Cooper Roofing Case Studies

This center city 'double wide' row house belongs to one of Philadelphia's premier couples. One a federal judge appointed By Ronald Regan, the other one of the most successful female artists of our area. As famous as they most certainly are they are truly two of the most engaging and sincerely nice people you will ever meet... and it was a good thing too, as this major project, being so involved, required relocation to alternative living quarters for the duration. As difficult as that kind of inconvenience was on them they handled it with remarkable grace. It was our extreme pleasure to work for them. Continue Reading...

This is an existing home which wanted to add an entry structure highlighted with a copper clad roof. Cooper Roofing can provide all aspects of this work including the concrete footer and slab, structural wood framing, existing main house sidewall modifications, fypon architectural trim, and of course copper roofing over the new structure. Call us if you have any questions or thoughts on this type of work for your application. Continue Reading...

It isn't often we get to work for those who see beauty in the little things of our trade but this was certainly the case on this project. Our client demonstrating his incredible desire for authenticity and detail requested slate roofing to match the existing 100+ year old slate roofing on the other buildings on his property. Continue Reading...

This project included custom copper panel work with a new copper finial and twisted bronze lightning rod. All replaced surfaces replicated the original sheet metal work in every way. This system is 100 percent authentic and it works! Call us if you have any questions or thoughts on this type work for your application. Continue Reading...

This is an extremely durable product for roof areas which will experience foot traffic from mechanical contractors accessing rooftop HVAC equipment, or simply require additional protection from overhanging or accumulated debris. The granular surface provides a class A fire rating as well as maintenance free convenience. It can be used on residential, commericial, institutional, and industrial applications. The first two images are of a flex space building in King of Prussia, and the third image shows a famous Haverford institution. The fourth and fifth are of a commercial building in Montgomeryville. Continue Reading...

This project, being in center city Philadelphia, and having to adhere to Philadelphia Historic Commission (PHC) standards, was very unique. First, it was two homes side-by-side, which required care in scaffold access and sidewalk right of way (nothing in center city is easy so you can imagine what it took to pull something like this off!). But the project was unavoidable as the slate was in such disrepair that it had begun slipping out and falling off the roof creating a hazard to pedestrians below. This would involve slate and wood replacement to mimic the original designs. Dealing successfully with all the permitting agencies (historic, streets, and building) within Philadelphia has become something of a routine for us. Having completed numerous similar projects has given us the valuable experience that most roofing contractors lack. While this was a challenge in satisfying city officials, the building owner, her property manager, and our own high standards were on the line to be satisfied as well. All were successfully met and within budget. Continue Reading...

This was an incredible challenge involving a bell tower roof drainage system. The church includes a well-known sanctuary edifice recognizable almost immediately as one of the premier archetectural achievements of its type. Truly the style and design of this building are stunning as it glows within its rural Main Line setting. The gargoyles which serve as drainage channels for the bell tower roof required copper spout replacement. This was done while hanging in a boatswain chair (with a safety harness) 60 feet above the cemetery. Trusting this kind of work to the wrong contractor could have been disastrous as these 100+ year old gargoyles, carved from limestone, are virtually irreplacable. Continue Reading...

Of course this is work performed by artists who know and understand the time-tested principles and nuances of traditional roofing sheet metal work. Whether standing seam roof panels, solderd seam built in (or 'pole') gutters, flat soldered seam roofing panels, or anything else that's ever been fabricated and assembled on a roof... we can do it. Note: the blue hue on the flat seam lead coated copper roof is a reflection of the blue tarp used to protect the work area while under construction. This lead coated copper metal is purely grey in color. We also have access to a less authentic but more environmentally safe grey metal substitute if you so desire. Continue Reading...

Some of the older churces in inner-city Philadelphia present an enormous challenge as far as ongoing maintenance. These buildings after 100+ years, some much older, are experiencing major deterioration to the point of structural collapse. Perhaps you recall the entire steeple which fell of a church bell tower several years ago crashing onto the sidewalk below (luckily no one was harmed). This is what can happen when older ornate buildings suffer unchecked age and deterioration. In this case the stone finials (8 of them complete with stone gargoyles) had lost integrity and were beginning to move apart. We provided safe elimination of this threat while preserving the watertight integrity of the building. Continue Reading...

This project involved over 100 residences within a pretigious Main Line community. Each of these expansive homes representing nothing less than the proverbial 'castle' to the achieved for the most part 'retired residents'. Pro football players, judges, world-renowned rock stars, Fortune 500 business owners, each counting on us to provide them with new roofing in an 'uneventful manner'. Continue Reading...

