After years of roof leaks, a new roof is being put on the VA Building - Laurelbrook’s main classroom building. Independent Roofing Systems, a commercial roofing company managed by alumni Jeremy Shull, is doing the actual roof replacement, but Laurelbrook students and staff members are heavily involved in the roof project.

Several things have been done to make the work of the roofing crew easier. First, many of the porch roofs have been removed before the roofing crews arrived. Next the walls right above the roof needing plaster, particularly the walls of the new auditorium addition right behind the auditorium platform, has been plastered by a crew directed by staff member Robert Magee. Finally, staff member Clifton Brandt went to Atlanta on Friday to pick up a machine for shaping the metal roofing and some other additional roofing supplies.

Once the roofing crew arrived, Laurelbrook students and staff members began helping removing old roofing, forming the new roofing, and carrying the roof items up to the roof area itself.

The new roof is a beautiful green and will carry a company warranty.

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TUESDAY, October 17, 2006

Unfortunately, rain yesterday prevented the roofing crew from getting as much done as they should – it started raining in late morning. Last night the rain was even worse with power outages and limbs down. Power was completely out for a time in the early morning hours after a period of low voltage.

Consequently, the VA Building roof, only partly replaced, leaked in dozens of places. The main hallway was unusable due to standing water, the junior-senior classroom was not much better, the publications office had some water damage with equipment being moved to get at the water, and the girls’ bathroom was not in good shape (girls had to use the cafeteria building or their own dorm bathroom). Ironically, the new roof had been finished over the boys’ bathroom so it didn’t leak for the first time in years. Freshmen and senior classes were held in the freshman-sophomore classroom and in the computer lab. Individualized instruction was moved to the back of the auditorium where there was a convenient desk. Fortunately, with the power outage and low current during the night, the computer lab and the school office equipment was not damaged.

Chuck Hess, Fred Douville, Shane Carr, David Moses, and student helpers spent the morning (and early morning hours) vacuuming up water, putting equipment and furniture out of harm’s way, and cleaning up the remains of the ceiling tiles.

Later in the day, the rain slackened off, and the roof crews resumed work on the roof of the classroom section of the building.

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Wednesday, October 18, 2006

This morning the fog was extremely heavy, much as it had been early Tuesday morning. But as soon as the fog burned off, the day was almost like a spring day.

The roofers finished most of the lower part of the VA Building and did over half of the auditorium roof. While the professional roofers did their work, students and staff members helped in many ways. Students loosened up the old roof panels, helped clean up the VA Building internally, helped cart away the trash from the roof project, haul the newly formed roof panels up to the roof itself, being to replace ceiling panels damaged in yesterday’s rain and work, and clean up the various parking areas around the building.

Brian Traxler, EASEA’s director of education, came up from Chattanooga and helped with the roofing project.

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Friday, October 20, 2006

Yesterday was a rainy day, but the roofing crews and their campus helpers worked on as far as possible. A few leaky areas were discovered in the new roof, primarily where the metal sheets joined or at the roof peak. Staff members and their helpers worked into the evening, forming up the roofing sheets for the rest of the job so the rented machine could be returned to Atlanta.

This morning there was a light rain, which quit by noon. Its place was taken by fog as so often happens when the weather is changing (the weather tomorrow is supposed to be sunny).

The porch roof covering the entryway into the school offices, classrooms, and the auditorium and the roof over the auditorium addition was mostly completed. Guttering, a lower porch, and odds and ends remain to be done.

It is good to have the building covered with a decent roof.

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Sunday, October 22, 2006

Today has been a fairly nice day with some wind. Forecasts called for a 40% chance of rain, but none has yet showed up.

The auditorium addition roof has been completed. Most of the problems discovered during the rain storm yesterday have been corrected. The roofers are working on the lower porch leading to the second floor of the building and plan to have it done by the time they quit so they can head back to Colorado.

It is good to have the building covered with a decent roof. Everyone concerned would like to thank Jeremy Shull and his workers for taking their time to do the job.