Roof Replacement Appeal (Full Article)

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August 2021

Dear St. Charles Borromeo Parish Family, School Alumni, and all Friends in Christ,

On Monday, June 14, the first day school was closed for the summer, work to replace the shingle roof on the old section of the parish school began. The project was completed in four days. I am writing to ask your support to fund the cost of the new roof. The total cost of this capital improvement came to $75,533.00. We are beginning a “Roof Replacement Appeal” to defray this cost that was not worked into the school or parish budget for this year. Envelopes dedicated to the “roof replacement fund” are included in the envelope packet mailed to active parishioners. Contributions by check can be mailed directly to the parish office, and donations can also be made through the parish’s on-line giving platform that can be reached by clicking here. Special envelopes for this campaign will also be available at the greeter’s table in church. Please note “roof replacement” in the memo line of any contribution by check. We will continue this campaign until we reach our goal. Please consider a regular, monthly gift to the roof fund. All monies contributed to this appeal will stay in the parish and not be counted toward the Archdiocesan assessment. Progress toward our fundraising goal will be tracked in the bulletin, on the website, and on a poster in church.

This roof replacement project is the first capital project and campaign we are undergoing as a parish since I was named pastor in 2018. I would like to share some history regarding the development of the project. For the past several years, every time there would be a severe storm with heavy rain and winds, water would leak through the roof into the classrooms and require costly “emergency” roof repairs. Our maintenance team became concerned that not attending to the problem could lead to structural instability (rotting wood) that would be much harder and more costly to repair down the road. Our long-time roofing company suggested a total roof replacement and submitted an estimate in the fall of 2020 for close to $60,000. Any project with an estimated cost of more than $50,000 needs to be approved by the Archdiocese and requires that at least three bids be obtained for the work. The facilities committee of the School solicited and reviewed bids from two other contractors and recommended Klausmair Construction, the low-bid, for the project. The parish finance committee supported the decision to replace the roof and to accept the recommended bid. The contract was signed the last week in May for $51,750. Klausmair’s bid was valid until May 31 since he was expecting a 15% increase in material costs starting June 1. (The contractors with higher bids were dealing with the same material costs and supply chain issues).

As soon as the work removing the old shingles began, the contractor discovered major damage to the underlying roof sub-framing. After more shingles were removed, it was soon apparent that patching and/or rebuilding of the damaged sub-framing alone would not suffice, but the entire roof would need to be re-sheeted to cover the damage and create a smooth surface on which to lay the new shingles. Unless the re-sheeting work was done, the shingle manufacturer’s warranty would not be guaranteed. The contractor showed me that the old shingles were not in bad shape, but because of the buckling of the roof due to the damage to the sub-framing, water was easily penetrating the roof through gaps in the shingles, further damaging the sub-framing. (He said the roof should have been sheeted in with plywood the last time the shingles were replaced.) The upshot was that the materials to patch the severely buckled areas and the wood sheeting to cover the entire roof added more than $12,500 to the cost of the job, and this unexpected woodwork added more than $11,250 to the labor costs of the job. The good news is that we now have a secure roof that carries a manufacturer warranty of 50 years on material.

For the School’s 100th Anniversary, it got the present of a new roof! I ask you to see this roof replacement appeal as an investment in the long-term sustainability of our parish school and the wonderful Catholic education that takes place under its roof. I ask all parishioners, alumni, and parents of alumni to consider a one-time gift of at least $100 to the roof replacement fund to commemorate 100 years of Catholic education at St. Charles. Any amount you can give to help us reach our goal would be welcomed and much appreciated. The pandemic put a pause on our 100th Anniversary Celebration, but more events will be coming in the Fall. I am grateful for your support and look forward to celebrating with you our achievements as a parish and to honoring the many parishioners, alumni, and friends who have made, with the grace of God, these good works possible.

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Forlano

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