Fresh Start at the Science Center Warehouse

Careful planning, museum-level protection, and a roof designed for long-term performance.

Behind the exhibits and galleries the public sees, the Science Center depends on spaces that quietly do the work of preservation. One of those spaces was a warehouse building that once served as offices and was slated to be brought back to life for that purpose again.

But the roof told a different story.

Years of leaks had taken their toll. Water intrusion was ongoing, insulation was minimal, and ponding water had become routine. The interior space was no longer usable, and worse, the building housed priceless artifacts and past Science Center displays that needed to be protected at all costs. Before any renovation could move forward, the roof had to be completely rethought and brought up to modern standards.

The Science Center turned to Bade Roofing to lead the effort, trusting our team to protect the contents of the building while delivering a roof system capable of supporting the next chapter of use at this St. Louis landmark.

Work began inside the warehouse. Artifacts were treated with museum-level care. Every item was meticulously wrapped and covered, and additional precautions were taken throughout the project to ensure no leaks occurred during construction. Protection wasn’t a phase of the job. It was the foundation.

On the roof, conditions were just as challenging. Abandoned mechanical equipment cluttered the surface and had to be removed and hauled away before real work could begin. Beneath that, the roof suffered from poor slope and inadequate insulation, which had contributed to years of standing water.

To correct those issues, Bade Roofing installed a custom pre-formed EPS tapered insulation system, designed with four-way slopes directing water to 18 roof drains. The original one inch of EPS insulation was replaced with a system that reached up to 20 inches in some areas, dramatically increasing the roof’s R-value and eliminating ponding water entirely. The insulation was adhered directly to the metal deck using foam adhesive, followed by a half-inch gypsum cover board set in foam.

A fully adhered 60-mil EPDM membrane completed the system, delivering durability, performance, and long-term protection. The finished roof earned a 20-year manufacturer’s warranty and cleared the way for interior renovations to begin.

Today, the Science Center warehouse is no longer a liability. It’s a protected, code-compliant space ready to serve a new purpose, safeguarding the past while making room for what comes next at the St. Louis Science Center.

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Bade began by taking precautions to protect the contents of the warehouse. Because the warehouse was used to store various priceless artifacts and past St. Louis Science Center displays, items were treated with museum quality care. Everything was meticulously wrapped and covered to prevent damage.

Even though items were covered, extra care was taken throughout the project to keep the roof free of any leak issues. Next, the roof site, which was riddled with abandoned mechanical equipment, was prepared. Once the equipment was removed from the roof and hauled away, Bade started to address the roof’s lack of slope and minimal insulation. A unique pre-formed EPS insulation tapered system was installed using four-way slopes to the facility’s 18 drain locations. The 1 inch of existing EPS was replaced with insulation that reached 20 inches in some locations. This drastically increased the R-value and eliminated all ponding water with which the facility had been dealing. The EPS was installed directly to the metal deck using foam adhesive. A 1/2 inch gypsum overboard was also set in foam. Then a Versico 60 mil EPDM membrane was fully adhered to the coverboard. The roof received a 20-year Versico warranty and the St. Louis Science Center Warehouse is now ready for a new beginning.

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