Thanks to repairs being made to leaks in the Hudson HealthCenter, University of Memphis students will no longer have to wearhip boots to see the doctor.
Physical Plant crews have stripped bricks from the health centerto complete waterproofing repairs started about two years ago, saidproject manager Bill Underwood.
"Leaks have been a nuisance at the Health Center for years,"Underwood said. "They have damaged carpet, flooring, sheetrock andvarious other items.
"Anytime water infiltrates a building, mold becomes a concern.Preventive actions, such as those occurring now are necessary forthe integrity of the building and safety of its users."
The leaks were probably caused by age-related deterioration,said Physical Plant communications specialist Drew Schmitz.
"Some parts of the building are below grade, which can be acontributing factor," he said.
Wall leaks, which have plagued the health center for nearlyeight years, temporarily closed five of the center's six exam roomsat a time until the north side of the building was repaired over 18months ago, said Wayne Capooth, medical director.
"We did have a mold problem from the moisture," Capooth said."But that problem has been resolved. This is the finishing of theproject."
Although the bricks facilitated no leaks, they had to be removedto fix defects in the concrete wall underneath, Underwood said.Crews will finish the building with new bricks. The $99,000project, funded by U of M maintenance monies, will be completed byAug. 31.
"We've had complaints about the noise," Schmitz said. "It's beenquite disruptive. But we've been working with everyone to make itas unobtrusive as possible."
The noise has caused only minor inconveniences at the healthcenter, Capooth said.
"We had to move some patients to different rooms when (crews)were removing the bricks," he said.
Two years ago, crews installed new windows and repaired thenorth side of the student health center, Underwood said. Work iscurrently being done to complete the south side.
"The University has been very responsive in dealing with thisproblem," Capooth said.
