The new St. Louis location for Shriners Hospital for Children was designed to do exactly that. Drawing patients from across Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Tennessee, the hospital represents a new chapter in a long mission of transforming young lives. Bade Roofing was proud to be part of bringing that vision to life.
The challenge came down to timing and precision. The roofing system needed to be installed just two weeks before Thanksgiving and fully dried in before winter weather arrived. There was no margin for delay. Other trades were scheduled behind the roofing work, and the entire project depended on the building being sealed on time.
The roof assembly itself was complex. Two layers of 3-inch insulation were installed, topped with a 5/8-inch gypsum cover board, all set in a low-rise foam adhesive directly to the structural concrete deck. On top of that, a two-ply Firestone SBS modified cold-applied roofing system was installed, including all flashings. The system combined a premium smooth-surface base sheet with an Ultra White SBS granular cap sheet, applied using the manufacturer’s cold adhesive to meet performance and safety requirements.
Safety planning was just as critical as scheduling. The building included two roof levels with very different conditions. On the mechanical penthouse, where parapet walls were not present, an engineered safety cable system was installed, and crew members were tied off at all times. On the lower main roof, high walls provided built-in edge protection, allowing work to move efficiently without compromising safety.
The result was a roof completed on schedule, allowing every other trade to stay on track and the project to move forward without disruption. Upon completion, the system was awarded a 20-year manufacturer’s warranty, delivering long-term protection for a facility designed to serve families for decades.
It’s the kind of work that doesn’t call attention to itself. But for a hospital built around care, consistency, and trust, it’s exactly what’s required.
Install a complex roofing system two weeks before Thanksgiving, and have it in the dry before winter weather.
The roofing system consisted of two layers of 3” insulation, with 5/8” gypsom coverboard, set in a low-rise foam adhesive to the structural concrete deck. All was installed on schedule, allowing other trades to complete their tasks on schedule as well.
A two-ply Firestone SBS modified cold applied roof system, including all flashing, was installed. This included an SBS premium smooth surface base sheet and an Ultra White SBS premium FR granular surface cap sheet, set in the manufacturer’s cold adhesive. The building was comprised of two levels. On the mechanical penthouse without parapet walls, an engineered safety cable system was installed by the owner and all work was completed with employees being tied off 100% of the time. The lower main roof system had high walls, so leading edge fall protection was not in use.
A twenty-year manufacturer’s warranty was awarded upon completion
client
Shriner’s Hospital
location
St. Louis
type
New Construction
materials
Firestone Cold Applied SBS Roof System
size
28,600 square feet
