High Costs of Conventional Structures: Ottumwa’s $437,000 Roof
November 6th, 2007 by Rubb
One of the major advantages of a Rubb aircraft hangar over time is their low-cost of maintenance. Our steel frames are hot-dipped galvanized after fabrication and easily last for 35+ years with little to no maintenance, and our PVC-coated polyester membranes easily will last for 25 or more years. We were reminded of this fact this week when we read about a small town in Iowa being forced to choose between several expensive options to replace the steel roof of an aging air craft hangar.
The roof of the structure in question dates from World War, and while that’s not a bad lifespan, the enormous expense of replacing the roof now points to the challenges owners of conventional structures face. The options they had?
• The structural standing seam metal panel roof, also called the steel roof, would be installed on the existing slope of the roof with a 20-year warranty against leaks. Cost: $457,047.
• The screwed metal panel (exposed fasteners) roof would require an increase to the roof’s slope. Also, no warranty against leaks is available and the roof would require continued maintenance. Cost: $431,172.
• Roof membrane options include a single-ply rubber membrane with a 20-year warranty. The membrane has a 20-year warranty but won’t have the life of a steel roof. Cost: $439,770.
• MOD BIT, similar to the existing roof, will also have a 20-year warranty but won’t have the life of a steel roof. Cost: $462,306.
Source: Ottumwa Courier
Clearly, the options are a good portion of the cost for replacing the entire structure, and presented the building owners with a difficult decision. Ultimately, the Ottumwa town council approved the $457,047 replacement of the steel roof, which will provide many years of longevity but inevitably will require a similar difficult decision to made some years from now.
