Tuesday, July 23, 2024
In March of this year, workers from A*R*C*Hitexture Roof Coatings finished giving the northwest dome another coat of Omni-Clad, which is a polyurethane coating which provides seamless waterproofing. Concerned that the color of the newly restored dome would match the remaining three domes, the Omni-Clad coating was described as “terra cotta” in color and appears to be a perfect match.
After the dome and the surrounding base were repaired, the dome was coated with four coats of a neoprene base, which is black and known as PermaLastic Plus, a rubber-based sealant.
While repair work was being done on the dome and after the sealant was applied, rain began to fall in Gatesville. That was the best opportunity for the roofing company and county officials to examine the attic of the courthouse to make sure the sealant was doing the trick and water wasn’t leaking in the building. The repair work was deemed to be a success and was guaranteed for 25 years.
Upon examination in recent months, it was determined that there were a few problems. According to Gregory Cole, owner of A*R*C*Hitexture Roof Coatings, “The finish red terra cotta (which was applied last) did not stick on the horizontal and vertical seams of the dome.” According to Cole, the neoprene base, which is black in color “hadn’t had enough time to cure and it shrinks, so when that happened, it shrunk and pulled away. When we did it, we coated it too soon. They didn’t let it cure enough, and when they thought they did, they didn’t.
Cole said, “We’re going to slow down and get the job done. We’re looking at a month. It may drag on a little longer than we want.” Trying to avoid a boom to reach the dome, the crew has installed make-shift scaffolding around the dome.
Work is now underway on the northwest dome once again to apply more of the neoprene to the seams and to allow for a longer time for the coating to cure. County Commissioner of Pct. 3, Ryan Basham, said “They’re going to be very careful about it – the seals and seams. It’s under warranty. I’m sorry that it happened, and they have to come back to fix it, but I’m glad it’s under warranty, and it’s not going to be costing us.”
Another project that was recently completed at the courthouse was the replacement of the ducting in the ceiling on all floors of the courthouse. The building just wasn’t cooling enough even after the replacement of the air conditioning units.
“They tried to clean the ducting and come to find out, the ducting is about 50 years old. A lot of the offices weren’t very cool, and when they start to take the old ducting down, I went by to look at it, and it was pretty bad. They’re doing the entire building. They said that they haven’t made that type of ducting since the mid to late 1970s,” Basham said. He added, “They also cleaned the air conditioning coils and put in new fans in addition to the duct work.”
After getting some quotes, it was decided that Dirty Ducts in Waco would be chosen to replace the ducts on four different levels of the courthouse at a cost of $32,000. The company provides duct cleaning for homes and businesses in the greater Waco, Temple, DFW, and Austin areas. The duct work at the courthouse was completed within a week.
