Canterbury library left to fall into disrepair

A damning report has revealed the extent of the damage that led to the abrupt closure of the Selwyn's Leeston Library.

The report, which led the council’s senior management team to make a decision to close the Messines St library late last month, pointed to many areas where water was making its way into the building and cited a lack of maintenance.

The council had been applying temporary solutions for a number of years to try and maintain the building until its replacement Whata Rau is built in 2027.

The library and service centre will move to a temporary building on High St from May 5 until Whata Rau is built.

The medical centre and Plunket will continue to operate in the building as where they are has been deemed safe.

Severe water leaks and mould were discovered in late January when roof repairs were being completed. This led to the council ordering a report from building consultants Maynard Marks.

The extensive report outlines two main points of failure – the roof and cladding.

“The membrane roof and TCFC (texture coated fibre cement) cladding to both the library and medical centre are in an advanced state of disrepair allowing moisture to enter the interior of the building,” the report said.

TCFC cladding was commonly used in the 1990s but over time it can be prone to cracking when moisture penetrates the outside layer.

Part of the cladding showed a “very high” moisture content reading of 75% when it was tested.

Despite the council doing patchwork repairs, the cladding is now starting to fail.

“Although some temporary repairs have been undertaken which have temporarily prevented further water entry, these repairs are also starting to deteriorate and fail.”

Community facilities and services executive director Denise Kidd said the council is well aware of the building’s issues.

“Throughout this time, we have implemented a strategy of ongoing monitoring and responsive maintenance, including targeted patch repairs and short to medium term remediation exercises.  

“Council undertook this approach to ensure the building was safe and functioned as it should, allowing us to maintain library and service centre services for the community,” Kidd said.

Alongside the cladding and roof issues, the report also noted the sunshade awnings attached to the library had several design and construction defects that allowed moisture to enter.

It also found the metal roof flashing covers had been installed flat with no falls to drain moisture away.

There was also no sealant between the joints of the flashings, allowing moisture to enter the roof.

The report also found electrical cables had punctured the roof membrane. It raised questions about the building’s future, given the extensive remediation required if it is to be used again.

“The only option viable to achieve long-term weather tightness and compliance with the building code would to be remove and replace the membrane roof, including the plywood substrate and the TCFC cladding including the plywood (pre-cladding) Rab board,” the report stated.

Said Kidd: “We will do what is necessary to manage the safety of the tenants and public while we consider and plan in relation to the medium and long-term future of the building.

“This includes the demolition of the library portion of the building, subject to the appropriate consent process, as well as some remediation work and earthquake strengthening to the part of the building that houses the medical centre and Plunket. 

“Council staff regularly meet with the medical centre and Plunket to keep them abreast of progress.”

Kidd said the cost of the repairs and demolition was yet to be determined.