The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-07-20
lettering FLOORS
INADEQUATE SEWER CAPACITY
CAUSES FLOORS TO HEAVE.

Due to the inadequacy of the inter
nal sewer capacity for the quantities
of water to be carried at times of
heavy rains. water overflows the
floors of the high school building in
the west wing. Probably one-third
of the total area of the floor in the
gymnasium is at this time buckled
by the effect of the damp, and is
bumped in pillows from the stringers
or joists. In the cabinet shop OF the
manual training department the floor
is in the same condition, having
heaved up under a great load in a
more limited space.
Following heavy rains the water
backs up through the sewer and floor
drain in the boys shower bath room
and runs over the floors into the adj
joining rooms. Janitor Marshall says.
At first il was thought that these
drains and sewers were clogged. Rut
this happens after every considerable
rain. The effect on the floors. which
have not room to swell at the sides.
is TO make them hump. bringing
them far from the firing to which
the boards are nailed.
The sewer pipe diameters within
the building are probably large
enough to carry away any excess
originating within the building it
self. But imposing a greater burden
On these pipes of small diameter is
the construction of the roof cutters.
The great area of the root is for the
most part drained through this inter
nal system. And when the
roof is pouring its flood through the
several yerticle pipes with almost
clear drops. into a small sewer with
a flat slope, il is evident that If
there are any openings il will back
up through them and overflow the
floors. And this is what has occur
red. The result is that floors i'm the
building swell into the humps, and it
is only during the dryer weather OF
fall that they regain their normal
levels.
Cement was laid in the bottoms OF
these rooms before the wood floors
were put in place. 1t is well known
that cement will not keep water from
seeping through from beneath unless
they are waterproofed with asphalt
or pitch. These floors were not wa
terproofed-this precaution was not
called for in the specifications.
lGround damp can come through this
cement and contribute to the floor
condition.
The boiler room of the heating
plant has no drain. Boiler tenders
know that il is necessary to blow the
sediment from the boilers at times,
the frequency of which depends on
the hardness of the water and the
rate of steam evaporation. AT the
high school heating plant the boiler
room has no provision for throwing
the steam and water TO the outside,
nor for carrying il away on the in
side. The janitor has broken a hole
through the floor. and il requires
about two days after the boilers are
blown to drain the water from the
flooded floor.
Achitects do the planning for
buildings in parts of the country the
country the conditions of which they
are not familiar. Then. added to this
they make errors. The errors are
generally smoothed over in some
makeshift n And the public
pays. The conviction is borne i'm on
people that the difference between
business and profession is that the
business man must stand his own
mistakes. while the professional
mans errors are sustained by the
victim.