Monday, October 23, 2017

Eudora Welty library flunked leak tests in 2015. Was anything fixed?

The Eudora Welty Library flunked seven of twelve areas of a field test for water leakage in 2015. The Jackson-Hinds Library System hired a Florida company in to determine why the structure was plagued by water leaks. Building Leakage Investigation & Testing (BLIT) reported that the roof membrane did not cover the entire structure, sealant was improperly applied all too often, water damage was causing the mortar to disintegrate, and a host of other problems. The report is posted below.


However, Jackson Ward 2 Councilman Melvin Priester, Jr. told the Clarion-Ledger last week:

But the study is inconclusive, Ward 2 Councilman Melvin Priester Jr. said. The original Sears building wasn't built to have features like a modern air conditioning system. Also, the building's age has made it susceptible to issues with its masonry.Rest of article


Inconclusive? Read the report and see if it is "inconclusive."   Here are some excerpts from the report:

Here are some excerpts from the report:

*During the preliminary inspection of this building conducted on 19 Jun 2015, there were six water leakage areas identified; some of which were actively leaking....

*Third, water leakage did occur through voids in the sealant between the top edge of the TPO roof membrane and the structural brick wall along the parapet walls, the field of the brick walls, underneath the penthouse steel door frame, underneath windows, and underneath brackets installed along the side of the precast parapet caps.  (p.3)

* water is leaking through cracks and deteriorated mortar joints in the structural brick walls. Once water penetrates the structural brick wall, it bypasses the TPO roof membrane and pools on the structural concrete roof where it leaks inside at penetrations through it and cracks or cold joints in it. This was another source that caused water leakage through cold joints in the concrete ceiling by the cargo elevator and below RTU-1.... (p.4)

water is leaking through deteriorated mortar joints, sealant voids, cracks, and improper terminations in the precast parapet caps. Depending upon where these joints have failed determines whether the water leaks into the core of the brick and downward through it or leaks behind the roof membrane onto the structural concrete roof. These areas as well as the improper termination of the TPO roof membrane described above were the sources of water leakage into the operator’s office, the stairwell, and a new area of leakage below RTU-1 as seen in test area 10.  Also, these areas were a source of water leakage by the cargo elevator and below RTU -1 as seen in test area 7.  (p.4)

The third leak into the technology room is being caused by the same conditions discussed in facts four and five above as well as many unsealed penetrations through this structural brick wall above this area that allow water to enter its core and bypass the TPO roof membrane. These penetrations allowing this leakage are the older steel windows with extremely deteriorated sealant, precast sills below the windows with extremely deteriorated sealant and/or mortar, pipe penetrations  without sealant.... (p.4)

while spray testing the exterior brick wall in test area 10, severe water leakage occurred from the head of the storefront windows in Patty’s office. Water leakage such as this only occurs  when water runs down the brick core into their head or bypasses their exterior perimeter sealant at the head. This leak was not reported during the preliminary inspection or the pretest inspection.  However, evidence seen on other windows points to this type of leakage as being a wide spread issue.... (p.4)

* At all parapet walls, extend the TPO roof membrane over the precast parapet cap and down onto its outer face. (p.6)

*The leakage areas are identified in a diagram (p.8).

*One drain (photo #21 on p.14) was not draining properly.  One of the bolts was loose.  Water got on the structural concrete between the drain and the roof insulation.  The roof insulation in this area was not bonded. The retrofit drain was actually lifted out of the drain pipe without loosening the expansion plug.  The plug should have been loosened before the drain was removed.  Thus no water-tight seal existed in this area. 

 *Mortar was "heavily deteriorated in several areas.

The report is 92 pages. Here is a list of some of the relevant pages.

P. 13, Photos 16,17,18
P. 14, Photos 20,21,22,24
P. 15, Photo 30
P. 16, Photo 32, 33
P. 27, all photos
P. 29, all photos
P. 30, photos of the outside walls and mortar
P. 31, photos of wall and where membrane meets wall.
P. 32, Photo 117. Sealant “poorly applied”
P. 36, Photo 137, 138, 143, 147
P. 42, Photo 170,172, 178, 179
P. 45, Photo 185,186
P. 48, Photo 196, 199
P.53: You won’t believe this.
P.55-56 Roof drain doesn’t work.
P. 50: Photos show extent of mortar disintegration
P. 63: Water dripping out of ceiling cracks
P. 67: It gets ugly.
P. 72: Sealant applied to end of roof membrane fails
P. 77: Gaskets weren’t used where required.
P. 81: Roof membrane is open at one corner
P. 82: Just look at the photos, especially 374
P. 85-92: Pictures of wall inspection

Inconclusive, indeed.

