B.T. Lakeside Roofing was featured as the cover story for "Roofer" magazine! Click here to find out how our attention to detail has brought our operation into the limelight! we are proud to have been chosen by "Roofer" to grace their cover. - Roofer Magazine

 

For B.T. Lakeside Roofing of Addison, Ill., reroofing a local apartment building proved to be a unique experience. While the roof itself was not unusual, the job site specifications required by RREEFF, the property management company, were anything but ordinary.

B.T. Lakeside Roofing specializes in apartments, condominiums, and townhomes. The company has been in the business for seventeen years and regularly works for many of the major properly management companies in the Chicagoland area.  The Garden Glen Apartments in Schaumburg, Ill, called for some special measures due to the shape of the building and the specific requirements outlined by the property management company.

The Set Up

The Garden Glen apartment building is an L-shaped, six-story, shingled roof structure with the main entrance located at the corner juncture of the two sides. Normally, such a layout would not prove to be a problem, but RREEFF would only allow B.T. Lakeside Roofing one area in which to set up their equipment and supplies for the entire project. Sense the middle of the building is the entryway, it was not a viable location for setting up the operation. An Olympic-sized swimming pool is located at one end of the building as well as a volleyball court and a playground, which were not closed during construction. the only practical solution was to set up the equipment at the end of the building furthest from the pool, which meant that all roofing materials and debris had to be carried as far as 510 feet across the entire span of the roof in order to access the opposite side of the building.

No materials were permitted to be stacked on the roof overnight for both aesthetic and safety reasons, which made it necessary for all roofing material, whether old or new, to be lifted and lowered via crane on a daily basis. B.T. Lakeside Roofing's crane has a remote control that allows the operator to stand 100 to 150 feet back from the loading zone to watch for falling debris and to visualize the entire loading area. Since none of the building's entrances were off limits to residents, each had to be covered with industrial-grade overhead scaffolding to protect pedestrians from any debris that accidentally fell off of the roof. As an additional safety measure, B.T. Lakeside Roofing decided to put up safety tape, flags, and cones to try to prevent people from using the entrances. Signs were posted at all exits and entrances, and notices were sent to all tenants warnings of possible debris falling from the roof. Despite the warnings, many tenants lifted up the safety tape and walled beneath it in order to avoid having to use an entrance that was less convenient to their apartment. They seemed completely oblivious to the fact that roofing materials falling from six stories could inflict an injury substantially greater that a bump on the head.

Original, the bid specifications indicated that the workmen could only get onto the roof via crane. They were not permitted to walk up the stairs and climb onto the roof through the hatch. This Situation lasted for about a week until a representative from the management office was lifted by the crane onto the roof. The next day the workmen were allowed to ascend to the roof via the building's emergency stairs. Concerned that the roofers would track dirt and roofing debris into the building, the property management company asked B.T. Lakeside roofing to ensure that anyone who went up to the roof would wear surgical booties (shoe covers), which were to be removed once on the roof. While surgical booties are used by B.T. Lakeside Roofing's repair technicians, they are not usually worn on reroofing jobs. Despite the inconvenience, B.T. Lakeside Roofing agreed. Consequently, each time a workman had to descend to gather some other necessary item, he had to put on a pair of booties, descend the stairs, take the booties off, get the item, return the the stairway, put the booties on, ascend the stairs, and remove the booties before stepping onto the roof.

To add to the situation, B.T. Lakeside Roofing was surprised by an unannounced OSHA inspection. "A job site inspection was done by OSHA right after the start of the job. We passed with out problems. Our superintendent Ted Brown had, as always, scoped the job thoroughly and prepared it to ensure compliance with all safety requirements before the work began. We firmly believe that safety comes first, beyond anything else. We have a mandatory safety meeting every other Friday morning," said Larry Savage, vice president of residential sales for B.T. Lakeside Roofing.

The Failing Roof

Though the building was only twelve years old, the roof was leaking at every conceivable point. the original shingles were guaranteed for twenty years, but poor ventilation had caused the plywood deck to delaminate in many places and shingles to blow off during high winds. the roof was repaired on a consistent basis, but the efforts were in vain due to the delamination of the plywood. Nails simply would not hold. Excessive moisture infiltration from bathroom and dryer vents was escaping directly into the attic, and undereave soffit vents were clogged with insulation and debris.

The original roof deck was comprised of half-inch plywood attached to 2- by 4-foot trusses. 24 inches on center, with a 33-foot span from the gutters to the peak. The delamination of the plywood deck had created an unstable surface and a dangerous situation for the workmen. To ensure that the workmen did not fall through the weak plywood deck, each rafter was spray painted so that they knew where to step in order to walk safety across the roof. As the project progressed, the plywood delamination became increasing worse on the sections of the roof that were not completed due to the heavy foot traffic of the eight workers day after day. For two weeks, the workers carried materials, i.e., new plywood, new shingles, and torn-off shingles and plywood, across the deck. All materials were carried distances as far as 510 feet on 2- by 4-foot stretchers.

