Work on a project to replace the aging roof at the Carter County Courthouse is scheduled get underway on Monday.
Carter County Mayor Leon Humphrey said the roof on the original part of the courthouse — the portion facing the monument — is around 40 years old while the roof on the newer portion of the building is about 30 years old.
“We’re way beyond the life expectancy of any roof,” Humphrey said adding typically fiberglass shingle roofs only have a life of around 20 years.
Over the years, Humphrey said the courthouse has experienced some leaks and other issues with the roof. “We’ve patched it to the point that it’s unfeasible to continue on,” he said. “It was time to replace it. It’s just regular maintenance.
“It has served us well,” Humphrey added.
The project will replace the entire shingled portion of the roof. There is a flat portion of the roof which is not included in the project, Humphrey said.
Leonard Roofing, based in Bristol, Va., submitted the lowest bid for the project — coming in at just over $40,700 — and was awarded the contract by the county.
The project specs use a different type of composite shingle, which Humphrey said are high quality and will maintain the historic look of the Carter County Courthouse, which is part of Elizabethton’s Historic District.
“It comes with a 50-year limited warranty,” Humphrey said. “It’s supposed to be a really good shingle.”
Originally, work was expected to begin on Thursday, but Humphrey said the project was delayed until Monday due to the work crew from Leonard Roofing experiencing some unforeseen difficulties on the job site they were hoping to finish on Wednesday in order to be ready to start the courthouse project.
“They are estimating it will take six to seven days to complete the roof here,” Humphrey said.
Some parking areas around the courthouse may be disrupted during various times of the project as the crew sets up their staging area for work.