Cajundome Roof: Wow

[LouisianaB]

I still want to know how we spent $50k on a chemical that made the roof “self-cleaning” and gave a “20-year clean warranty”, only to have the roof look terrible within 5 years (the roof was bad in 2021).

Source: The Daily Disappointment https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/...ning/96499202/

[ZoomZoom]

Well then two things could be true.

1. UL’s study is legit and done by legit engineers, and LCG is wasting their money on these ponds.

2. Instead of using qualified engineers, LCG opted to work with people who don’t know their butt from a hole in the ground.

Either way… pas bon.

And this isn’t even getting into the numerous State, Federal and Local laws LCG appears to have broken in pursuit of this drainage plan which could end up costing the parish tens of millions of dollars in fines and settlements.

Again… pas bon.

Great point. I’m curious what funding sources were used for this fecal festival, and what funds will be used to rectify this. The parish side has been struggling before consolidation, city money should not be spent outside the city limits, neither city or parish money should of been spent outside the parish, and Lord forbid, the federal Covid relief money was spent on this. Cannot phantom such work can be tied to the outfall of Covid. Nor should city money be spent outside the city limits to rectify the mistakes in the parish. Dedicated taxes should be spent as dedicated by the voters.

What an utter failure on multiple levels. The fear of flooding made all the politicans more concerned about their own futures and prudent thinking never entered the picture until the courts got involved. THEN and only then the councils quickly washed their hands and dumped the questions on the MP, who should of known better...he's a lawyer.

As far as the dome and fly ash from sugar cane, yes it happens. The roof on my parents home when they built was originally white shingles. In the fall, the ash would land on the roof and cling on the shingles. Next roof was black.

[moorecajun]

I still want to know how we spent $50k on a chemical that made the roof “self-cleaning” and gave a “20-year clean warranty”, only to have the roof look terrible within 5 years (the roof was bad in 2021).

Source: The Daily Disappointment https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/...ning/96499202/

I wonder if the black ash from sugar cane burning, as noted in the article, is the cause of issue. If so, I'm sure there is a listing of what the warranty covers, and I expect black ash from sugar cane burning is not one of them. JMO, which has no value!

[zephyr]

The bid was apparently won by a company named LA Drone Services. The cleaning will be done by a drone.

He does lots of houses as well and can do it at a cheaper price than hiring some of these companies to have guys get on the roof and manually spray.

[ManAboutTown]

Thanks for your work on this. It’s clear to me, and considering the sources you’ve listed, someone is FOS. Either the self cleaning chemical is BS or the mouthpiece of the CD decision makers are lying.

[CharlieK]

1. we do not have some impossible climate that exists nowhere else that can't be dealt with

2. Our climate and what is necessary to exist in it should be factored into this from the beginning. Someone mentioned above "don't build what you can't maintain". Exactly! There will ALWAYS be some other possible use for any public money that could be argued to be "more important". This attitude of "oh well, c'est la vie" that permiates our culture and leadership is one of the main reasons Louisiana is in the ____ poor state it's in by almost every measure.

3. Seems like it's being handled. Good, and there should be no excuse for not keeping it clean in the future.

Flame me or whatever, I'm right. Go almost anywhere else and witness the difference. And it's not because those places don't have their own unique climate and social challenges.

The Evangeline Thruway through Lafayette is a microcosm of the state of Louisiana. It kills me that it's true, but it is 100% true.

[moorecajun]

1. we do not have some impossible climate that exists nowhere else that can't be dealt with

2. Our climate and what is necessary to exist in it should be factored into this from the beginning. Someone mentioned above "don't build what you can't maintain". Exactly! There will ALWAYS be some other possible use for any public money that could be argued to be "more important". This attitude of "oh well, c'est la vie" that permiates our culture and leadership is one of the main reasons Louisiana is in the ____ poor state it's in by almost every measure.

3. Seems like it's being handled. Good, and there should be no excuse for not keeping it clean in the future.

Flame me or whatever, I'm right. Go almost anywhere else and witness the difference. And it's not because those places don't have their own unique climate and social challenges.

The Evangeline Thruway through Lafayette is a microcosm of the state of Louisiana. It kills me that it's true, but it is 100% true.

Sure can't flame you for telling the truth, IMO.

[CajunRebel]

2. Our climate and what is necessary to exist in it should be factored into this from the beginning. Someone mentioned above "don't build what you can't maintain". Exactly!

