STARTING A NEW fiscal year, with some new officers and directors, let us take stock of where we stand. From this vantage point, our recent accomplishments and imminent projects are taken as givens. What matters most are the challenges that we have yet to address.
The focus in this post is not on making improvements per se, but more simply on attending to what we currently have, beyond routine maintenance. I further restrict my focus here to items that are not obvious. (Which excludes repairing the flood damage in the basement.) This gives us our baseline for moving forward beyond this summer’s projects.
Below the jump, this post sums up the needs of our facilities major areas of concern. The list is not exhaustive. What is listed here alone will cost more than $180K. Most of the expenditures have been discussed by, and authorized by, the board of directors.
Arresting deterioration
Certain aspects of buildings become continually more expensive to repair if they are not dealt with promptly. Many of these issues are invisible to casual observers, which is why they can be allowed to go on too long. In our case, they include: the remaining water intrusion (upon rainfall), the deteriorating stained-glass windows, and the remaining termite threat. Each one is touched upon below.
Water intrusion
(This topic matters because it is a threat to the building’s structural integrity and can ruin interior finishes. If not addressed timely, repair costs balloon quickly.) This issue involves the 8 operable windows in the sanctuary: due to metal corrosion, warped frames, and broken hardware, none of them are capable of being closed tightly. Typically there is a one-inch gap between the center frame and each window edge. Therefore in a driving rain with the wind coming from certain directions, water can penetrate into the sanctuary. For details, see here. This issue is related to the next item.…
Stained-glass windows
Of the 12 rectangular window panes on the sanctuary’s south wall, 5 need to be rebuilt because they are significantly sagging. Logistically speaking, it makes sense to do this work at the same time that the metal frames are addressed (see above). The longer we wait, the more expensive the job will be. For details, see here, here, and here.
Termite threat
The buildings need to be tented and fumigated, despite significant logistical challenges. There are two known infestations in inaccessible areas, and lingering infestations in recently treated areas (since local treatment is never 100% successful). Most troubling, however, is the likelihood of infestations in structurally crucial places. (Last fall, we discovered one such spot quite by accident, which was a wake-up call.) For details, see here.
Structural integrity
- In one of the sanctuary roof trusses, a tie-rod connection has been exposed to water intrusion. It needs to be opened up and inspected, to ensure that it is still capable of doing its job. For details, see here.
- Supporting the southeast exit corridor of the sanctuary are termite-damaged floor joists. They need to be reinforced. For details, see here and here.
Restoration of street-level sanctuary landing
In the stairwell between the sanctuary level and the Social Hall is a street-level landing that is a regularly used exit. Its water-damaged interior wall surfaces need to be repaired and repainted (as soon as the outer walls are waterproofed this summer). For details, see here.
Replacement of worn-out major components
Several major components are reaching or are beyond their expected useful lives: the roof membrane of each building, the school’s HVAC equipment, and the school’s water heater. Funds need to be set aside accordingly.
No comments:
Post a Comment