MT. PLEASANT—The North Sanpete School District has awarded a $146,000 contract to Swapp Roofing of Fairview to install a new type of multi-layer roof on the North Sanpete High School gymnasium.

Construction is scheduled to begin about Aug. 1.

Most school roofs consist of plywood sheathing, a layer of insulated material and a rubber membrane on top, says Todd Hansen, district maintenance director.

The new roof uses what is called a modified build-up system. It goes over the top of the existing roof material and includes a rubber membrane, an insulation layer, asphalt and a second rubber membrane.

Hansen checked with districts on the Wasatch Front, which told him the system cost more up front but was proving to be a savings in the long run because roofs last longer.

The manufacturer of the materials will monitor installation to make sure the job is done right and then will guarantee the roof for 30 years, Hansen told the school board.

The gymnasium project will serve as a test. If the district likes the roof, it can use the same system on the rest of the high school and on other schools, Hansen said.

“We have a whole lot of roofs coming up,” he said. New roofs will probably “eat up our capital budget for the next five years.”