As a buddy of mine likes to say, the architect who was chosen to build the Cajundome had never designed an arena before, and nobody ever saw the Cajundome and asked him to design another one.

If there was ever a building that breaks the "don't build what you can't maintain" rule, it's the Cajundome. I've never seen so much wasted and poorly designed space in an arena.

[LouisianaB]

I asked some more question, which the folks at the CD quickly responded to.

1983-84 original coating acrylic over the Carlisle EPDM Rubber Roof. (I don’t know its expected lifespan.)
In 2003 (at about 20 years old) an Everest Coatings acrylic coating was put on the roof with a 10 year warranty (watertight, delamination, cracking, etc.)
By 2008-2009, the acrylic coated roof was developing a large area of black covering of algae that many/most southern state roofs develop on the north, west, and east sides of the their structures.
In 2011 The Cajundome paid about $22,000 - $25,000 to clean the roof and it began to look very bad again within 2 years.
In 2013 the 10 year warranty of the 2003 coating was ending.
By 2016 that product again had become very mildewed and “black” as well and looked horrible. Rather than spend the money to simply clean it, we wanted to recoat it.
In 2014, as funding was going becoming available and as we began to research the options on the next coating to use, we learned that the Superdome was going to and/or had put a product type of PVDF Fluoropolymer Roof Coating System by a company called Quest Coatings that had warranted a 20 year Self Cleaning warranty for the Superdome that said the product would “self clean” and stay white for 20 years without having to be pressure washed.
Up until that time, the Superdome had been paying something between $200,000 and $250,000 per year to clean the Superdome roof.
With the Cajundome being another State-owned Building with a domed roof about 1/5 the size of the Superdome, we considered if the product is good for the Superdome, it should be good for the Cajundome. Thus, we worked toward trying to get the same product TYPE as the PVDF Fluoropolymer Roof Coating System.
GAF Coatings purchased Quest Coatings around that design/bid process and said that while the PVDF Fluoropolymer Roof Coating System product was the same product considered the best option, GAF Coatings no longer provided the “20 year Clean Warranty” but with it being the same product, they told us it would perform as well and we assumed it would perform as well.
The other products that had been in use in the previous recoatings had never offered a “clean” warranty.
Also, neither us, nor the architects, nor the State of Louisiana Facility Planning and Control people have been able to find any subject matter experts that can definitively tell us if the problems are caused by application or product.

We have opinions about that but cannot substantiate those opinions, nor find anyone who can.

The State Roofing Specifications that were used for this and other roof projects has this language in the warranty description:
Deficiencies to be covered by the warranty / guarantee will include but not be limited to :
Failure to remain watertight.
Damage or deterioration from ultraviolet radiation.
Excessive chalking.
Excessive fading or change in color.
De-lamination.
Separation from membrane and substrates.
Cracking.
Crazing.
Blistering.
Wind separation.
Water Erosion.
Failure to standing water on top of coating (note, standing water which generally stands more than 48-hours
does not apply).
Once the roof was recoated (completed March 2017) and after a lot of correspondence and consultation with attorneys, the Cajundome was finally able to get a fully executed, appropriately worded warranty that met the above specifications and protections PLUS an extra 2 year warranty from the company that applied the product to satisfy the specified requirements.
Specifically:
1. Why does it look so bad? Is it mold, mildew, etc?
Phil's understanding of current issues is algae that turns black. It's greenish black when you get it wet and rub through the
top surface.

2. Why didn’t the seal last 10 years as Greg Davis said back in 2016 when it was redone?
The “seal “has lasted and is still warranted for the appropriate protections. Additionally, when hurricane damage did cause problems or there were leaks found, GAF and/or Brazos Urethane has immediately responded to and repaired them.


3. Was there a 20 year warranty when it was redone in 2016? if so, has the CD made a claim under that warranty?
Yes. There is a 20 year warranty for waterproof, protection etc. but not for staying clean. It was SUPPOSED to stay clean by “self cleaning” but it was not warranted nor guaranteed to do that. No companies that we were aware of offered the "stay clean" warranty at the time the project was designed and bid in 2015-2016.
Yes some claims have been made that the companies have responded to.

OPINION: IF the roof coating did or does fail to meet the warranty conditions described in the specifications and actual warranty, then there would be a claim and it would be pursued) Of course the goal of cleaning it is to not ruin/void the current 20 year warranty (March 2017- March 2037.)

[thecajunitalian]

Mais I tink we can spray some goo be gone and dat might work!