Slate on the roof

A variety of opinions yields various options

By FRITZ MAYER

JEFFERSONVILLE, NY — Sometimes experts don’t agree. One expert might suggest a roof be repaired for millions of dollars and another expert might be jarred into figuring out a less costly solution. Such was the case when there were varying opinions on the state of the historic 1938 slate shingle roof on the Sullivan West Elementary School building.

The first expert, Bill Hold, said the entire roof should be replaced at a projected cost of nearly $4.4 million. But the idea of replacing the entire roof didn’t sit well with engineer Arnie Bertsche of Honesdale, PA, who is consulting for the Sullivan West school district, because, except for one small spot on the side of a dormer, the roof didn’t leak.

Bertsche explored further and the second expert, Joseph Jenkins, said that only one percent of the roof ought to be replaced at a cost of $495,000. That estimate, said Jenkins, might fluctuate wildly, depending on the conditions encountered once repairs began.

At a meeting of the Sullivan West board of education on February 5, Bertsche said that after inspecting the roof and its various parts more closely and consulting even more experts, he was inclined to follow a path somewhere in the middle.

The roof is 75 years old and many of the slates have lichens on them. He said that didn’t present much of a problem because the lichens could be easily swept away. With a suitable maintenance program, he said, the slate shingles might last another 75 years or longer.

But the copper flashing, under the slate, also 75 years old, did present a problem as it’s nearing the end of its useful life. Copper in other places on the roof, such as the peak of the clock tower, was beginning to develop holes. Bertsche suggested that all the copper on the roof needed to be replaced.

Then, there is the repair of special features to be considered, such as the wood beneath the four 60-inch glass clocks on the clock tower. The clockwork still runs, but none of the clocks keep exactly the same time, so the works should probably be replaced. Also, there is damage to the wood that supports the clocks, so that may need to be repaired with a special kind of epoxy.

Board members Angela Daley and Rose Crotty suggested that the wood be replaced by some of the newer long-lasting plastic products available on the market.

But because the school is on the National Registry of Historic Places, any repairs must be approved by the New York State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Bertsche said SHPO approved of the epoxy method, but would not approve the plastic.

The SHPO matter was discussed at some length, and board member Noel van Swol said, “For esthetic purposes, they could very well require full replacement.”

Supervisor Dr. Kenneth Hilton agreed that SHPO remained an unknown and urged Bertche to find out further what they were likely to approve and what they would block.

The district is hoping for a $600,000 grant from SHPO to pay for the roof repairs, as well as other grants from the state. Hilton said it was possible that there would be enough money from the state that there would be no tax impact on taxpayers.

Bertsch is due to report back to the board in the summer with a recommended scope of work for the project. After that, the matter may be put before district voters in a special election in the fall.