LAST PAINTED IN 2007, which was 17 years ago, the west wall of our school building is in need of a little lovin’. In retrospect, it should have been repainted a decade ago.
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| (As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.) |
This wall has been neglected because almost nobody except the staff ever sees it. Meanwhile, the afternoon sun and sea breezes have taken their toll.
Below the jump, this short post documents the wall’s current condition, with three annotated photos.
THE CEILING OF our historic Social Hall, according to my recent assessment, has some missing and loose acoustical ceiling tiles.
Ceiling tile gets taken for granted, but it matters a lot. The acoustical ceiling has a significant impact on our experience of being in the Social Hall. By absorbing sound, it reduces the ambient noise and echoes that would otherwise make the cavernous room a difficult place to be in, especially when crowded with people. So it warrants our care!
Below the jump, this post ponders the best course of action. It reflects solely my own opinion.…
AFTER THE BASEMENT FLOOD in June 2023, the restoration company removed the water-damaged wooden bar and cabinets at the southwestern corner of the Social Hall. That effort exposed what lay beneath those fixtures. Namely, the same vinyl flooring from 1948 that is prominent in the sanctuary and that underlies the Social Hall.
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| (As usual, click/tap on a photo to enlarge it.) |
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| Photos taken Oct. 2024 |
In other words, the Social Hall’s vinyl flooring had been installed prior to construction of the wooden fixtures—rather than the other way around.
This flooring has been shown more than once to contain asbestos. Which is why we do our best not to disturb it—and to inform workers, so that they can take precautions. Or if it is to be disturbed, that work must be handled by a licensed abatement contractor.
AS PART OF reviving the Social Hall, it has been proposed that the ceiling be repainted. At the same time, our reserve study specialist has proposed replacing the ceiling tile altogether (at a cost of $20K), for the sake of aesthetics. Both of these ideas have prompted me to look upward and assess the condition of our acoustical ceiling tile.
This post documents my initial assessment, including 14 photographs.
ON OCTOBER 15, Mishkon received a copy of the report from a Limited Asbestos and Lead Assessment Survey that was conducted on June 23, 2023. (If we had received this report previously, it got waylaid due to our staff turnover shortly thereafter.) The testing was done by TRUST Environmental Solutions in Camarillo, as engaged by Tri-Tech Restoration, which cleaned up the basement flood.
This post discusses the report. Apparently for the first time, the kitchen flooring was sampled. Overall, the results were unsurprising.
THIS IS THE SECOND in a series on how to address the following urgent problem:
During heavy rains, our historic sanctuary’s front steps leak water, which soaks the concrete substrate below the steps, which in turn drips water onto the ceiling of the rooms beneath it in the basement.
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Given the sandstone’s age, modest state of deterioration, and inherent instability, as well as the absence of waterproofing during initial construction, the fix is not simple or straightforward. Below the jump, I discuss the second of the three steps involved.…
THE IDEA OF having an elevator in our sanctuary building is attractive in theory. Yet fitting one into an existing (and historic) building would not be easy. In fact, it’s looking to be darn difficult!
So far, architects have suggested four possible sites in our sanctuary building as potentially workable for a Limited Use / Limited Access (LULA) elevator. That’s the smaller type that is suitable for retrofits in existing churches and synagogues.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. If you are a Mishkon member, then upon request I will provide you with a memo that shows the four proposed sites (on the floor plans of the two main levels) and then outlines their relative benefits. Each location has its advantages and disadvantages.
If you care where this elevator might go, then get in touch with me soon! (Use the Mishkon directory if need be.) After you understand the options, I want to hear from you.
Once a functionally optimal site becomes more clear, we can gather cost data; and then there will be something for the ad-hoc planning committee to consider in its prioritizing—and perhaps ultimately something for the board to discuss and vote on. Until then, all of this is merely exploratory.
—David Stein