The Washington County Home will be receiving a new roof, its first since 1976, as one of the projects in a $14.2 million package of county updates and repairs. (Photo by Nancy Taylor)

Flite Freimann, the Wahington County Director of the Department of Job and Family Services, explains that it all started simply enough. Washington County Home Director Deena Green thought it was time to paint the roof of the building. After all, the roof had been on there since the building went up in 1976.

But once that project started, it became obvious the roof needed repairs. And before that project finished, a windstorm this past summer tore a 10-ft by 10-ft hole in the roof that allowed rain to come into a residential part of the building.

Staff quickly cleaned up the storm damage and had the roof patched the next day. But it was obvious that the roof needed more than a simple patch and County Engineer Roger Wright was called in to take a look.

Freimann said he still recalls Wright’s exact assessment after his inspection: “That roof is bad.”

Green and Freimann then visited the county commissioners to relay the news. The commissioners told them the county already was involved in plans to do various repair projects coordinated by the Veregy company in Columbus. They decided it was possible to include the roof in the list.

Since then, Freimann said, a structural engineer has examined the roof and the news is fairly positive. The metal will be replaced, but the trusses and other support elements seem sound. Veregy Senior Project Director Brian Gifford told Freimann the lifespan of that type of roof is normally about 25 years. “So we got an extra 20 years out of ours,” Freimann said.

Freimann says he is impressed that the county commissioners are tackling things that will improve quality of life in Washington County and put it on equal ground with other areas. He’s also reassured by Veregy’s reputation of being able to work capably on projects in medical settings or other places where occupants’ quality of care cannot be compromised by construction activity. “That’s very important to us,” he said. “This is their home.”