The Wallenpaupack Area School Board moved ahead with plans for repairs at several buildings this summer.

Don Flynn of Burkavage Design Associates updated the Board on several projects in the design or bidding process. He said the bids had been awarded to replace the chiller in the Wallenpaupack Area North Intermediate School and they could now work on the design. The chiller is part of the heating and air conditioning system at the school which failed last fall. The unit was installed in 1987 when the school was built.

The Board also awarded A.J. Guzzi General Contractors, Clarks Summit, the contract to repair the facade of the Wallenpaupack South Elementary School. The board accepted the base bid and alternatives 1, 3, and 4 for a total of $217,375.

The work is phase II of the project is designed to repair leaks in between the 1998 addition and the main building. Water is seeping in-between the two sections and loosening the masonry. Phase I was completed last summer. At the December meeting, Superintendent Mike Silsby said the problem stemmed from so many different contractors working on the different projects. The District said it solved those problems by hiring a Clerk of the Works to act as its supervisor over building projects to coordinate the projects.

Flooring and Insulation

The Board also approved moving ahead with three other projects to address repairs. The first was the replacement of flooring in rooms in the High School (three), Middle School (five), North Primary (12) and South Elementary (10).

The next project will address insulation problems on chilled piping in the North Primary. Flynn said some of the chilled piping in the building had either inadequate insulation or none at all. He explained either problem can cause the pipes to sweat and the condensation dripping from the pipes causes water damage to the building.

Both of those projects are expected to be completed over the summer before school begins, but another project may take longer.

WSES Roof

The Board approved advertising for bids to replace the roof on the A and B wings of the South Elementary School. Flynn said the project would have to start later in the summer and should be completed by October. He said most contractors already had their work schedule set for the early summer and slipping a new one could cost the district more money.

Clerk of the Works Bob Rozema explained the roof had reached its expected lifetime. At 18 or 19 years old, the ballast roof (rubber with a coating of gravel) was made with different types UV protection then used today. The rubber is shrinking and pulling away from the edges of the roof and causing leaks.

Silsby said the District could fix it, but they felt it would not be feasible.

Rozema said a new coating won’t help because the roof is pulling away from the edges.

“The roof is pulling itself apart,” Flynn said.

Options

They discussed the options on the new roof. Flynn explained they would bid for several options including a 20-year guarantee and a 30-year materials roof. He said a 30-year guarantee features 90 mil rubber while a 20-year is only 60 mil. However, to get the 30-year guarantee the district would have to increase the angle of the roof. A 20-year roof allows for an eighth inch drop per foot, but a 30-year would require a quarter inch drop.

The problem is the roof currently meets the 20-year drop. Flynn said they could use rigid insulation to change the elevation, but that would require increasing the height of the edges to keep water from running over the side.

Another solution was to replace the roof with the 30-year materials with a 20-year guarantee. He said this way the District would get the benefits of the longer lasting roofing material without the added expenses of addition work being needed.

As for concerns the roofing work would run into the school year, Flynn said the project would not include any fumes other roofing materials use and the noise above the classrooms should be low.

The Wallenpaupack Area School District Board of Education meets the second Monday, 6 pm, in the High School Library, Route 6, east of Hawley. The next meeting is scheduled for May 12.