Paul Murphy, Dean of Students, warned students of possible damage to buildings due to the buildup of snow and ice in an email sent on Thursday. In the email, Murphy advised students to inform their house counselors of any possible signs of water damage.
Murphy was prompted to send the email at the advice of the Office of the Physical Plant (OPP), said Betsy Davis, Associate Director of Capital Projects.
“The record breaking storms we have had this winter have left large volumes of snow on roofs all over campus. The OPP teams, along with some outside contractors, have been working hard to remove snow from roofs to alleviate the loads on the structures and prevent damage to the interiors,” wrote Davis in an email to The Phillipian.
Students should be aware of any possible leaks in their walls or ceilings, or any dampness or wetness, as these could be signs of water damage, said Davis.
Davis said that damage to buildings usually occurs as a result of ice dams. According to Davis, if melted snow makes its way through the roof or walls of a structure, there is the possibility of damage.
“We are seeing this sort of damage in a variety of buildings around campus, and the extent of damage varies. The most common problem we are seeing is leaking from ceilings and around windows. The most effective way to address this problem is to remove the snow and any ice dams that have formed to prevent water from building up on roofs and damaging interiors,” said Davis.
Davis said that while OPP has been working throughout campus to prevent the buildup of ice dams in cases where damage has already occurred, OPP will patch and repaint walls and ceilings. The majority of this work will take place over spring break.
