By David F. Rooney
The historic courthouse’s 100-year-old copper roof has deteriorated to the point where it requires replacement. Seems like a no-brainer… but do you go with a plastic roof or a new copper one?
Council, which has budgeted $300,000 for the project, voted Tuesday to put the roof repair job out to tender including both the installation of an elastomeric membrane and the copper replacement option. An elastomeric membrane is an acrylic membrane that would coat the existing copper roof, sealing the areas that are deteriorating. An elastomeric membrane would cost about $150,000 and would last about 20 years.
A new copper roof would cost about $313,000 but would last at least 80 years, which was the length of time the original roof lasted before it required repairs in the 1990s.
So what to do? What to do?
Darren Komonoski, operations manager for the Engineering and Public Works Department, told Council he thinks a new copper roof would be the best option.
