ALTHOUGH SELDOM NOTICED, a plenum (shaft) runs from floor to ceiling through the lobby-level “Ladies Lounge.” (It continues through the mezzanine, too.) It’s behind the wall that is straight across from the door to the lounge from the lobby. What is it doing there?
Below the jump, this post discloses what’s inside that plenum—and why.
PLYWOOD IS THE KEY to the seismic integrity of our sanctuary building, according to three structural engineers I have spoken with. Although no plywood seems to have been employed in its original construction, a layer was added overhead in 2004 during a re-roofing effort, as discussed elsewhere in this blog.
As of this past week, I can say with confidence that the roof’s plywood is adequate to ensure that our building provides at least a minimum life safety level of performance in the event of a serious earthquake.
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| Cross-section in a cut at the walkway alongside the roof's barrel, showing 3 layers: plywood, sheathing, and rafter. (I added a typical nail for comparison—but placed it too low.) |
Last month, in the process of making structural repairs to the roof, enough plywood was exposed that I was able both to see the size of the nails employed and to measure the nailing pattern used. Those two factors affect the seismic integrity of the roof.
Below the jump, I show and discuss my findings, while looking ahead to similarly strengthening the walls.…
IT TOOK A WHILE to make sense of what I was seeing, but after having peered today at the front corner column from the opened roof above, I can now explain how the front columns are constructed.…
The first three items listed are new discoveries. Below the jump, this post presents photographic documentation of the first three of those claims.
THE MATERIAL SELECTED to cover the roof of our historic sanctuary (later this summer) is silicone with the brand name Type S, manufactured by American Standard Coatings (ASC), based in Chatsworth (Los Angeles). It will be applied by roller according to manufacturer’s instructions at a coverage rate (thickness) that the ASC will then warranty for 15 years. Our roofer calls this “a 15-year specification.”
WHAT IS ABOVE the exhaust grilles in the ceiling of our kitchen? The answer is important, as we move toward the necessary improvements to meet the current mechanical code for exhausting air from the room.
Below the jump, this post documents the existing exhaust system, with 7 photos (some with circles and arrows) and a diagram.…
DURING THIS SUMMER, it will be time to do major work on the roof of our historic sanctuary. Mishkon has saved up the funds to pay for this two-part project, and we have been preparing to carry it out.
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| A silicone “cool roof” recovering is applied in Torrance. |
THE ROOFER CAME on March 6 and patched a number of small cracks and other openings that were discovered in the flashing on the roof. This work was done under warranty. Yet the water intrusion into the portico’s southwest column continued during the most recent rainstorms at the end of March.
Below the jump, this post documents both the repair and the continuing damage.
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.
ROOF DESIGN is an abiding topic of interest to firefighters, because they need to quickly evaluate the stability of burning buildings. Thus it is not surprising that John W. Mittendorf, a retired battalion chief and training commander for the Los Angeles Fire Dept., discussed various types of roof construction in 2004 on the website Fire Engineering. His articles focused on “older truss roofs” — those that were common in large buildings constructed from the 1800s until the 1950s.
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| Chief Mittendorf, circa 1993 |
Below the jump, this post discusses what I learned about Mishkon’s sanctuary roof from Chief Mittendorf’s articles.
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS prepared one of the modules in the 2003 Historic Structure Report (HSR). Among other things, it assessed the sanctuary’s seismic integrity and offered a plan for improvement.
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| (As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.) |
Below the jump, this post summarizes the seismic portion of the structural module, in light of more recent developments, while ending with a recommended plan for the future. That is, it compiles and updates my various prior posts about seismic issues.
BOTH FOR OUTDOOR PROJECTS and to keep tabs on water intrusion, it can be helpful to know when and how much rain has fallen. Fortunately, the County has a rain gauge close by. It’s at the Electric Avenue Pumping Plant, located at the corner of Brooks Ave.
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| (As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.) |
This post pinpoints that gauge’s location relative to Mishkon. It also explains how to read the continuous online report.
WHAT’S THE CONFIGURATION of the heating/cooling system in our sanctuary?
This post gives you a basic picture, through verbal description and photos.…
WHEN I TOOK ON THE MANTLE of chair of the B&G Committee, my initial commitment was for the second (i.e., last) year of my term on the board. About halfway through that period, I announced my willingness to remain as chair for an additional fiscal year — so that Cindy’s successor could enjoy the continuity while growing into the job of being president. (Little did I know at the time that my own dear spouse would decide to stand for office — and get elected as president!) Indeed, that decision has proven to be helpful to Carole.
Now, as I am on the cusp of my final 6 months in this post, let me share my vision for the remaining period. (Aside from certain termite-related work that is discussed elsewhere on this blog, which is already scheduled for January.)
TWO SPECIAL PROJECTS WERE COMPLETED this month on our sanctuary building: the upper side chambers project, and the perimeter walls project. Both involved treating for termites in normally inaccessible locations.
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| Looking eastward in an upper side chamber (click or tap to enlarge) |
WITHIN THE SPACE OF sixteen days, Mishkon has received its annual maintenance both for the roof and for termite infestation. The fact that both of these have now been undertaken 2 years in a row is noteworthy, for it seems to be historic. To my knowledge, it is unprecedented.
| Star = ground-level spot where termites were found and treated this month (click or tap to enlarge diagram) |
In these two key areas of concern, we may be moving from only crisis management to ongoing facilities management. While annual roof and termite maintenance can’t quite yet be considered a “routine” part of what we do at Mishkon, this single repetition feels to me like a big achievement in itself. This post explains why.…
WITHIN THE SPACE OF sixteen days, Mishkon has received its annual maintenance both for the roof and for termite infestation. The fact that both of these have now been undertaken 2 years in a row is noteworthy, for it seems to be historic. To my knowledge, it is unprecedented.
In these two key areas of concern, we may be moving from only crisis management to ongoing facilities management. While annual roof and termite maintenance can’t quite yet be considered a “routine” part of what we do at Mishkon, this single repetition feels to me like a big achievement in itself. This post explains why.…
A ROOF IS NOT A STATIC THING that just sits there. Rather, it expands daily under the baking sun — with different sections being exposed at different times of day — and contracts every night, and during cold snaps. It withers under ultraviolet light. And it endures rainstorms and the rush of flowing stormwaters.
So when you think about it, it’s not surprising that a roof can use a little loving care once a year.
Below the jump is a brief description, with photos, of the annual preventive maintenance that was performed this week on our sanctuary roof.…
EARLIER THIS MONTH, I described my plan to open up two normally enclosed chambers at the junction between the sanctuary roof, ceiling, and walls. Well, that plan was enacted yesterday. We learned a few things, and we took some action! This post describes what happened, and the outcome.…
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| Looking eastward toward the viewing port that Ruben and I had peeked through last week |
OUR SANCTUARY BUILDING includes two long, narrow, enclosed chambers. They run high along the side walls between the ceiling and the roof. About 117’ long, their cross-section is approximately the shape of a triangle whose sides are each about 3’ long.
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| The upper side chambers are underneath the roof troughs that run along the long walls. |
This post (originally published 8/1, now with 5 new photos and more info) lays out our plans for assessing the structural integrity and state of termite activity in these chambers, and for halting any such activity. The work of discovery and treatment is scheduled for August 15.…
DURING THIS MONTH’S REGULAR MEETING, Mishkon’s board of directors passed three facilities-related resolutions. Taken together, the authorize expenditures — as funds are available — up to certain stated amounts for six projects. All of them are slated to be undertaken (at least begun) this summer.
