Protect our history, preserve our community

As you may know, the Township was very close to awarding a demolition contract for the Willows Cottage a month ago. Thank heavens Diane Edbril spoke up at the meeting and the decision was made to do a little investigation. Below is the text of a report prepared by several folks who recently toured the property:

2. There is evidence of moisture damage to the gatehouse:

a) It was noted that the building is situated next to the stream. Due to this proximity it is likely that the water table rises above the level of the basement floor periodically. When this occurs, water will find its way through the foundation into the basement. To remedy this condition two sump pumps are installed in the basement. The sump pumps are not currently operating, allowing standing water to accumulate in the basement (approximately 3 inches in depth at the time of this visit). Because this has been allowed to collect, it has created an excessive humidity/moisture problem in the house, causing mold in the stairway and the paint to peel off many surfaces. Repair or replacement of the sump pumps is necessary to remove the standing water. The interior and exterior paint peeling is an indicator of “moisture migration” due to the high humidity of the building’s interior and large temperature/relative humidity variations caused by the inoperative heating system and de-humidifier.

b) The situation of water entering the basement is partly due to the terrain surrounding the building. Presently there is a slight negative slope in areas so water pools around the house. A positive slope is desired – one that slopes away from the building. To prevent water running towards the building and infiltrating its structure, a simple solution is to re-grade the area around the house. Where this may not be feasible, a perimeter drain would be the answer. This condition is greatly exacerbated by clogged downspout drains. All downspout drains are clogged. A great proportion of the rainwater is running off the roof drains directly into the basement instead of away from the building. It is unlikely that these drains could be cleared. It should be expected that their replacement will be necessary. The downspouts are also in need of minor repair.

c) Although the heating system, hot water heater and de-humidifier are elevated off the basement floor and were above the standing water level at the time of the visit, there may be water damage to them due to higher levels of the standing water in the past.

d) Mold damage was not excessive – primarily limited to the stairwell area. It was noted that this appears to be a case where it can be re-mediated without difficulty or great expense.

3. Solutions necessary to remediate the water problem:

a) Pump out the water in the basement

b) Repair or replace and operate the sump pumps. Insure they are draining properly away from the building. (It appears that one is draining into the soil line.)

c) Repair the downspouts and repair or replace downspout drains.

d) Re-grade areas around the perimeter of the house to create a positive slope and/or install a perimeter drain.

e) Take the necessary actions to insure the heating system and de-humidifier are operable and heat the home to a minimum of 55 degrees while it is vacant. Operate the de-humidifier in the basement to lower and stabilize the humidity level in order to prevent the growth of mold.

f) Remediate the existing mold growth in the effected areas.

g) Create a checklist and schedule periodic visits to insure the functionality of the building’s protective systems.

4. Upper floor windowsill repair/replacement is needed. This appears to be a neglected routine maintenance issue, not a water-related one.

The overall good news is the building appears structurally sound. The water damage appears to be superficial, and rather simple and inexpensive to solve. The roof and its supporting structure were apparently in good condition and there is no evidence of roofing or flashing related water penetration.

So why can't we protect and preserve important places that define our community?

Many folks tend to focus on Open Space and Development, which is a good BUT I believe redevelopment and carelessness regarding special places posses just as great a risk to changing our community.