Kingfish note: The parties present for the tests were Philip Barnes (COJ), Carl Buckner (COJ), Mike McBride (JBHM Architecture), and Chris Creely of Central Roofing.  It is interesting that Mr. Creely was hired to perform the work on the roof because his company no longer existed when this inspection was conducted.  The Secretary of State's website reports that Central Roofing was dissolved on December 20, 2014.  Mr. Creely was convicted of bank fraud ten years ago.



16 comments:

Anonymous said...

they needed a study to conclude there are holes in the roof that water falls through??????? asinine...

Anonymous said...


I believe the facility can be saved. It will be cheaper to fix the problems rather than relocate. I understand that the Library Director hired a State Senator to help with a possible relocation if it becomes necessary. It appears to me that The Senator who is a Real Estate Broker may have a conflict of interest brewing. I smell a rat !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Louis LeFleur said...

Is this the same Florida company that installed a new, but defective, roof within the last year or so?

Anonymous said...

Priester, have noticed that BabyChok just says anything that comes to mind in order to create the pretense of sounding authoritative, has apparently decided to do the same.

Anonymous said...

the problem is you have companies that think they can install tpo roofs because they are supposedly easier and lest costly than built up roofs and they can't. Anyway it was really bad workmanship. Which makes it even worse there are several companies in the metro who could have done the work gave it a warranty and stood behind their work. The longer the leaks go on the more structurally unsound the building becomes.

Anonymous said...

Move the Welty to Farish Street.

Anonymous said...

2:55pm, how many leaks on large buildings have you run down and repaired. It can literally be at the other end of the building from where the water shows up. These are the types of studies that are necessary to fix a problem, not just pay a buddy.

Anonymous said...

3:02, wasn't that the idea when they hired some flunkies to put a new roof on?
Any money spent on the library now will end up just like the money used to put a new roof on to begin with.
Do you actually think there are amore honest people in charge today than they were back when they let out the contract for a new roof?

Kingfish said...

BBMK was the company that did the original work after the hailstorm. Good luck finding out who the subs were. The city awarded a master contract for the repair of hail damage to 16 buildings to BBMK.

Anonymous said...

Whose names are on the Central Roofing filing at MS SOS?


Name History
Name Name Type
Central Roofing, Inc. Legal
Business Information
Business Type: Profit Corporation
Business ID: 952150
Status: Dissolved
Effective Date: 07/13/2009
State of Incorporation: Mississippi
Principal Office Address: 101 First Choice Dr
Madison, MS 39110

Registered Agent
Name
Creely, Joseph C
102 Coventry Cove
Madison, MS 39110

Officers & Directors
Name Title
W. Briggs Hopson, Iii
1201 Cherry Street
Vicksburg, MS 39183

Incorporator
John R Burks
101 First Choice Dr
Madison, MS 39110

Director, President
Joseph C Creely
101 First Choice Dr
Madison, MS 39110

Director, Vice President


It's not a Republican legislator?

Can't make that chit up!

Also is Arrow LLC (a current corporate entity apparently) dba Central Roofing as suggested by the current MS Contractors License search? http://www.msboc.us/Detail.cfm?ContractorID=20256&ContractorType=Commercial&varDataSource=BOC&Advanced=0

Anonymous said...

A question no one has addressed: how many people use the facility on a daily or monthly basis? (With our chronic lack of money, it might be time to sell it ... if there was someone to sell it TO.)

Anonymous said...


7:07, I do not know any of the names mentioned---are any of them legislators or former legislators????????

Anonymous said...

The TPO sheet goods should have extended up the brick wall and then been counter flashed with a metal cap over that and the parapet wall. The drains should also have been permanently affixed for water tightness. The jackass in charge was a scamming trainwreck. Any moron doing this type work knows exactly what I am talking about. Normally you do not need to know anything about roofing as a working roofer automatically knows to do these things. This is just your standard garden variety jackass.

When this report says it is leaking because of a mortar joint, you know the person writing it is involved in the coverup. Yes, I am a contractor and I hate people in my business who do not do the right thing. Plenty of money out here for honest completed work.

Anonymous said...

How much did the study cost? Who authorized it?

Anonymous said...

You're right, 7:28. I own office parks, and have NO problems with membrane roofs. Then again, I have sense enough to not cut corners where such things are concerned. And, even though I delegate most tasks, I'm certain to have people up on the roof, sending me real-time video/images of what's going on. The City of Jackson, apparently, could not be bothered with such things (not that they would have understood what they were looking at...).

And, as you said, the veneers of buildings are not expected to repel all moisture. More than once, I've had cross-section wall details explained to me, which showed time-tested provisions for "weeping"/condensation, etc. These things are expected (and have been standard, for more than a century), and competent contractors/renovators, know not to negate such vital components of a building's "skin".

Anonymous said...

>>>The city awarded a master contract for the repair of hail damage to 16 buildings to BBMK. <<<

How many of the 16 buildings have had a survey such as was done at the library to assess the roof conditions after the repairs?

Wondering if the library is an outlier or the typical situation.



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