Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy

Project Snapshot

PROJECT: Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy
LOCATION: Livingston, N.J.
COMPANY NAME: Duro-Last, Inc.
WEBSITE: www.duro-last.com

Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy

When it became time to replace the roof on the 200,000 square foot Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy in Livingston, N.J., the school board turned to Duro-Last to get the job done quickly, while school was in session, with minimal interruptions, noise and noxious fumes.

THE CHALLENGE

The EPDM roof was failing and nearing the end of its useful life on the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy in Livingston, N.J. Multiple companies offered various solutions for reroofing the 200,000-square-foot facility.

Because the reroofing job was to be done over the existing EPDM system while school was in session, several factors had to be considered prior to choosing a bid. Primarily concerned about the occupants of the building, the Academy’s decision makers wanted a roofing option that would not produce noise or fumes, and would be completed within budget and in a reasonable timeframe.

THE SOLUTION

Although other options were considered, Duro-Last and roofing contractor Complete Roof Systems of Dumont, N.J., were ultimately chosen for several reasons. Not only did Duro-Last’s clean and safe application method meet the requirements necessary for maintaining classes during installation, but it also offered custom prefabrication, mechanical attachment, competitive pricing and an extensive 15-year warranty. The membrane’s high-reflectivity was especially attractive to the board members, as it would save the school energy and money.

Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy

No small project, the job required flashing approximately 400 penetrations, including 126 HVAC units, on five different roof levels. The flashings used on these penetrations are prefabricated in a Duro-Last plant, prior to delivery to the job site. This Duro-Last prefabrication approach greatly reduces the risk of roof failure caused by human installation errors.

Prefabrication also helps provide the assurance of a roof that’s leak-proof and virtually maintenance-free, and enables Duro-Last to issue its industry-leading warranty.

Because so much of the roof can be manufactured in a controlled factory environment prior to on-site installation, authorized Duro-Last contractors such as Complete Roof Systems can typically complete jobs more quickly and efficiently and with less disruption than contractors using other systems. The school board was impressed by Complete Roof Systems’ ability to finish the job in just 60 days — less than the estimated timeframe — despite consistently poor weather conditions, which hindered the team’s progress.”

Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy

IMPACT ON LEARNING

Following the wishes of the school board, the installation team was successful in reroofing the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy with no interruptions to classes; staff and students inside the building during construction were pleasantly surprised at how quiet the installation was.

Schools across America trust the Duro-Last roofing system because it can provide a quick, interruption-free installation, long-term value and is durable and serviceable.

Editor’s Review

A failing roof presents a health threat to the staff and students, mainly due to moisture issues which have been identified to be associated with respiratory problems. The U.S. EPA’s 2010 study entitled, “How does Indoor Air Quality Impact Student Health and Academic Performance?”, says that substandard environmental conditions in schools can cause serious health problems for children. In addition, it states that IAQ also directly impacts student academic performance. The timing of the fix could create major distractions — noise and fumes. You need to be able to concentrate to learn. That is hard to do if there is a lot of noise or other disrupting activities that are inherent to construction projects. The various players in this project — the school administrators, Duro-Last’s representatives and the roofing company — worked together to keep disruptions to a minimum and to make this process as smooth as possible.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • University of Connecticut Upgrades Basketball Facility’s AV Systems

    The University of Connecticut recently partnered with Metinteractive to upgrade the AV systems of the Gampel Pavilion basketball facility on its campus in Mansfield, Conn., according to a news release.

  • Texas A&M Adds ALPR Technology to Parking Solutions

    Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, recently integrated automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) technology into its parking services and enforcement strategies, according to a news release. The university’s Transportation Services division deployed Genetec AutoVu ALPR to manage the campus’ 36,000+ parking spaces.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2025 New Product Awards

    Spaces4Learning is now accepting entries for the 2025 New Product Awards! The program’s goal is to honor the outstanding product development achievements of manufacturers and suppliers whose products and services are particularly noteworthy in helping to improve K–12 and Higher Education learning environments.

  • Illinois Elementary School Breaks Ground on Campus Expansion

    Heather Hill Elementary School, part of Flossmoor School District 161 in Palatine, Ill., recently broke ground on a new addition to the school focused on student support and security, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects & Engineers for the expansion as part of a longer-term facility planning and modernization initiative.

Digital Edition