Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facility Maintenance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Director reports multiple roof leaks and burst spigot that flooded children27s rooms; repairs underway
Summary
The library director told the board Dec. 16 that repeated ice-dam roof leaks and a frozen antifreeze spigot that burst inside an exterior wall led to flooding in children's programming, storage and server rooms; staff contained damage, Ridge Top Exteriors performed emergency mitigation, and the affected room will be closed for repairs into the new year.
The library director reported a series of roof-related leaks and an interior plumbing failure that flooded several rooms on Dec. 15 and 16, telling trustees the problem was discovered early and rapid staff response minimized damage.
"It was like something out of a movie because it came straight through the wall and sprayed all the way across the room," the director said, describing a frozen antifreeze spigot that burst inside an exterior wall and sprayed water across the children27s programming room, the adjacent storage closet and the server room. The director said no patrons were in the rooms at the time and staff were able to isolate the water and remove carpet and furniture to prevent material loss.
The director said the library had experienced multiple ice-dam-related leaks in recent weeks: one in a staff area caused by ice jamming a roof vent, and another in the children27s area that caused water to drip near lighting fixtures and into multiple spots. The library brought in Ridge Top Exteriors to shovel outer roof edges and use steam to reduce ice dams; the company advised seasonal mitigation measures, including removable gutter extensions and consideration of heated gutter tapes when seeking roof-replacement bids.
A plumber repaired the burst spigot, but the director said the wall must dry and be rebuilt; the children27s programming room will be closed to the public until repairs and drying are complete in the new year. The director also said she has turned off two of four exterior spigots that are not supposed to freeze and is working to locate shutoffs for the remaining spigots that are not shown on building maps.
On costs, the director said no invoice was available yet but that because maintenance contracts and other line items are under budget this year the unanticipated repairs appear manageable. The director added that Clayton (facilities staff) will check roofs twice weekly going forward and will consult with DPW about trimming trees that may provide rodent access to the roof. The board asked follow-up questions about mitigation steps and accepted the director27s plan to pursue both immediate repairs and longer-term roof bids.
