Technical Foam Corp. Enlisted to Rehab Merck Pharmaceutical's Lab Roof

BOULDER, CO— October 11, 2012—When Merck Pharmaceutical, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, needed to repair the roof of a laboratory building, Technical Foam Corporation was there to answer the call.

Merck needed to rehabilitate their roof due to significant hail damage. The lab building, used primarily for drug research, had a total spray area of close to 16,000 sq. ft.

Some preparations were required prior to the spray foam application. The roof first had to be scarified to remove the original silicone coating and part of the existing foam. Bill Miller, Office Manager at Technical Foam, said the machine used to perform this task resembled "an old lawnmower."

On a given day, as many as seven crewmembers were working at the job site. Before the foam could be applied, Miller said, "The bigger trick was getting it ready in the morning." Crewmembers had to finish what they scarified for the day prior to spraying.

"The first thing that happens is that two scarifying machines run over the roof cutting off the top layer," said Miller. "Then, you need to sweep it, blow it, bag everything, throw it away, clean up, then mask."

After prepping the roof, Technical Foam crewmembers applied 2.7-lb. Bayseal closed-cell spray foam, made by Bayer MaterialScience. The thickness of the foam varied between 1 and 2 in. since the roof had a fluted metal deck. 40 mils of acrylic United Coating were then applied, which is equivalent to 4 gallons per square.

Both a visqueen plastic wrap mask and paper masking were used for overspray protection. Although there were no major overspray issues, crewmembers were not permitted to leave the wrap on for long periods of time due to possible ventilation issues in the lab building.

"The ventilation and HVAC units could not be left off for very long," said Miller. "You have to keep things at a certain temperature during experiments, etc."

This project was a fairly typical size job for Technical Foam. From start to finish, the Merck project took approximately four weeks to complete, starting in mid-August and continuing through early September of 2012. Final inspection was recently completed at the site.

About Technical Foam Corporation: Technical Foam was formed in 1978 and has worked in the roofing, insulation, and coating industry since that time. They specialize in polyurethane foam roofing and work on both commercial and residential properties. The company specializes in flat and low-pitched roofs. They install new roofing, re-roof existing buildings, repair any roofing system when feasible and cost-effective, and maintain existing roofs in Colorado and neighboring states. For more information about Technical Foam Corporation, please use the contact details and links provided below.