Courthouse roof repair project nearly complete

Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
ROOF REPAIRS — Vinnie Burgos, left, and Adam Wallace work to install new asphalt shingles on the Houlton District Courthouse Friday. The $90,000 roof repair project has been ongoing for the past few weeks to repair leaks in the building.
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — A $90,000 roofing project is nearing completion for Houlton’s District Courthouse.
    Contractors have been working on the courthouse for several weeks, removing the old tin roof, patching holes and installing new asphalt shingles on the mansard roof. A mansard roof — also known as a French roof — is characterized by two slopes on each of its sides, with the upper slope barely visible from the ground.
    “The old tin roof was found to be leaking,” said Doug Beaulieu, county administrator. “It was leaking in a number of areas and it was time for it to be replaced.”
    Beaulieu added some of the water damage was not immediately known because it was leaking into a section of the attic that was not easily accessible.
    “We recognized that we needed a new mansard roof, so we hired an architect to evaluate it and recommend a course of action for us,” he said. “We figured out we had a problem. The court system and the County have put a lot money into this building over the years, so we put the roof on the priority list.”
    Two architects — Robert Kervin of Houlton and Mark Carter of Presque Isle — were consulted and both suggested replacing the tin roof with asphalt shingles. The shingles have a 35-50-year warranty, Beaulieu said. Buildings Etcetera of Houlton was selected as the contractor for the project.
    “We are very happy with the way it is turning out,” Beaulieu said. “The new shingles look great.”
    The roof replacement is the latest in the ongoing efforts to renovate the District Courthouse, originally built in 1859 at a cost of $35,000. Several expansions have taken place over the years. In May of 2008, the state Legislature approved $2.5 million for renovations to improve public space and accommodations throughout the building, including a new courtroom, elevator and other improvements to accessibility.