As the 2009 school year was nearing end, Fredericktown High School in Fredericktown, MO, had decided it was time for a new roof. The current roof, comprised of a concrete deck on a 2 ½:12 slope, had 2 x 4s fastened to it along with plywood and shingles (the old roof is shown in the bottom photo). The roof had been leaking for some time and there was a growing concern for energy cost savings.

Come early May, Sargent Construction Company, a Star Builder based in Fredericktown, was in the middle of negotiations with Fredericktown School District; the decision of shingles or metal was at the center of the negotiations.

On May 8, 2009, what meteorologists are calling an inland hurricane tore through Fredericktown, and destroyed almost everything in its path. The inland hurricane, now being called a category 1 or 2 hurricane, had wind gusts as high as 120 mph and sustained winds that averaged 70-90 mph for over an hour. Packing all punches, this inland hurricane spread 20-30 miles wide and about 50 miles long. Needless to say, there wasn’t much that was able to withstand these hurricane winds.

To offer an idea of the destruction left behind, there were power lines down all over the town, shingles torn off houses and businesses, trees uprooted, and metal roofs peeled off structures of up to 100,000 sq. ft. and tossed aside like a cloth. However, there were some buildings that suffered little or no damage. These undamaged buildings were all reported to be Star Buildings.

Fredericktown High School made the decision to go with an MBCI BattenLok HS metal roof. (Because both Star Building Systems and MBCI are NCI companies, Star Builders are able to offer a wide range of MBCI products.) The installation of over 80,000 sq. ft. of BattenLok HS was complete in October 2009. To date, Fredericktown High School is saving $3,880 monthly on their electric bill compared to past years.

For more information on MBCI's products, go to www.mbci.com.