Miller Outdoor Theater, Houston
Retrofit Team
Roof Consultant: Price Consulting, Houston
Roofing Installer: Byrne Metals, Humble, Texas
Materials
Karl Schaack, P.E., president of Price Consulting, chose 238T symmetrical panels from McElroy Metal for the project. “It’s rigid and it meets high-wind requirements,” he says. “The 238T is symmetrical so if a panel gets damaged, you only have to replace one panel.”
Byrne Metals installed more than 18,000 square feet of copper 238T standing-seam panels during the theater’s five-month off season by calling in McElroy Metal’s rollformer that runs panels right onto the roof deck.
The roof area between the existing Corten superstructure was framed with purlins, a metal deck was installed on top of the purlins, then a 1 1/2-inch nail base was installed over the deck along with ice and water shield. A giant reverse-slope diverter was built at the intersection, where the sloping roof connected to the stage wall. Valleys were lowered below the roof plane and there was a slight change in slope that was overcome by rounding the insulation/plywood over the pitch change.
McElroy Metal’s job-site production equipment simplified the process of installation and made the job site safer. The rollformer was hoisted to the eaves on a scissor lift where panels were run onto the roof. Not only did this method eliminate the need for an expensive crane to get panels on the roof, it was safer because some of the panels were up to 110-feet long. Because of the unique shape of the roof, panels were cut to fit on the roof.
“We specialize in the unique and difficult,” explains Neil Byrne, president of Byrne Metals. “This is the kind of job we like. We generally have about 20 to 30 projects under contract at any one time, but this one required a lot of personal attention from our upper management, myself included. We had as many as 30 crew members onsite, working 10-hour days and some weekends when necessary.”
Copper 238T Standing-seam Panels Manufacturer: McElroy Metal
The Retrofit
Unfortunately, from the time the building was built in 1968, the roof’s design didn’t hold up against Texas rains. For more than 40 years, anyone who was hired to fix the problem failed. The multi-million-dollar renovation served to correct canopy deficiencies that caused leaks above the stage and audience, putting a damper on the theater’s cultural and educational event offerings.
“Everyone else who had tried to fix the problems focused on trying not to change the appearance,” Schaack says. “We realized providing a leak-free solution required some change in the appearance. We got a little pushback at first, but when we explained our design, they were just happy to know it wasn’t going to leak anymore.”
“It was a very challenging job,” Byrne adds. “This is an iconic structure in Houston. At the time [of its construction], it won several awards for its design.”
Improvements included replacements of the east and west wings, a new soffit for the main sloped roof and the new 20-ounce copper standing-seam roof. “Using copper helped the new roof blend in with the original framework,” Schaack says. “Especially as it ages, it will look great, like it’s been there all along.”
PHOTO: McElroy Metal