The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1938-12-01
Jackson Architects
Give Unbiased And
Report
True Stote Of Durunt
School Building Is
Revealed. Therein

Soard of Trustees
Durant' City Schools
Durant, Mississippi
Gentlemen:
On inspection of your High School
Building, we submit the following
report for your consideration.
We do not find any serious or
structural defects that would make
this building unsafe with two minor
over the old structure should be re-
inforced on the lower cord. This re-
enforcement should be in the form
Of several bolts placed through this
member. This bottom member has
been pulled apart due to expansion
or settlement of the building. In
placing these bolts in the bottom
member Of this truss, it will be neces-
sary to hand a few ceiling joists
These could be strapped over truss
with metal straps. The other item
that should be corrected is in the
first grade section of the addition
The two sections between the col
umns in this room should have sup
ports placed at their center points
if the construction above is similar
10 what we could examine. AS this
ceiling was in place, 1t was impossi-
BILE to make a detailed examination
Of this and as same is now sagged
we believe il advisable to place 6 x E
wood column al middle of each span
With these corrections, we believe
ne building to be structurally safe
The following defects were noted.
The roof over the real has COM
pletely failed. This root should be
removed and replaced if 0 contem-
plate using this building for any
length of time. The ROOT should be
replaced after removing the old roof
and not placed over the old roof as
the framing of this section is very
light between the trusses and we
wouldn't put any more load on this
roof that that now exists.
The entire gutter works needs re-
working as the entire cutters are
leaking. Possibly the best method
of correcting the leaks in these gut
tiers will be to place a fabric mem
brane over the metal work cement
cd to 4ha.aanae ~rith roofer's cement
This would be only temporary cor
rection. All down spouts are defec-
tive and are emptying a great deal
Of water on foundation walls. The
down spouts should be carried to
the ground that the water can be
taken away from the foundation as
quickly as possible.
The worse condition found in the
building is the lighting. The arrange
ment of windows and rooms make
the lighting for class work entirely
inadequate. As there is no method
of correcting this lighting except with
artificial light and at expense thai
we feel is not justifiable, we can not
recommend that this correction be
attempted. No doubt with the ex-
listing lighting a good many of your
students will suffer from eye trouble
Should a student be. placed on the
dark side of one of these class rooms
for a continued period we feel the eye
strain would be sufficient to perma-
nentiy damage his sight.
The electric wiring is all together
inadequate and with the present wir-
ing it would be impossible to prop
eriy light this building.
The boilers in your heating system
are working in fair shape at the
present time and are very expen-
sive to operate. Though they may
last several years they are likely to
give trouble ait any time. AS long
as these boilers are working as they
are now, we would not recommend
making any change on them.
We note that in several class rooms
the floors sag. This is due to long
spans % to % with 2 x II joists ~
on center. We do not feel that this
situation is dangerous but is just
poor construction.
The location of the boiler room
With a wood ceiling over the same
incurs a fire hazard. The exits from
G building are in good shape but
due to the building being three sto.
ries high, we feel that it is not an,
too safe should a fire occur while i
is fully occupied.
There are two leaks in the mair
roof on the front section, n at tbs
chimney and the other where thu
new and old building join. Thes'
leaks could very easily be ~correctet
with a little elastic cement for
temporary correction. One section
Of roofing was blown off the tower
this should be replaced.
The doorway between the Cafe.eri'
md kitchen should have a lente
I placed above same as ar old win
J dow frame has been removed to maxi
this door.
The floring in the old section 0
he building is in bad shape but w
30 not feel that same should be re
placed as it would be a total los
should a new building. be erected.
The plumbing is very unsanitar
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