Campus Care

By Ron Burleigh

Hi to All-

Fall is almost here but we are still using and paying for significant A/C cooling.  Along with that, we’ve noticed that a significant increase occurs around this time of year.  So we invited our FPL representative out and have discussed our current billing process and also reviewed whether a change in our billing format would save money.  The answer was NO.  We are still paying less using our current system than the old system.  We will continue to identify areas that we can adjust or change to gain savings while still supporting church short and long range plans.  The last utility bill was over $2,000.  This cost was driven by a high church usage during ‘on peak’ hours (highest usage during any 30 min. period during ‘peak hours’) which establishes the penalty on our entire bill for the month.

And now…

Once around the church…

Church Grounds:

• The oaks were trimmed again above Knox Hall to a height of about 6 feet above the roof this will allow the kind of movement brought on by a hurricane without the limbs being pushed down to the roof and rubbing a hole in our new roof tile.  The ridge vents were found to have caused leaks in both Knox and Calvin Halls these had become clogged with leaves and, with the wind, pushed water up over the rain barrier and into our buildings.  All leaves have been blown clear of the vents and off the roof.  This is an ongoing problem that will continue as long as there are oaks over the building and roof vents.

• The street gutter out in front of Knox Hall was cleaned out from the East to the West parking lot entrances.  The gutter, over time, had become filled with dirt which subsequently supported weed growth.

• The electronic front sign received water infiltration during the hurricane and basically shut itself down on one side and went into a troubleshooting mode on the other.  After a week of troubleshooting it was decided that a full shut down, then a drying out period may fix the problem.  This processed worked and the sign came back up and is operating properly.

• One of the older portocorpus bushes along the Memorial Garden sidewalk died and was replaced.

• The memorial garden received a good cleaning as well as the removal of many older bushes and hibiscus.  The existing azaleas were rearranged to a more pleasing format.

• A major irrigation leak on the pressure side of our grey water system and under our parking lot drive way was discovered and has had the system down for more than 2 weeks.  This leak was finally dug out, located and repaired.  No asphalt work was required.

Chapel:

• It was noted during the last rain storm that two of the 4 roof scuppers were not working properly.  After getting on the roof it was discovered that a pair of socks had been thrown up on the roof and subsequently blocked off the drain hole.  The other was plugged full of oak leaves.  These are now open and working properly.

• New door seals were installed on the entrance door to the chapel as well as the exterior doors to the choir area.  New hydraulic door closers were also installed to replace leaking ones on the main double doors.  The old ones lasted close to 40 years!

• An exterior vent that was letting hot air into the choir room was sealed off to prevent cooling loss in that area.

Calvin Hall:

• Because of significant heating on the East (unshaded) wall of Calvin, BCC has requested a supplemental fan be installed in their high use room to help keep it cool.  A modification will be incorporated in the room electrics to support this request.

• High temps in the Capernaum room have also shown a need to support additional cooling with a supplemental box fan.  Provided.

Knox Hall:

• Ceiling tiles on the main hallway in Knox were damaged due to the roof vent leak during the hurricane.  These tiles have now been replaced.

Fellowship Hall:

• The front and side double doors locks were lubricated and found to be working smooth and properly.

• The old children’s corner was reworked to better define the area at the South West corner of the building.  A bookcase with children’s books was added.

• One of the deep sinks developed a severe leak in the drain area.  The drain basket was removed and new hardware installed.  The drain is now leak free.

• One of the large picture windows in FH has been cracked (by a rock).  We will contact our landscapers to see if any insurance is available to help in its replacement.

Sanctuary:

• Front doors and door locks were lubricated to afford easier key entry.  However, it was noted that some wear in the center door hinges has caused the doors to be out of level just enough to cause them to touch at one point.  This misalignment has caused some minor effect on door operation.  This situation will be monitored for further deterioration.

• After an initial investigation into concerns of wall discoloration, it is of my opinion that there is a minor roof leak above the Brides Room bathroom that has caused staining on the walls in that area.  Screws holding sheetrock in place also are showing severe rusting and have now popped out the plaster hiding them.  The entire roof was recently surveyed and all possible leak areas repaired.  Additionally, the old discolored toilet seat was replaced.

• It was noted during the last rain storm that the main gutters along the front of the Sanctuary had pulled away from the building and were dropping significant water along the wall in that area.  That area of the gutter was refastened and the problem no longer exists.  Additionally, all gutters along the front and on the drive through have been cleaned out for better water flow.

• Major A/C problems were discovered and resolved this month.  A bad thermostat and a leak in one unit were fixed to bring all 4 units back into full cooling mode.  Additionally, one of the two secondary units was also not cooling due to a bad thermostat.  This has also been replaced.  Thanks to Cliff Schmitt for is support in these efforts.

• During the hurricane, water was pushed passed a light fixture and into the South wall of the Sacristy.  This caused some mold on the rear wall to appear.  This has been bleached away and the light fixture resealed to eliminate this problem.

So, until next time I’ll be seeing you around Riverside.