An Ohio company denies that it mishandled roofing jobs at two Charleston community centers.
Ohio Valley Spray Foam Inc., of Marietta, denied city claims that it's responsible for water damage at the North Charleston and Martin Luther King, Jr. community centers. The company installed spray-foam roofing at the two centers in 2006 and 2007. Both contracts required a 15-year warranty.
The company has asked that the case, filed in Kanawha Circuit Court, be moved to U.S. District Court.
The city alleges that "the thickness of both the spray foam and urethane coating was insufficient for the application," which led to the majority of the damage on both buildings. It also claims that all existing layers of roof coverings were not removed prior to the spray foam's application and is "a violation of industry standards."
City Attorney Paul Ellis said officials hope the matter can be resolved with the company, "before we have to spend a lot of time and effort in litigation."
In its response to the city's complaint, Ohio Valley claimed the issues were "caused by bird pecking, storm damage, softballs and improper maintenance and plug drains."
The city alleges that no damage at the King Center resulted from birds, and while some small damage at the North Charleston center may be bird-related, the majority is related to improper foam application by the company.
The city also hired an expert firm from Columbus, Ohio, that inspected both roofs and presented reports. Those are being forwarded to the Ohio Valley's attorney and the insurance company, as well as City Council, according to Ellis.
The water damage to the community centers is widespread, affecting their gymnasiums, weight and fitness rooms, restrooms and lounges, according to the complaint.
John Charnock, the city's parks and recreation director, said that when it rains, many rooms in the community centers aren't usable. "They're good at trying to get it cleaned up as it happens," he said of the centers' employees. "We try to catch it in buckets if we can."
The complaint contends that the company breached its contracts with the city by promising the roofs wouldn't leak in its warranty and refusing to fix the leaks that were reported.
"All it's done has gotten worse," Charnock said of the leaks.
Reach Elaina Sauber at elaina.sauber@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-3051 or follow @ElainaSauber on Twitter.