CLEARFIELD – At Monday’s committee meetings, the Clearfield Area School District Board of Director’s further weighed their options for the poor roofing conditions at the high school.
Dave Glass, board president, led the discussion, stating the roofing project couldn’t wait. He said they needed to proceed for it to be initiated this summer.
“If we put it off another year, we’ll only be dealing with more damage,” he said. He said he wasn’t a roofing expert, suggesting they seek advice from the architect.
Superintendent Richard C. Makin encouraged the board to go with a “long term solution.” He said he didn’t know of a single ply roof that could do so.
Rick Bunning, director of building and grounds, said he preferred a cold adhesive, modified build-up system. He said he realized it was more expensive but didn’t see the hot asphalt as an appropriate option due to the resultant smell.
Bunning said he felt the district needed to approve the project by the April 26 board meeting. He said if they agreed upon by then, the roofing project could get underway at the end of this academic year in June.
“I think it’s reasonable,” Glass said. He said they could authorize Bunning to obtain project specifications at their board meeting next week.
Bunning suggested that they bid out both hot asphalt and cold adhesive roofing system options. Susan Mikesell, board member, said she too preferred to do so, as they’d then be able to compare the two.
Makin said they would begin fee structure negotiations with HHSDR Architects/Engineers. He said he found an approximate $120,000 fee a bit much for an already $2 million project.
Glass said he would also feel more comfortable with their input into the board’s decision.
“It’d be nice to see how they operate,” he said, adding they could be handling the district’s upcoming feasibility project.
He said they must also decide if the project would require more than one contractor. He said if they proceed with a hot asphalt system, they may need additional manpower.
Glass said that the Garland Company was confident that a single contractor could get the job done. He said, J. Greer Hayden, of HHSDR Architects/Engineers had some concerns, however.
“We’re talking 123,000 square feet. It’s a big roof,” Makin said.
Ken Dengler, of the Garland Company, brought the high school’s poor roofing condition to the attention of the board at a special meeting last Tuesday night.
“I would classify it as poor – extremely poor,” Dengler said. He said the roof will continue to shrink and split.
“It will just keep going and become very difficult to stop. It will constantly be an issue. It has been an issue for sometime.”
He said he has evaluated the high school roof and presented photographs of it from 2007. He said the school has experienced more problems since the time of the photographs.
According to him, the building’s roof was put on in 1989 and is now going on 21 years old. He said after a 10-15 year period, building issues typically arise and cause issues.
Dengler said the roof is around 123,000 square feet. He said they had a 4,000-square foot region completed in the recent past.
“There is still more that needs to be done. It’s quite a large area,” Dengler said. He said they are currently exploring options to resolve the roofing issues.
Dengler said they had many options, including hot asphalt, cold adhesive or a “happy medium” of the two types. He said he believes the in between option is a viable one for the current situation.
Dengler said he believed they could first lay down the hot asphalt portion of the roofing. He said they could then put a top pour in the cold adhesive. He said he ultimately recommended a three-ply, modified build-up roof at the cost of approximately $1.4 million.
“Three layers are better than two, and two layers are better than one,” he said. “(You will see a) bigger difference. There are layers. There is redundancy. It’s all heat-welded together.”
He said under his recommendation, the roofing would be OK in 30 years. He said at some point, they may have to replace the top pour to extend its life cycle but not the entire system.
“It’s a better product. The roof could last much longer than the (25-year, no dollar limit) warranty. If it is maintained, it should last for a long time,” Dengler said.
Dengler said the previously completed 4,000-sauare foot section was done in the hot asphalt. He said if they chose the route again for the remaining roofing, it would come at a cost of more than $1.3 million.
He said they also had the strictly cold adhesive option, but it would be more expensive at over $1.6 million. He said if they chose the “happy medium,” it would save them around $250,000.
He said it would take most of a summer to complete the project, depending on weather conditions at the time. He said every day lost because of the weather is a day added on to the project.
Dengler said the project could extend into the school year but didn’t foresee any problems if it was the case. He said once the roof is put on, they will still have a lot of work to do.
Dengler said he is familiar with the school district, noting he’s completed roofing projects at both Bradford and Centre Elementary Schools. He said he’s also worked on a project at the Clearfield County Career and Technology Center.
He said he has also completed projects for the West Branch school facility and the Purchase Line Area High School.