Project Profile: Baltimore Recycling Center

Baltimore Recycling Center Project
Peach State Roofing
Jonathan Faircloth


For 8 years now Peach State Roofing has been providing low slope roofing solutions for property and facility managers in the DMV area. Recently PSR was hired to complete a large section of roofing work at a recycling center in Baltimore, Maryland. Over the past few years, PSR has been contracted to keep up with routine maintenance and repairs to this specific property. A roof replacement for this center was planned well in advance.

When Peach State Roofing received the call, the customer was concerned about the overwhelming number of new leaks coming through the old metal r-panel roof system. With production underneath now being hindered by continuing water intrusion, the facility manager knew it was time to provide a more permanent and comprehensive fix.

PSR was tasked with addressing three initial concerns when estimating this project. First, the facility manager was worried about the safety of crew members and service techs due to number of old and brittle fiberglass skylights on the building. Second, while this project was due for replacement, the exorbitant costs of replacing 50,000 sqft. of metal r-paneling was not in the budget. Finally, the facility manager asked PSR to find a way increase the overall energy efficiency of the recycling center.

After a week of collaborating with the mid atlantic estimators, PSR proposed a retrofit roofing system. Retrofits are a popular solution as they offer all the benefits of a new roof without the added cost of replacing the existing metal r-paneling. The project was awarded to PSR. Scheduling was coordinated, material ordered, and crews were ready to begin production.

Safety has always been paramount at PSR. As they are with all projects, the initial steps of production were centralized around keeping both crew members and the employees beneath the roof safe and secure. PSR project managers placed flagging around the perimeter of the roof and attached D rings for the crew members to tie their harnesses to. The skylights were then marked with Hi Viz safety paint so those working on the roof would always be mindful of them. As a final safety measure, PSR covered all of the 122 existing fiberglass skylights with 22 ga. sheet metal. This would ensure the safety of crew members installing the roof as well as those who would be walking on it for years to come.

After safety measures were taken and the roof was prepped, PSR was ready to begin production. PSR installed custom fit sheets of EPS foam in-between the flutes of the r-paneling to flatten the surface of the roof. Next, an additional 1 ½ inches of polyinsulation was mechanically fastened over the EPS and through the metal roof. At this point, the recycling center was now benefiting from substantially increased overall energy efficiency due to these increased levels on insulation. As the final step, PSR overlaid the new insulation with a white Carlisle 60 mil TPO membrane. This was mechanically fastened through the perlins of the roof per manufacturer requirements. Special heavy load screws and plates were used to effectively hold the membrane in place for the extended life of the roof.

After just over 3 weeks of production, PSR crossed the finish line ahead of schedule. The Baltimore recycling center could now enjoy a safe new roof, that was installed within budget, all while providing annual cost savings through increased energy efficiency. The roof was checked off by the manufacturer’s inspector and passed without issue. The grounds were cleaned and PSR project management teams completed final inspections and reports for the building owner.   The Baltimore compactor center received a Carlisle 20 year No Dollar Limit Labor and Material warranty as well as a Peach State 2 year contractors warranty.