Bade Roofing Company used its experience with TPO roofing systems to design and install an energy-efficient roof on the Wexford Science & Technology lab and research facility in St. Louis' historic Central West End neighborhood. A component to meeting the state-of-the-art facility's strict energy and environmental guidelines, the facility's complete $73 million restoration earned it a LEED Platinum certification through the U.S. Green Building Council. This project is one of only a few LEED Platinum-certified renovation projects in the region.

With energy efficiency a major consideration, Bade Roofing specified a 60-mil, white Ultra-ply TPO fully-adhered roof system manufactured by Firestone Building Products for the building's flat, structural concrete and metal decks. The three-level roof totaled 102,400 square-feet.

"Challenges are inherent for these types of projects; not only are we rehabilitating an historic building, we had to make it energy-efficient to achieve the highest possible level of LEED certification," said Dave Bade, owner of Bade Roofing. "We were proud to be working with Wexford to meet the very specific needs of the life sciences industry, including its laboratory, office and research spaces."

On the concrete deck areas, Bade crews installed a 1/4 inches-per-foot tapered insulation system (consisting of 120,000 square-feet of tapered panels and system fill) with a 5/8-inch Densdeck coverboard set in a two-part, low-rise foam adhesive. The system provides positive drainage to interior drains. Workers then installed the Firestone TPO roofing system and all flashing.  

Restoration of the metal deck areas began with crews mechanically fastening a 5/8-inch Densdeck with two layers of 2.5-inch ISO (R-30) insulation and a 5/8-inch Densdeck coverboard, followed by installation of the TPO roofing system, including all flashing.

Bade crews were able to complete the roofing project within three months. St. Louis-based HOK was the architect on the project and Tarlton Corp. was the general contractor.