The Roberts Creek Community Association will be moving forward with the roof replacement project at the Roberts Creek Community Hall in mid-March 2020, weather permitting. With full funding now secured through RCCA fundraising efforts, which include generous donations from community members and the Sunshine Coast Community Forest Legacy Fund, the goal is to ensure that the 85-year-old, heritage-designated hall is maintained in good condition for future generations.
Five local roofing contractors bid on this project, with bids ranging between $86,798 and $112,700. After careful consideration, the RCCA has selected Tantalus Roofing as the roofing contractor. We are confident in their ability to complete the project in a timely and efficient manner.
Leaks began in the main hall in 2017 (primarily in fall and winter), which resulted in large pools of water on the beautiful new floor. The attic is also leaking. The strength of the rainfall coupled with the wind direction affects the volume of these leaks. Leaks began in the kitchen approximately 10 years ago and were stopped by rerouting the roof water corridors away from bad areas. A tree fell on the roof in the spring of 2017, puncturing it in numerous places, which were subsequently patched. We spent last spring looking carefully at the roof with a wide variety of professionals, gathering their advice on what the best plan of action would be. Restoration technicians advised us that daylight can be seen from some parts of the attic – that definitely spurred us on!
The current aluminum roof was installed over the old shakes approximately 40 years ago. The shakes underneath are likely original. We do not know how many layers of shakes are underneath the aluminum but the roof is visibly lumpy. The placement of the aluminum over the shakes was perhaps a cost-saving measure at the time but was not a long-term fix, leading us to where we are today. When the roof comes off in the spring we will be able to assess if any structural repairs are needed and undertake them promptly if found. A local toxic remediation professional has already advised that there is no asbestos in the attic, which is great news. The current furnace is an electricity-gulping 50,000-watt behemoth in the basement that is in desperate need of an upgrade. The BC Hydro bills during the winter months are unsustainably high. An HVAC system will provide much smarter heating and cooling of the hall, with much less electricity consumption.
Community members have shown immense support. There have been numerous Raise the Roof challenges, including concerts, farmers’ markets, country fairs, and even burlesque events. A Raise the Roof GoFundMe account raised over $45,000 over the past two years from nearly 60 generous donors. All funds donated by community members will be put directly towards the new roof.
– By Sarah Bradley, RCCA President
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