The New Interdisciplinary School

The New Interdisciplinary School (NIS) in Yaphank, NY is a not-for-profit 4410 school, approved by the state of New York to provide education and therapeutic services to children from birth to five years of age. NIS offers integrated, self-contained, and Autism Interdisciplinary Model (AIM) classes for children with special needs; Universal Pre-Kindergarten and half-day nursery/preschool programs; NYS licensed & certified therapists providing OT, PT, Speech and psychological counseling; and much more.

The challenge

1995, NIS moved into a beautiful 35,000 sq. ft. child-centered building, which allowed them to expand services beyond preschoolers with a disability to include nursery school, pre-kindergarten, Universal Pre-Kindergarten and a licensed child care program.

In 2023, the roof of that building reached the natural end of its useful life, and NIS engaged Four Seasons Roofing of Farmingdale, New York not just to replace the roof, but to do so in a way that would cause minimal disruption to the year-round learning environment.

Initially, NIS sought either a mechanically attached or fully adhered EPDM system to replace its existing EPDM roof. After much collaboration and discussion, Four Seasons Roofing recommended a cost-effective alternative: mechanically attached EverGuard^® TPO 60 mil, over EnergyGuard^™ Polyiso Insulation.

The solution

The new NIS roof comprises an existing steel deck, two layers of EnergyGuard^® Polyiso and mechanically attached EverGuard^® 60 mil TPO. No tapered design was required, as the original deck provides ample slope.

Matt Dolan, Senior Project Manager for Four Seasons Roofing, explained, “We see far fewer issues with TPO heat-welded seams than we do with EPDM taped seams, which may succumb to ponding water. The heat-welded seams gave NIS a lot of confidence. TPO is a really excellent system. Between the cost, the solar reflective qualities, and simplicity of installation, we were able to transition the product from an EPDM request to mechanically attached TPO.”

Because the school provides such vital services, it has no traditional “summer vacation” when the school is unoccupied. “They have a lot of differently abled children on the campus,” said Matt, “so we put a lot of safety measures in place that we watched and enforced extremely closely. We went to great lengths, logistically, to reduce all debris — coordinating with dumpsters and carting everything in a timely fashion. We worked very carefully, cordoning everything off, and worked with GAF and the supply house to make deliveries early and at certain times that would not interfere with the school schedule.”

Ultimately, the reward for their TLC was a reliable roof, and a grateful school body. “We kept a close watch over one particular high-traffic door and would stop work when the kids were leaving or reentering. One day the kids were coming in, and they stopped, and said, ‘Thank you for fixing our building!’”