BUCKFIELD – Residents from Buckfield, Hartford and Sumner will be asked on June 17 if a $93,000 bond referendum to replace the roof at the Buckfield Jr./Sr. High School should be issued.
The current roof, which is 12 years old, came with a 30-year warranty but continually needs to be patched as a result of cracking and delaminating shingles. Keeping ahead of the patching required to keep the roof from leaking is impossible, according to Judy Bennett, director of maintenance for SAD 39.
The shingles, manufactured by GAF Materials Corp., are made of fiberglass and have proven not suitable for cold climates.
The SAD 39 Building Committee, chaired by Larry Brown of Buckfield, has met with independent contractors and building inspectors. Together job specifications were written and the job put out to bid.
Cowette’s Roofing Co. of Bath was awarded the contact pending district approval at the June 17 referendum vote. Cowette’s is offering a shingle made by the IKO Group, makers of asphalt shingles with a 50-year warranty.
Superintendent William Shuttleworth with the support of the SAD 39 school board has secured a $93,000 loan from Maine Bond Bank, pending district-wide approval to borrow the money. According to Shuttleworth, the money borrowed will be over a 10-year period and the cost to local taxpayers will be about $10,000 annually.
The total amount of funds needed for the project is $115,004.
The GAF Materials Corp. has since filed bankruptcy and in the process a settlement agent was assigned to the company. The company was ordered to pay SAD 39 $28,986 of this $6,982 will be put aside to use as a cushion in the event of unanticipated repairs to the underlayment, roof ridges or ventilation system. Shuttleworth said in the event that the $6,982 is not needed, this money would be applied to the principal balance.
Shuttleworth said the leaking the roof has caused minor damage to the gymnasium floor, and according to Bennett, replacing the gymnasium floor would cost the district a minimum of $35,000. Air quality is another concern. Water damage could result in the growth of mold and mildew spores, poor air quality rendering the building useless.
More information, handouts and photos will be at town halls and local businesses. To learn more about IKO shingles, visit http://www.ikogroup.com/.
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