Postal Plus & We Buy Gold - Skokie, IL

Skokie, IL

5,000 sq. ft. roof sections in Skokie, IL

The Challenge

Four Elements Adjusters represented the owner in an insurance claim for storm damage at 8125 Skokie Boulevard in Skokie, IL.  Prior to Four Elements involvement, the owner filed a previous claim himself and the claim was denied for a roof replacement by his insurance carrier. The building was experiencing several leaks due to various openings from storm related damage.

Prior to the storm that took place in April 2020, this building had a smooth modified bitumen roofing system with acrylic coating. With all the leak issues and the denied claim left the owner budgeting to replace it. The existing roof system consisted of multiple roofing layers that was comprised of a wood deck, perlite insulation, multiple 3-ply (BUR) built-up roofing systems, and a smooth modified bitumen membrane with acrylic coating.  

The storm that impacted the building produced sizeable hail accompanied by high wind speeds which caused physical damage to the roof membrane, window capping, signage, rooftop units, and perimeter sheet metal. Four Elements Adjusters handled all the negotiations with the insurance carrier until the claim was settled. When the claim was settled it resulted in approval of a complete roof replacement, new signs, interior damage, window capping, and roof accessories in the amount of $81,712,00. The owner also had code coverage in their policy so the new roofing system would receive a total of 5.5” of new insulation when the existing roof assembly only had 1.0”.

Existing Roof System

• Smooth Modified Bitumen with Acrylic Coating

Age / Condition

• 20+ years old (unknown)/ Fair/Poor condition for its age

Composition

• Wood, 1.0” perlite insulation, multiple 3-Ply built-up roofing systems, and a smooth modified bitumen roofing membrane with acrylic coating.

The Solution

The owner decided to install a mechanically attached 60 MIL TPO roof system using the proceeds from the insurance claim. The roof specification chosen followed Mule Hide guidelines for installation of a single ply TPO roofing system over a wood substrate. In addition to the roof replacement, the owner replaced the upgrade the drainage system to a more efficient design.

A certified Mule Hide roofing contractor removed the existing modified and built-up roof system, insulation, curb flashings, perimeter and flashing metal, and roof accessories to expose the wood decking. All the debris generated during the project were disposed of utilizing a waste management service facility that recycles the material. Upon tear off the wood substrate was inspected by the roofing contractor to ensure it was in suitable condition to accept the new roofing system. Some of the decking was replacing throughout the project. The contractor then installed 5.5 inches of new Poly ISO insulation which was mechanically attached to the decking (The insulation thickness meets R30 insulation requirement for Illinois). When ready, the contractor fully adhered the 60 MIL TPO roofing membrane to the insulation per manufacture requirements.  All seams and laps of the membrane were hot air welded using a Robotic Leister self-propelled hot air welding machine. All roof penetrations and gas lines were raised to accommodate the new roof height and were flashed using a separate layer of 60 MIL TPO membrane which was fully adhered to the flashing substrate. All new TPO roofing accessories were installed at the penetrations following manufacturer guidelines. This specification came with a transferable 20-year material warranty from the manufacturer and a Four Seasons Labor Warranty from Four Elements Restoration.

Replacement Specification

• Tear off existing roofing assembly and install a new mechanically attached 60 MIL TPO roofing system following a specification from Mule Hide.

• Install new TPO accessories at all penetrations and walls per manufacturer.

Waranty

• 20-year material warranty from Mule Hide and Four Seasons Labor from Four Elements

Client Satisfaction is Our Motivation

$35,472
Initial Claim
$87,679
Final Claim
247 %
Claim increase

Four Elements brought $81,712.00 worth of equity back to the building owners’ asset. The owner had zero out of pocket expenses aside from their ($1,000.00) deductible and had zero headaches of handling negotiating with their carrier after they originally tried themselves. He was also able to write off the settlement money used for his capital improvement using Section 179 of the IRS tax code.