>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

Workers from Upson Roofing Company of Caldwell, Idaho, remove terra cotta roof tiles from Loso Hall. - EOU photo/LAURA HANCOCK

The roof of EOU’s Loso Hall is a prime example.

The building’s terra cotta red roof is being replaced this summer with one that will weigh about 90 percent less but is more energy efficient and is guaranteed to last longer.

The red clay tiles of Loso’s present roof are being replaced with one comprised of identical-looking stone-coated steel tiles. The tiles weigh only 10 percent as much as the clay ones, said Mike Rhodes, EOU’s capital project manager. The steel tiles’ stone coating have a finish which gives them the same terra cotta look the tiles of the present roof have.

The new roof is being installed at a critical time because the clay tiles are breaking up. The tiles, many of which are as old as Loso Hall, which opened in 1990, have not weathered well. The tiles are breaking up because they have absorbed moisture and have not handled the region’s temperature extremes and high winds well.

No water has leaked into Loso Hall because of the roof problem, but it’s only a matter of time before this would have started, Rhodes said.

The roof’s new steel tiles will be much less fragile than the clay ones, Rhodes said.

The new metal roof is guaranteed to last for the life of the building. Had clay titles been used to replace the present ones, the best guarantee EOU would have received would have been 50 years.

The roof will be more energy efficient because an air barrier will be created between the metal tiles and the top of Loso. This will create a dead air space that will prevent heat from escaping the building in the winter and will allow less heat to enter Loso in the summer. This will allow EOU to save money on heating and cooling costs.

NEARING THE SUMMIT: Workers with Upson Roofing Co. of Caldwell, Idaho, remove the clay tiles of Loso Hall’s roof. The tiles will be replaced with stone-coated steel tiles that will have a very similar look. - EOU Photo/LAURA HANCOCK

“It is very green material,’’ Rhodes said.

The cost of installing the steel tile roof, Rhodes said, will be 15 to 20 percent less than it would have been to replace it with clay tiles.

The roof is being installed by Upson Roofing Co. of Caldwell, Idaho, which is being contracted by EOU.

Ron Warnock of EOU is serving as the project manager for the roof renovation project. Kirk Creech, EOU’s director of facility operations, is overseeing the entire project.

The roof replacement work should be complete by Sept. 1, well before fall term classes begin Sept. 29.

Construction equipment will be around Loso Hall while the roof project is being completed but inconveniences to the public should be minor, Rhodes said. A limited number of entrances will be closed periodically during the summer as a safety precaution.