A failing roof was disrupting a school.
The original 1970 building carried a low-slope membrane roof that had reached the end of its service life. Minimal slope and inadequate drainage led to ponding water, and freeze-thaw cycles drove chronic leaks into classrooms and building systems.
Repairs had become frequent, costly, and disruptive — temporary fixes that offered only short-term relief while maintenance expenses kept climbing. The district needed a permanent answer, not another patch, and it had to be delivered without shutting the school down.
- Low-slope membrane roof over the original 1970 structure — confirm membrane type (TPO vs. EPDM)
- Minimal slope and inadequate drainage
- Recurring leaks at multiple locations
- Interior water damage and moisture issues
- High and rising maintenance costs
Engineered to solve. Built to last.
Rather than tear off and replace in kind — costly, disruptive, and slow — the decision was a sloped standing seam metal roof-over system, supported by a new steel framing structure built above the existing roof.
That approach solved the root problem instead of the symptom: positive slope to gutters and downspouts eliminates ponding, 24-gauge standing seam panels with concealed fasteners provide long-term weathertightness, and leaving the existing roof in place preserves the building envelope during construction. Engineered transitions at every elevation change handle the building's complex, multi-wing footprint.
- Eliminate ponding water with positive drainage
- Prevent snow and ice accumulation with slope and metal
- Extend building life by protecting the existing structure
- Reduce maintenance with a durable standing seam system
- Minimize disruption — the school stayed fully operational throughout
A permanent roof, and a clean project record.
The completed roof-over system gives Trousdale County Elementary a durable, low-maintenance roof engineered to protect the building for decades — ponding eliminated, leaks resolved, and the 1970 structure preserved rather than disturbed.
Just as importantly for a public owner: the project was delivered on a 12-month schedule for $1.1 million, with only two RFIs, zero change orders, and zero cost overrun. The documentation was thorough enough that the surprises which drive up public-project costs never had the chance to occur.