Installation

The entire 5 in 12 pitched roof was torn down to the rafters section by section, and 1,00 sheets of 5/8-inch plywood were installed with H-clip supports. The new underlayment consisted of 30-pound felt and ice and water shield. All 32,00 square feet of the roof were covered with CertainTeed Sealdon 30 shingles, each of which was hand nailed. No power nailers were used. More than 500 linear feet of Cobra Concealed Shingle Over Ridge Cap was installed at the peaks. All dryers and kitchen exhaust vents with urethane flaps, which were installed to keep out moisture and debris while allowing moist air to escape when the dryers were running. New metal edging was installed at the eaves. All of the materials used in the new roofing system were indicated in the original bid specifications.

The fob was completed with six days to spare. Thirty-five days were allotted, and the job required only twenty-nine days to complete. Had the workman not had to comply with the labor-intensive bid specs, however, the job may have been completed in one-third the time.

The Lakeside Philosophy

During the past five years, B.T. Lakeside Roofing has experienced an average of 10 to 15 percent growth per year. "Service is the key to our success," says Savage. "The emphasis on the customer service comes directly from the company's owner, Tom Wykle," he adds.

When Wykle began B.T. Lakeside Roofing seventeen years ago, he set the ground work for what would evolve into the company's number one strength: customer service. His first projects were for the townhome complex in which he lived. Initially Wykle did maintenance repair as well as roofing. When the townhome manager called him, he kept a detailed list of each repair and addressed it immediately. In no time, the apartment manager realized that he could count on Wykle to take care of repairs in a timely manner without reminding him the tenants were waiting.

B.T. Lakeside Roofing has improved upon Wykle's initial efforts over the years. While the company no longer does maintenance repair work, it has retained Wykle's flair for customer service. B.T. Lakeside Roofing's clients are mostly residential customers and property management companies. Despite the variation in roofing dollars, the company extends its unique brand of customer service to clients both large and small.

At present, B.T. Lakeside Roofing employ three repair technicians and a service department manager, Jamie Vossel. When a repair call is first received from a client, in this case a management company, Vossel immediately begins a record for the repair. She notes the problem, the time of the call, and the affected tenant. The property management company only has to make the initial call to report the problem: from there B.T. Lakeside Roofing takes over. Vossel immediately contacts the tenant to let him know that she has received the request for a service call and that she will dispatch a repair technician within a specified time period. The appointment is arranged directly with the tenant, not the property management company. Once Vossel has contacted the tenant, she immediately calls the property management company to let them know what has transpired. "Communication is the key," says Savage of B.T. Lake side Roofing's service department.

Once the technician is on the site, he carefully documents the problem, when he found, and the steps and materials required to rectify it. He then has the tenant sign his report. When the repair is complete, Vossel calls the property management company to let them know that the job has been done and what steps have been taken. When the property management company is billed, they receive a copy of the technician's detailed report so that they know exactly what they are paying for. While B.T. Lakeside Roofing's prices are not the lowest in the area, the company receives a significant number of roofing contracts due to its reputation for customer service.

The Roof Doctors

B.T. Lakeside Roofing's repair technicians may look like "roof doctors" with their surgical booties, and on several occasions, the company has received comments from both apartment residents and homeowners about the care the technicians show for keeping homes clean. Each technician wears surgical booties over his work boots before he enters any residence. By doing so, roofing debris and other dirt are not tracked into the home. Customers appreciate the fact that the technicians make a conscious effort to ensure that the home remains untarnished, and this attention to detail is what keeps them coming back.

Safety First

Though it is not uncommon to hear someone on a roofing crew complain about the safety devices required by OSHA, such comments are uncommon at B.T. Lakeside Roofing. The company's strong emphasis on job site safety has been successful since it makes a conscious effort to show workers why following OSHA regulations is crucial to a safe workplace. The workers realize that complying with OSHA often requires extra effort, but they know that the requirements are intended to protect them personally and are to their benefit. Each new employee at B.T. Lakeside Roofing must go through a rigorous safety training program and must sign off on each section of the training. Every two weeks the company holds a brief 5:30 a.m. meeting, complete with continental breakfast, to discuss any safety issues that have arisen and how job site safety could be improved.

While safety issues are a business concern for many roofing contractors, they are more personal for B.T. Lakeside Roofing. The company prides itself on having a family atmosphere and on going the distance for its employees. "Safety is not something we take lightly at B.T. Lakeside Roofing," says Savage. "I was born and raised in a roofing family, and I started at the bottom as a clean up man. Working on various crews, I learned all the facts of the roofing business from residential jobs to the large commercial/industry projects before landing here at B.T. Lakeside Roofing as vice-president of residential sales." For Savage, B.T. Lakeside Roofing is a sort of extension of his own family.

The family atmosphere of B.T. Lakeside Roofing and the courtesy with which it treats its customers are evident as soon as one enters the company's offices. Bright and inviting, the offices are more of a home that a headquarters. Walking past the office staff, any one of them may be heard to say "B.T. Lakeside Roofing, this is--, may I help you," and mean it.