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Roofers Joined Forces To Fix A National Treasure
Why is it that the universal symbol of shelter is some kind of roof? Obviously it is because the first type of protection that anyone looks for is a way to prevent rain or snow from falling on our living and working spaces. Even in very warm climates, a roof may be erected to provide shade from the burning sun.
With a solid roof over our heads we feel safe from the effects of storms, wind, the intrusion of animals or foreign objects. A roof provides us defense from all of these dangers which can damage our possessions, ruin food, injure, cause discomfort or even illness. Those without a roof are considered homeless.
On September 11, 2001 the world focused on the terrorist attacks which were perpetrated against the United States with the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York, and the severe damage to the home of our national defense system, the Pentagon. While most of the attention quickly became focused on New York, nevertheless a fifth of the Pentagon was destroyed, and even more of the roof was damaged severely.
With the goal of literally restoring the roof over the head of the center for the defense of our nation, the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) rallied around a goal of donating the repairs to the Pentagon roof. Led by John and Kimberly Francis, Arlington VA residential roofing contractors, the NRCA donated all of the materials, labor, and additional cash to complete the project.
The Pentagon was completed in 1943 in order to provide adequate office space for the Department of Defense during World War II. The building consists of five pentagonal rings connected by hallways at the joints. The inner and outer rings, and the hallways, have slate roofs set at an angle. The inner rings have a coal tar built up roof (BUR) system. During the attack, almost all of the jet fuel carried by the airplane which rammed the building spilled over the roof, causing the damaged section, and an adjacent one, to burn.
Once Francis contacted NRCA, soon other Arlington VA roofing repair companies, and then companies from across the nation joined in the effort. The push was to repair the Pentagon roof before the first anniversary of the disaster. Some companies were well suited to working on the slate portions, while others had experience in working with the BUR roofs. At the Pentagon site in Arlington VA, commercial roofing workers and volunteers worked side by side to restore the national treasure that houses the Department of Defense to full functionality.
The effort was nicknamed The Phoenix Project, and was coordinated by the James Myers Company. Initial concerns centered on how to proceed when plans had to be made before demolition of the damaged section. Then questions about how to incorporate the volunteers to work side by side with professionals arose. Yet on June 25, 2002, the Department of Defense and Congressional representatives thanked the NRCA in an official ceremony. Once again, the country's defense department had a roof over its head.
Author Resource:-
Nick Messe is president of The Lead Frog LLC. Northern Virginia Roofing has been doing Arlington VA replacement windows along with residential and commercial roofing projects in the DC metro area for more than 40 years - http://www.nvroofs.com
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