60-second Case Study: Glen Iris Lofts Combines Old, New and Metal

This combination project across from Ponce City Market in Atlanta (it was City Hall East at the time) had a little bit of everything. It included re-roofing two low-sloped roofs, installing a curved metal roof on part of the building facing the pool, and installing a new roof on a new building. Glen Iris Lofts was one of Atlanta’s first new-construction, loft-style condo projects. Phase 1 began in 2000 and it included the renovation and metal roofing work, plus all of the contractor coordination that comes with converting a commercial building into a residential building on a busy street in Midtown Atlanta. Next came the new construction in Phase 2. It’s the building on the right in the photo, which was almost complete when this picture was taken.

You can see in the photo that the roof is complete but the rooftop HVAC units hadn’t been installed yet. Unfortunately, several penthouses were added through our roof after we were finished and the contractors who did the installation didn’t flash the units correctly. As a result, some condos owners experienced leaks at the penthouses and at the HVAC units. No matter how perfect the rest of the roofing system is, if flashing around roof penetrations isn’t installed properly some water will get in — zero water is the goal! Which means you should always have your roofing contractor on site during construction and whenever rooftop equipment is installed, moved or if modifications are made. 

No matter how perfect the rest of the roofing system is, if flashing isn’t installed properly some water will get into the building — zero water is the goal! While it can be fixed, it’s always easier to have your roofing contractor on site during construction and whenever rooftop equipment is installed, moved or if modifications are made.