Perhaps the most difficult slate roof to install is one which has no set pattern. No sized course breaks. No set exposures. No references of any sort. We call this slate roof the ‘cobbled’ style simply because that’s how it’s installed. This client asked us to install a slate roof on their new addition 15+ years ago. The request was to match the existing 90+ year old original roof. Not only did we have to mimic the pattern but we had to find slate which would blend in perfectly. We then traveled to the slate district in Vermont to inspect potential samples. After bargaining on what he thought was a dead match it was time to install our selection. Despite the obvious close match in color and patina, apprehension as to what the completed roof would look like was thick. When completed the client was so pleased they later insisted on our services when it came time to further expand their residence. This kind of skill, enabling us to take a client’s imagination and bring it into reality is not common. You can trust us for meeting your every roofing desire. Continue Reading...

Recently we encountered a homeowner requesting additional light into areas of their residence. In particular the hallways were extremely dark, to the point of almost being dangerous without switching on lights. These halls were located in areas where traditional skylights or windows could not reach. Dark living spaces which are somehow removed from natural light are depressing as well as energy inefficient. Contrarily, rooms filled with natural light are more beautiful, uplifting to our spirits and energy efficient (no lights needed during the day). Daylight is simply an essential element that transforms conventional rooms into splendid spaces adding value and quality to our homes and lives. With this in mind there’s now a natural light alternative available for these hard to reach areas. Continue Reading...

Cooper Roofing Corporation received an emergency phone call late one afternoon. A Philadelphia area university faced an urgent safety concern. "Loose tiles on the clock tower could fall and injure our students. Please check it out for us and, if possible, fix it immediately!" Continue Reading...

In the winter of 2005-2006 we were contacted through a former client regarding a very unique project. Merion Golf Club was requesting reroofing of its entire complex. That’s no small task in itself, especially given the extensive older architecture (some of it dating back to 1824), all of which had to be very carefully addressed. But the real twist was in the schedule under which it was to be completed. The officials at Merion were asking that the project be started in late January ‘06 and completed by mid March of ‘06, 1 month before their season opened. Continue Reading...

This was a unique problem that involved the ‘Doctors Lounge Deck’. Located above the 8th floor ceiling, this surface provides a walk out area off of the Doctor’ s Dining area. It also serves as a recreational/entertaining area for the hospital’s staff. When we were called in, the roof was leaking and showing signs of failure. The membrane which covered the concrete substrate was deteriorating. Cooper recognized the membrane as possibly containing asbestos fibers. A sample was submitted to our lab and it was indeed positive. Continue Reading...

The building was a large strip mall we had reroofed about 10 years earlier with Firestone APP 180 modified bitumen. The specific store location where the collapse occurred was a high profile women’s apparel outlet.

We had just received 6-10 inches of wet snow that mid February day, snow that had fallen on top of 4-6 inches from a few days earlier. The snowstorm turned to freezing snow and finally all rain at the end. The recipe was perfect for creating excessive weight on area roofs.

Those inside the store that morning said they heard a very loud boom, felt the store shake, saw the ceiling collapse slightly, and then the lights went out. The roof had partially collapsed and the ceiling with it. Continue Reading...

“Necessity is not only the mother of invention, it is also the mother of taking chances!” -Old Roofing Proverb

The 30,000 square foot building suffered a fire that destroyed critical substructure. The immediate fire damage included 7000 square feet of steel roof deck as well as the 5 eighty foot long trusses which supported the decking. The heat was so intense it warped the steel deck as well as the massive 4-foot wide (deep) steel trusses. The contract called for complete replacement. Despite the central fire the bowling alley below and on either side, with very expensive hardwood floors, was in good condition and had to be saved at all costs. Protection from the elements throughout the course of the job was demanded.

Did we mention that rain was on the way? Continue Reading...

The Philadelphia Girls Rowing Club is located on Philadelphia’s famous ‘Boat House Row’. We were originally contacted to provide the club with new roofing. No problem! We had done historical roofing renovations in the past. It was after we discussed the project with the club that we discovered their need to conform to Philadelphia’s stringent "Historic District Guidelines." The club needed to reroof their building taking care not to alter the original architectural intent of the roof. That was when we also discovered the building had been built with a flat seam tin roof, painted with the typical ‘tinner’s red lead’ paint of the mid 1800’s. Refitting the roof with tin was not only a labor-intensive proposition, it would prove costly. Continue Reading...