Approximately eight months later, the Grace Hall roof has been restored to its original condition. It could have been sooner, however, a shipment problem delayed the completion. The roof was replaced with clay tiles and copper drainpipes in the place of a shingle and rubber roof. “These tiles need to be fit perfectly, like a puzzle,” Howard Holden, chief facilities officer, said. “We received a wrong shipment, sent them back and waited for our original request and that took a couple of months. These shipments are sent by boat so that just slowed the process down even more.” According to director of planning design and construction Michael Caranfa, the tiles for the roof were imported from England, not for the look, but “because they were less expensive than ones made locally.” Caranfa claims that the roof will last at least “three times longer,” and will save the reroofing cost “every 25 years.” The clay tiles will last between 50 and 100 years.
The shipping misunderstanding did not cost the school any money. The company took sole responsibility for their mistake.
The reason the roof was replaced was to restore the building back to the original condition and because this roof is a long- lived roofing system. “The old roof was about twenty years old and it was failing miserably,” Holden said. “Grace Hall is such a beautiful building, and the roof really looks great now that we put the new one on,” Holden said.
It also requires no maintenance, other than Mother Nature’s assistance in cleaning, and it will last for over 75 years in comparison to 25 years. “This kind of roof is known not to rust or need any type of replacement for about 75 years,” Holden said. The actual replacement of the roof cost more than a shingle roof but in the end the up-keep costs less, and it is made of a better quality.
The budget for the roof came out of a capital fund that is used for repairs on campus. The Business Office saves the capital fund yearly and they decide how much is needed to be put into the fund each year.
The next step in repairing Grace Hall is to go through and renovate all of the interior tiles. “If you walk through, you can see all of the stained tiles from the water leaks that need to be replaced,” Holden said.
“After speaking with people on campus, everyone says how great Grace Hall looks and that they are really proud of the restoration of the roof,” Holden said.
