Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – Heavy rain last Wednesday caused a portion of the Zippel Elementary School roof to leak.
According to SAD 1 Superintendent Gehrig Johnson, a leak in the membrane over the school lobby caused water to enter the building in the late afternoon. “We had about $200 damage and six ceiling tiles were stained,” said Johnson. “A tarp had to be put up to fix the roof, but everything’s back to normal now. It cost $200 to patch the roof, and the tiles have since been replaced.”
Water also entered Principal Sharon Brown’s office.
“The water got on her rug,” Johnson said, “but we aired that out. Her computer was unplugged immediately, so we didn’t have to replace anything in her office.”
Johnson said the structural integrity of the roof is fine.
“It’s not a new roof, but it’s not one of the oldest ones either,” he said. “It’s a rubber membrane so it’s hard to say what the problem was. Maybe someone stepped on it wrong.
“Our roofs are flat, so things happen,” said Johnson. “There were no signs of any problems; the water just started pouring in. Most of our leaks just happen … there’s no warning signs. However, school wasn’t disrupted because of the leak, so we’re not too worried about it. It could have been a lot worse.”
Johnson said leaks typically happen in the spring, which are attributed to ice backup.
