Roachdale Elementary roof bid approved

Thursday, May 31, 2012
Roachdale Elementary will have a new and improved roof by summer's end.

BAINBRIDGE -- The North Putnam School Board accepted a bid from Insley Systems Inc. to install a new roof to a large portion of Roachdale Elementary on Tuesday.

The bid the board accepted, at a total of $204,010, was the lowest of the six received. Construction will hopefully be completed this summer.

The plan will place TPO on the roof that has been in place for at least 30 years and has begun to cause problems.

"I think that's a priority for us right now," future superintendent Dan Noel said.

The board chose to go with TPO (thermoplastic olefin) instead of EPDM as the original plans called for.

Board member Ollie Haste suggested this change at the board meeting in April because the material is less expensive and of comparable quality.

This change was offered as a modification for the bid of each company.

"TPO is a good membrane," project architect Gerard Skibinski said. "It's as good as EPDM."

Selecting TPO lowered the bid by $8,250 although the long-term cost savings are indeterminable.

TPO is a white material, which will help keep the building cooler in the summer and save on air conditioning cost.

EPDM, a black synthetic rubber, would help keep the building warmer in the winter and potentially save on heating cost.

Skibinski added that the key to energy savings is in the insulation, which would be the same, and not the roofing material.

Both materials have an identical 20-year warranty, an important factor in the decision.

The project will also replace the fascia that surrounds the building and add to the school's aesthetic appeal.

The new roof is the next step to improving the school corporation's environment.

Noel reiterated his belief in the importance of this and suggested more improvements could be coming to other buildings in the future.

"Rome wasn't built in a day," he said.

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