Historical Mansion Salvaged by Wedge Roofing, Inc.

IVERNESS, CA - April 16, 2012 - A century-old mansion-turned-retreat center in Northern California was not only preserved, but modernized due to spray foam and an impressive work of ingenuity by Wedge Roofing, Inc. 

 The stunning building, built into a secluded, tree-topped hillside in Iverness, serves as a retreat center for the nearby St. Columba’s Church. Built in 1930, the structure obviously wasn’t constructed with insulation principles in mind. The major trouble was stemming from the mansion’s chimney, which had leaked ever since it was built. 

“One of our clients, an architect, was a parishioner at the Church,” explained Gary Harvey, General Manager for Wedge Roofing and also a Certified Green Building Professional (CGBP). “Basically, their choice was to tear down this beautiful rock chimney, or side it with wood, because it was impossible to waterproof. I spent some time pondering it, and came up with this solution.”

His solution was, of course, spray foam. But multiple hurdles had to be jumped in order to turn planning into action, the least of which was  figuring out how to spray the top of the chimney. The majority of the work was done from a bosun’s chair, a device used to suspend a person via rope in a (semi) comfortable seated position from which to work. 

“The equipment and the hose were belayed by somebody on the ground," Harvey said. "We used mountain climbing gear, and attached it to a bosun’s chair, which in turn was suspended from a worklift called a paus hoist.”

Harvey went on to explain that a paus hoist is an OSHA-approved ladder and scaffolding device, and an aerial lifting device. “We extended it out over the area we were working, and then belayed our applicator from that,” he said. The pictures best illustrate the multifaceted setup. 

Once the Wedge Roofing team has assembled the proper equipment, the application began. This portion of the project also contained multiple steps.

“We used a combination of products, because the work began 60 feet up at the top of this chimney, and transitioned down over a concrete walking deck, and further down over a foundation wall,” explained Harvey. 

First, the team applied 2 inches Lapolla’s FOAM-LOK 2.8 pound foam, which is a higher-density roofing foam, to the entire exterior surface of chimney, walking deck, and foundation wall. 

Following the SPF, NeoGard’s 70611 Aromatic Urethane Roof Coating was applied on the horizontal walking surface.

As for the vertical surfaces (the chimney and foundation wall), the team applied Lapolla’s Thermo-Flex 1000 tinted elastomeric coating. 

“TF101 is their white shade, but I tinted it to be a but more natural-looking,” said Harvey. “Believe it or not, at some point in the future they are going to hire an artist to re-paint each brick so that it looks more realistic.”

For now, the portion of the retreat center that received the application is in stark contrast to the rest of the building, with a blanket of white that is more suitable for the North Pole. However, snowy appearance or not, the leakage problem has disappeared. 

"The job was completed about a year ago, this is the the first year it’s been leak-free since the house was built,” said Harvey. 

About Wedge Roofing, Inc.

Wedge Roofing is a roofing contractor based out of California’s Bay Area. Begun in 1976 by Ralph Wedge, Wedge Roofing has since evolved into a 30-person company with a complete management team, still headed by Ralph Wedge. Please visit the links listed below for more information.