Possible temporary solution to MLHS roof troubles found

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake High School roof, repair options and their possible cost were the subject of a presentation during the regular Moses Lake School Board meeting Thursday.

Chief Operations Officer Jeremy O’Neil said the MLHS roof leaks, and over time the leaks have gotten worse. He said the source of the problem lies in the roof materials used when the high school was remodeled in 1997, called a mineral surface rolled system.

“The hallmark of that particular system is low cost,” O’Neil said. “And that low cost comes at a price, and the price is, durability is usually low, and its lifespan is not long. Certainly we’re experiencing all those.”

In a separate memo to the board, O’Neil wrote that the roofing material was applied in pieces that are about four feet by 10 feet.

“That, when coupled with an abundance of roof penetrations - vents, HVAC units, drains, etc. - results in ample opportunity for water to find its way through the aging system,” he wrote. “Furthermore, MSR roofs are notorious for their inability to expand and contract.”

The remodel in 1997 added new construction to existing MLHS buildings, and O’Neil said the leaks are worst where the old and new construction connect.

“You had wood frame structures that used to be separated. The 1997 remodel connected all those with a different building system,” he said.

The older buildings have a higher propensity to settle and shift a little, he said, which increases the possibility of holes in the roof.

District officials have used spot repairs to fix a hole when it’s found, he wrote.

“The magnitude and sheer volume of leaks has made this a race the MLHS team, even with Herculean efforts, have been unable to gain ground in,” O’Neil wrote. “Other tactics have been to remove snow, squeegeeing standing water toward roof drains, and the now well-publicized army of (plastic) trash cans deployed throughout the school to capture the water before it hits the floor, often after the fact and after ceiling tiles have come crashing down.”

O’Neil said district officials experimented in 2022 with a product that might work as a temporary fix. The product was applied to about 10% of the roof, he said, and the repairs cost about $113,000.

“Where we applied that new treatment last summer we’re seeing really, really good results,” he said.

Classrooms along the high school’s 300 hallway were repaired with the new material, and there’s been a noticeable improvement, O’Neil said.

“Last year was abysmal in regard to (leaks) in those classrooms. We have 300 hallway classrooms that are in really good shape. There’s room for reserved optimism,” he said.

“We’re going to run with this because we feel it is the best fiscally responsible repair we have in our tool chest until we come up with a comprehensive solution for that structure,” he said.

The repair would only be a temporary solution.

“Ultimately the question of a more significant roof repair (or) replacement is wrapped into a larger discussion around future design plans for MLHS,” he wrote.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com