Marblehead High School’s newly installed roof sprang 5-6 small leaks during the recent nor’easter, while the new roof at the Veterans School also allowed a small amount of water into that building, Assistant Superintendent Mike Pfifferling said Wednesday.
Pfifferling told the School Committee’s Facilities Subcommittee Sept. 30 that crews are addressing the problems, which he characterized as “minor.”
At MHS, Pfiffering said some of the leaks were traced to roof drains, including one contractors already knew would need additional work.
Another problem involved a section of roofing that had not been properly fused during installation, according to Pfifferling. Repairs are underway.
One of the leaks appeared over the gymnasium, near the center of the basketball court.
“We’re keeping a close eye on the condition of the roof,” said School Committee member Henry Gwazda. “Most of the leaks were at penetration points for HVAC equipment, and the issues have been fixed. Obviously, with a new roof we want zero leaks, but, having been up on the roof, it is enormous, complicated and has a lot of equipment. I’m still confident in the work the administration, maintenance staff and our contractor are doing to be sure we have a solid roof and following up on any issues.”
Voters approved $14 million in temporary overrides to fund the MHS roof project.
Veterans School
At Vets, where the roof project is complete, Pfifferling reported what he described as a “very little penetration of water” near a rooftop unit.
“I’m talking like less than a Dixie Cup-full of water,” Pfifferling said. “It’s very small.”
The area had experienced another small leak several weeks earlier and had been reflashed, he said. Crews are investigating the latest problem and believe it may involve a penetration through the roof.
Next steps
The high school project, meanwhile, remains on track for substantial completion around the end of October, with crews now fine-tuning HVAC and heating systems.
One unresolved issue involves the high school’s computer technology room, which houses servers, hubs and switches that generate significant heat. Pfifferling said the cooling system originally designed for the room was undersized because it was based on the size of the room rather than the amount of heat generated by the equipment.
Temporary portable cooling equipment is being used while officials work on adding a second air-conditioning unit. The new unit is also expected to be connected to the building’s emergency generator to provide redundancy.
Despite the leaks and remaining work, Pfifferling said he has been pleased with the pace of the project and the contractors’ responsiveness.
The roofing manufacturer was expected this week to inspect the high school roof and sign off on the installation, according to Pfifferling The roof carries a long-term warranty, which he said is either 25 or 30 years.
The final price tag for the high school project is not yet known, although the contractor’s bid came in about $2 million less than $14 million approved.
“It’s worth pointing out that that’s not money that we are returning,” said School Committee member Henry Gwazda. “It’s money that we didn’t borrow.”
