan—are credited with the success of the job by Chris Reiss, Territory Manager for Gulfeagle Supply. He had this to say at the end of the project: “Communications with Cale were early and often. It was satisfying to work with a team fully committed to delivering the best result. We all had our own customers to answer to, and it works when all the cogs on the wheel are in sync like we were on this job. ” With more than 20 years in roofing, most of it collaborating with Mike Nienkemper, President of Commercial Roofing Sales of St. Louis., Chris is especially proud of his company’s work on this important project.

Keegan Tune, Roofing Branch Manager with Western Specialty Contractors, had only positive things to say about the team effort, too: “Chris and Gulfeagle are always great to work with because they make sure we have what we need, when we need it, which is critical on these tight deadline projects. On a complex job like this one, there were bound to be some technical issues. JM and Commercial Roofing Sales of St. Louis handled these in a timely, professional way—earning their positive reputations.”

JM Roofing System Solution:

• 20-Year Peak Advantage® Guarantee
• JM TPO 115 mil
• JM Roofing System Urethane Adhesive (RSUA)
• JM TPO 60 mil
• JM Membrane Bonding Adhesive

Location:
St. Louis, Missouri

Johns Manville Representative:
Commercial Roofing Sales of St. Louis Michael J. Nienkemper, President

Contractor:
Western Specialty Contractors, Keegan Tune, Roofing Branch Manager, JM Peak Advantage® Contractor

Roofing Consultants:
RoofTech Consulting, Cale Prokopf, President
Matt Wilhelm, Lead Designer
Bobby Kurtzeborn, Designer/Project Consultant

Materials Supplier:
Gulfeagle Supply
Chris Reiss, Territory Manager