The Fire Department Roof

Of the Agenda Items for the Future we posted yesterday, the only item discussed at the Select Board meeting last night was the Fire Station roof. The towns people approved a warrant article for $50,000 for the repair, and last night the board agreed to additional engineering studies before proceeding with repairs.

I asked the board to provide more details about the specific problems outlined in the report and the recommended repair options that range from $40,000 to $175,000. Jeanette Stewart read a section from the report that did not answer my question, but Fire Chief Steve Heath offered to take people down to the Fire Station and explain the basic problems. Several residents attended including two members of the Coalition for Action and newly elected Select Board member Phil Preston.

Steve Heath told us that the Fire Station was built in 1967 and the current roof was updated in the late 1980s. There are four sections of the roof. Looking at the building from the street, there is a small section to the right that was the old radio room. The large section in middle is the equipment bay, and to the left are two lower sections that house the offices, radio room, and classroom. In terms of repair, the old radio room seems to be in the best shape, and the sections over the offices and training room are in the worst shape.

The roof is supported by metal stanchions that support sections of corrugated galvanized steel that are covered by a thin layer of cement, insulation, a rubber membrane, and a layer of material to hold the membrane in place. Steve Heath took us into the equipment bay to show where there has been leakage through the seams in the corrugated steel. He shined a flashlight on the seams to reveal what he called small stalactites ranging in size up to several inches. The seams were formed by overlapping the corrugated sections, and a layer of cement was poured on top of the steel to provide additional strength. In order for the roof to leak and the stalactites to form, water would have to penetrate the cement and then make its way under and back up over the corrugated seam.

Picture water making its way down into the U-shaped channel that is filled with cement and then back up over the inverted U-shaped corrugation. According to the engineer, what may have happened over the years is that the cement deteriorated - turned to sand - as a result of water freezing and thawing. Even though there is a layer of beaded styrofoam insulation over the cement, the roof was designed to let heat through to help melt the snow on the roof. There are drains in the roof to channel the water off, but the engineer found evidence of pooling in the center of the roof. The pitch of the roof will need to be changed in order to correct this problem.

Steve said that they are not sure where the water is coming from. No core sample was taken in the portion of the roof to determine the condition of the insulation or the cement layer. In addition, the roof does not meet current load standards for emergency buildings. Further engineering studies are needed to determine the nature of the problem and to develop approaches for repairs given the limited amount of money the town has. Steve said that we may to increase the strength of the supports before we actually repair the roof.

The sections of the roof to the left of the equipment bay are in worse shape. Snow blows off the equipment bay roof and piles up on these sections. A core sample was taken somewhere in this area and the fiber board insulation was found to be 100% saturated. Pictures of the stanchions show that there has been more leakage in these sections, and there is evidence that the rubber membrane has come loose at either end of the roof. The engineer is also concerned about whether the stanchions were properly installed and has suggested that we consider making the building earthquake safe. (We had a small earthquake in Ashland a few years ago, and the state is working on new standards.)

There were several approaches to fixing the roof ranging from $40,000 to $175,000, but further engineering studies are needed to determine the extent of the problem and the best approach for fixing the roof. Hopefully, the board will do a thorough cost benefit analysis before making their decision.

I asked whether the engineering report could be put on the town website so that it would be easily available for all of those interested in the repairs. Jeanette Stewart said that the report could not be placed on the website but did not explain why. The report is a public document and is available for viewing at the Town Hall.