Construction workers install a new roof at the Southwick Fire station in the fall of 2020. (HOPE E. TREMBLAY/THE WESTFIELD NEWS)
SOUTHWICK – The new Southwick Fire Department roof is nearly complete and has passed the test of snow and rain.
The previous roof was faulty and caused water damage to the building for nearly two decades. A year ago, engineering consultants Tighe & Bond recommended the roof and gutters be replaced.
“We’ve only had one snowstorm, but we’ve had significant rain and all is dry,” said Fire Chief Russ Anderson.
The $1.1 million project has just one component left – the oval window.
“We are 99% complete,” Andrson said. “We had a couple of punch list items that were done in the last month but the oval window in the front of the building had some issues, so the flashing is being redesigned.”
Anderson expects it will be complete this spring.
The roof is a polyvinyl chloride memberane roof that has the look of a metal roof. Its life expectancy is 30 years. The station, which was built in 2000, had roof concerns almost immediately.
Anderson said in addition to the roof and gutters, all lights at the fire headquarters were converted to LED. He added that the building is now in good shape for the foreseeable future.
