Property Types We Roof
Military Hangar and Maintenance Facility Roofing near Federal Way, WA
Reading the work schedule for the bays below comes first on a military maintenance building. The superintendent wants to know which bays hold aircraft in work, which are empty and when the next aircraft arrives. Then he walks the deck with the roof plan, because the tear-off limits depend on that schedule more than on the weather.
McChord Field, part of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, is the base of the 62d Airlift Wing, whose mission is worldwide strategic airlift in C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. From Federal Way, WA the field is a 20 to 25 mile run to the south-southwest. Roof work on hangars and maintenance buildings there follows the rules of access, debris control and specification that apply to any federal airfield. The first walk establishes the framing, the deck and the number of layers before a product is chosen.
What does the first walk of a hangar or shop deck show?
We walk the deck for low spots, ponded areas and deflection, because long spans show settlement first. Cores come from the low points, the drains and the ground under rooftop units. Pulling some of the existing fasteners shows whether a recover can work.
The superintendent logs everything attached to the structure, including lights, sprinkler and suppression piping, crane rails, heaters and door tracks. Anything a dropped tool could damage gets marked, and the plan shows the protection needed below each section. A roof condition report ranks every area by what sits below and what a leak would stop. Shop and office wings attached to a hangar get their own cores, since a lower roof with rooftop units behaves differently from the long span next to it, and a leak over a parts room or a tool crib stops work as surely as one over an aircraft.
How are tear-off limits set above aircraft in work?
The limit line goes on the roof in paint each morning, placed where the crew can dry in by quitting time. Over an occupied bay, sections are small and the protection below is hung before tear-off. Over an empty bay, sections can be larger.
If an aircraft is stuck in the bay, the section over it waits or goes ahead as a cover-and-close job. Ahead of forecast rain, any open edge is covered with a temporary seal and the crew leader tests the seal. Roughly 155 wet days a year bring Tacoma about 40.8 inches of precipitation, so wet-season sections stay small. The crew leader signs the end-of-shift check on the plan, so the shop chief can see when each section was sealed and by whom.
Where do the crane and lay-down yard go beside a ramp?
Staging near a flightline is assigned by the base. The lay-down yard goes outside aircraft movement areas, the crane route avoids taxi lanes and deliveries arrive on appointment in small loads. A staging plan goes in early and bends to what the base approves.
Foreign-object debris is the first concern: magnets sweep the work area, waste is bagged as it is made, fasteners are counted and every section is closed before the shift ends. The specification for federal roofing usually runs back to the Unified Facilities Criteria, which is where the submittal format comes from. An aircraft hangar off the base follows the same sequence under a commercial contract. Delivery appointments, vehicle inspections and escorts add time to every load, and the schedule allows for them, since a late truck costs a dry morning that the wet season does not give back.
What is the order from tear-off to dry-in on a maintenance roof?
Every section is torn off, probed at the deck, repaired at the substrate board, insulated, covered with membrane or panel and sealed at the edge. Fuel and fumes put torch work under a permit and a fire watch here, and fastened or cold-applied systems are the first choice.
On a long span, ponding is the main worry. Tapered insulation or added drains can correct it. A metal roof retrofit avoids tear-off above the bay, which is a major advantage over aircraft. The choice depends on the framing, the slope and what hangs below, and the pull tests settle whether a retrofit is realistic. The 2021 International Building Code applies with Washington's amendments, but a federal project may call out the base's own criteria, so which document governs insulation and wind attachment is settled before material is ordered.
How are door heads, eaves and wall joints secured?
At the door head, water collects, wind pushes and the door track waits right underneath, which makes it the most exposed detail on a hangar. Door-head flashing, wall termination and eave details all get drawn on the plan before the first panel comes off.
Edge work is planned against the November 2024 bomb cyclone. Its 74 mph winds on Enumclaw were the highest of any Washington community. After a strong wind the wind damage repair check starts at the door heads, moves to the eaves and the ridge, and files its pull-test results with the closeout record. Hangar door tracks and seals are protected during the work, and the crew never cuts or loads a track bracket without the shop chief's approval.
How does maintenance continue below the roof?
Maintenance runs in shifts, and some tasks cannot tolerate noise, dust or vibration. We ask the shop chief which tasks are sensitive and schedule the loudest steps for the quietest hours. Under the active section we hang a catch net or lay plywood, which protects the floor and the aircraft.
The crew follows military installation roofing practice: escorts on site, a tool inventory, an early crew list and a daily call to the building contact. The next building over may be an Air Force base office or a storage bay, and each gets its own plan and its own closeout.
What goes into the closeout walk?
The base inspector or the shop chief goes over the roof one last time with our crew leader. Seams, door heads, drains and edges are inspected, and open items are painted on the deck at the spot. That file carries the roof plan, where the cores were cut, how the fasteners are patterned, the product data and the warranty papers.
For an installation that manages many roofs, one file format across all of them saves time. Next to the McChord Field portion of the base, Lakewood buildings can follow the same format, and a fall walk of drains and edges keeps the roofs dry through the wet months.
Commercial Roofing Questions
Can aircraft stay in the bay during a reroof?
In many cases yes. Small sections, a hung catch net or plywood deck and a daily conversation with the shop chief let aircraft stay put. If an aircraft is in work and cannot be covered, either the section above it waits or the aircraft is moved.
How do you control debris near a flightline?
Magnets sweep the work area, waste is bagged at the source, fasteners are counted and each section is closed before the crew leaves. At the end of each shift the crew leader walks the ramp edge and secures anything that could blow loose. The base's rules for foreign-object debris apply.
Is a retrofit better than tear-off above aircraft?
A retrofit avoids tearing off the old roof over the bay, which keeps debris down. The framing must carry the added weight, and the new panels need flashing details that match the penetrations. Pull tests and a framing review settle whether it is realistic.
How do you handle fire safety in a hangar?
A permit and a fire watch come with any torch work, though fastened or cold-applied systems are preferred. Fuel and suppression piping are marked on the plan, and extinguishers stay on the roof and at the access point for the length of the work and the fire watch that follows.
When is the best time to reroof a maintenance building?
Summer, since sections dry faster and Auburn's July brings only 0.9 inches against 6.1 in November. A roof that cannot wait goes in smaller daily bites, each edge sealed for the night.
Send the roof plan and the bay schedule
Send the roof plan, the bay layout and the aircraft schedule. We will walk the sequence, staging and tie-ins with your contracting representative before a number goes on paper.
