Contract Amount: $3,533,676.00
Type: Restoration
Owner: Buffalo Bayou Partnership
Consultant: Walter P. Moore
Architect: NADAAA
General Contractor: Tellepsen
Roofing Project Manager: Mike Kasper
Roofing Scope: Purlin repair, purlin replacement, TPO roofing, sheet metal flashing and trim, metal deck installation, and wood deck salvage and installation.
Waterproofing Project Manager: Gage Hubbard
Waterproofing Scope: Masonry Restoration: tuckpointing, brick replacement, masonry anchors, non-acidic masonry cleaning, silicone elastomeric coating, water repellents, fluid applied air barrier, sheet metal flashing, concrete repairs, urethane grout injection, epoxy injection, joint sealants, thermal insulation, spray foam insulation, and below grade waterproofing.
Project Description:
The Warehouse at Turkey Bend is a transformed former industrial barge terminal in Houston’s East End. Now Turkey Bend is a unique event and cultural space along Buffalo Bayou, featuring a common area with salvaged graffiti artwork, an open-air breezeway, a spiraling tunnel extending below existing train tracks down to the waterfront wharf, galleries, and waterfront access for markets, festivals, weddings, and community gatherings, preserving its gritty, historic character while offering modern amenities and stunning city views.
History
Turkey Bend was a former barge terminal developed in 1938 by The Shipside Contracting Company, located at the convergence of Buffalo Bayou and Navigation Boulevard with history dating all the way back to 1937. The site’s former industrial structures included warehouses, and an expansive wooden wharf where goods were imported and offloaded. The barge terminal handled goods like coffee and steel, using the large gantry crane for loading and unloading between barges, trains, and trucks. Unfortunately, like other parts of Buffalo Bayou East, this area became an abandoned industrial relic.
Doing it Right the First Time
At Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing it was up to us to ensure we were maintaining the historic character of Turkey Bend while performing our various scopes of work. The process began by assisting Tellepsen early in the design phases by helping determine what scopes of work would be needed and how the constructability of said scope would impact other trades and the proposed final product. Through several years and numerous drawing iterations, Chamberlin was able to provide a turnkey roofing and waterproofing solution that met the budget and schedule.
The work began with mobilization and site preparation, followed by salvage of the existing wood deck and demolition of the existing gypsum deck.
Next, we performed purlin repair that involved a thorough assessment of all existing wood purlins supporting the roof deck. It was crucial that our team upheld safety standards when determining whether or not the purlins were salvageable. The purlins that we deemed too compromised were sistered or replaced with new wood purlins.
We also installed areas of new metal decking and reused portions of the original wooden decking to maintain a consistent appearance of overhead structure while ensuring the safety of pedestrians and visitors of Turkey Bend. After the deck was installed, a new TPO roof was installed. All details around penetrations, curbs, and wall terminations were flashed to ensure a watertight transition, and edge metal, mechanical curbs, and penetrations were completed with appropriate sealants and trim. Temporary protection and walkways were provided during installation, and quality control included seam testing, water testing, and warranty documentation. A critical factor in TPO success is maintaining proper temperatures during seaming and ensuring the substrate is flat and free of damage to prevent ponding or membrane failure.
The commercial waterproofing portion of the scope encompassed masonry restoration and tuckpointing, brick replacement as needed, and the installation of innovative anchoring systems such as helical anchors to stabilize existing masonry where deterioration was detected. Non-acidic masonry cleaning was used to remove surface contaminants, while preserving the brick’s structural integrity, color, and artwork, followed by protective and cosmetic repairs where necessary. Where joints and bond patterns indicated movement or sealant failure, the joint sealants were removed and replaced with products appropriate to the substrate and climate exposure. Silicone elastomeric coating was applied to deliver waterproofing, and UV resistance, with water repellents to improve the surface performance without trapping moisture.
Another component of the waterproofing scope was the fluid-applied air barrier system at areas of new construction in the breezeway, installed to create a continuous, seamless protective layer on the exterior walls and at transitions between different materials. We also installed sheet metal flashing. Structural concrete repairs at various locations were performed for both aesthetic and life safety purposes as well. For nearly a century, the overburden weight on the tunnel lid and walls caused cracks to form in the concrete and also caused separation in the cold joints, which in turn caused water infiltration. Epoxy grout injection and curtain wall urethane grout injection was done throughout the tunnel to stop the leaks from occurring.
Thermal insulation and spray foam insulation were installed to improve energy performance and reduce moisture-related condensation within wall assemblies and roof interfaces. This helped ensure that all moisture remains external to the building envelope where possible. Below grade waterproofing was executed to provide highly resistant barriers at grade and integrate with drainage and foundation systems to prevent water intrusion.
The installation of new sheet metal flashing at terminations, corners, and changes in substrate helped maintain the continuity of the waterproofing system, to avoid leaks at interfaces between different materials and assemblies.
Some of the success we experienced included conducting thorough substrate assessment and testing, selecting compatible materials designed for these specific substrates and climate exposure, implementing careful surface preparation, and enforcing a rigorous QA/QC regime. Effective coordination among masonry, coatings, insulation, and sheet metal trades is essential to ensure continuity of the building envelope, and to prevent leaks at complex joints and terminations.
In the Turkey Bend Warehouse project, safety was a central driver of all decision‑making, guiding Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing’s comprehensive restoration and modernization of this historic structure. From the outset, our Safety Team played a critical role in identifying and mitigating serious site-specific hazards, ensuring that protection of our crews remained the top priority throughout every phase of the project.
Early investigations revealed a significant fall risk due to the deteriorated condition of the existing roof purlins, a condition that posed a real danger to the roofing crew. Through proactive planning, enhanced fall-protection measures, and continuous on-site oversight, our Safety Team ensured that work could proceed without compromise, embedding safe practices into the daily workflow and reinforcing a culture of vigilance across all trades.
With these safeguards firmly in place, the project successfully revitalized a historic industrial landmark along Buffalo Bayou for events and community use. The coordinated, substrate-specific approach across masonry, coatings, insulation, and sheet metal trades delivered a resilient, aesthetically aligned result, one that honors the site’s gritty heritage while serving as a vibrant cultural and social hub for Houston’s East End, achieved without sacrificing the well-being of anyone on site.
Contact us today to learn more about the services Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing offers.