Photo: Chuck Wagner

The recent roof replacement at George Washington University's Stockton Hall, home of the university's law school, was an important project for both the school and Wagner Roofing. But it was personally significant for Wagner Estimator and Project Manager Lee Simon, who graduated from GW in 2003. "It was fun being back on campus," he says (but he admits it was a tad more fun being there as a student than as a contractor). Simon says Wagner first bid on the project in 2005, so it was a "pleasant surprise when the job came back to life two years later."

Stockton Hall, located on 20th Street, was built in 1924. Wagner's work included replacing the existing tin roofing with a standing seam copper roof, installing a new skylight and copper gutters, snow rails and snow guards. The project used more than 14,500 pounds of copper.

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George Washington University's Stockton Hall Location: 720 20th St., NW, Washington, DC

Because the paint on the existing tin roof tested positive for lead, Wagner worked with an abatement subcontractor who took care of the demolition in the morning while the Wagner crew followed behind in the afternoon, making the building water-tight to avoid leaks. When Wagner began, the roof was leaking in several places.

Simon says one of the biggest challenges was completing the work while the building was filled with law students and faculty (there are classrooms on the lower levels and offices on the upper levels). "The building remained occupied during construction," he says. "With so many students taking summer classes, overhead protection and securing the job site was the first priority."

Damon Cash, GW's project manager, says Wagner's work with copper is going to give it a very historic look, compared to the painted tin roof that was badly crumbling and deteriorating. When it starts to patina and turn green, it's going to look historic, he says. We've never had a copper roof that's been this visible on campus, so this is a major step to restoring history. Cash says he was impressed with the Wagner crew, which began in late June and finished in early October. They did a fantastic job, even in the heat. We hired them because of the historic work they've done, and they're the best I've ever dealt with as far as historic work.