Sisters Elementary School gets new roof

When students head back to Sisters Elementary School at the end of the month, they'll have a new roof over their heads.

Actually, only the worn and outdated flat portions of the school and gymnasium roof are being replaced in a move the school district hopes will save the district in energy costs.

McDonald and Wetle of Portland is doing the work, laying Malarkey Interply over the cafeteria and gym roofs. Approximately 10,000 square feet of roofing are being replaced at a budgeted cost of $192,000. The project is being funded from proceeds of the sale of the school district's Lundgren Mill property several years ago. Those funds were earmarked mainly for facilities maintenance and repair projects.

Sisters School District's new facilities manager Leland Bliss said the new roofing - which features two thick blocks of insulation with a membrane and a reflective layer over the top - will have an insulation rating of R38, which will boost the school's ability to conserve energy.

"A lot of this is due to energy," he said. "There was little or no insulation here. The huge insulation value should help us out - hopefully save us a bunch of money."

Bliss noted that the roofing crew is giving the roofing a slight pitch to make scuppers perform more efficiently.

The school roof has had some problems in the past, particularly with a small flat section over the lobby, which leaked under snowfall, allowing damage to the lobby ceiling.

"They replaced that roof a few years ago," Bliss said. "It's pretty new."

It remains to be seen, however, how well it will hold up under snow.

"I'm not sure if it's leaking or not," Bliss said.

The new facilities manager came on board in July and stepped right into two major projects. The second is a remodel of Sisters Middle School to accommodate fifth graders, who are moving there this fall.