Swift action, skilled crew expedite repair of storm-damaged school

When strong winds tore the roof off the Ancient Lakes Elementary School building in Quincy, Wash., in October 2020, a safe and speedy repair was the school’s top priority. With the interior of the gymnasium exposed to the elements and winter quickly approaching, the school turned to Krueger Sheet Metal and Petersen’s PAC-CLAD products to restore the building to a functional condition.

Teachers had been performing remote learning in the gymnasium section of the building where the roof was damaged, and it was important to quickly repair it so teachers could safely return. Within three weeks of the incident, more than 25,000 sq. ft. of 24 gauge steel Tite-Loc Plus in Colonial Red roof panels were manufactured, delivered and installed thanks to the get-it-done approach of Petersen’s Phoenix staff and the skilled installation crew at Krueger Sheet Metal in Spokane, Wash.

Krueger’s challenges included scheduling and weather, but its primary concerns were getting material and labor onsite to dry-in the building before snow began to fly, says Levi Cavanah, project manager at Krueger. Frequent and clear communication between installer Krueger, distributor Convoy and manufacturer Petersen made the mission possible, he adds.

“The current material climate is challenging with regard to raw material availability and freight transit times, but Petersen was able to expedite production and shipment of the required material which lead to a successful project,” Cavanah explains. The PAC-CLAD roof panels were shipped within five days of receiving the order.

Krueger was able to mobilize carpenters and welders within days to repair the structural deck and add the required nailers to support the insulation and panels, Cavanah says. “Polyiso insulation and the vapor barrier were ordered and delivered the same week. Additional labor was mobilized, and the roof was ‘in the dry’ within days. After the dry-in was complete, the metal roof panel installation took less than three weeks with some winter weather-related challenges,” he explains.

Petersen’s consistent communication, commitment to achieving the anticipated delivery date and the overall high level of customer service was vital to success, Cavanah notes. “On top of that, Petersen’s metal products meet or exceed the expectations we have of other manufacturers in the market,” he adds.

Krueger’s proven performance on previous school district projects contributed to the speedy resolution to the school’s emergency situation, says Tom Harris, facilities director for the Quincy school district. “Krueger does good work, and they completed the work on this project in a timely manner in tough weather conditions.”