Work has begun to replace the roof on the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Cathedral rector Father David Boettner explained that the cathedral roof was designed and built with intentionally selected materials and construction methods that would last for many years; however, the roofing subcontractor did not install certain parts of the standing seam metal roof according to construction specifications and further failed to provide a 20-year weather-tight warranty called for in the contract documents.
“The good news is that the roofing subcontractor, under the direction of Merit Construction Inc. and an independent roofing expert, BETEC Inc. from Marietta, Ga., will be replacing the standing seam metal roof in accordance with the construction specifications and the warranty requirements of the contract documents. The diocese and parish will not be responsible for the cost of this corrective work performed,” Father Boettner said in a notice to Sacred Heart parishioners.
The project began in November and is scheduled to take nine to 12 months, depending on weather and other potential schedule impacts. Regularly scheduled Masses and other sacraments and activities will not be interrupted during the project.
“One reason for the duration of this project is to ensure the protection of the contents inside the cathedral. The work will be performed in phases, and each workday will conclude with sealing the envelope of the cathedral so that it remains watertight during the re-roofing and does not allow damage to the inside of the cathedral. The safety of workers and all others on campus is also a priority. I am proud that during the construction of the cathedral, we did not have a single lost-time accident on the project. I encourage you to pray that we will achieve an equally safe result in this endeavor,” Father Boettner said.
Father Boettner noted that there could be some inconveniences during the project, but the work will not take place on weekends when Masses, weddings, and other church activities take place.
