Is it true about the Ontario Science Centre closure? Unfortunately, yes. The Science Centre closed temporarily on June 21 following an engineering report that found serious structural deficiencies with the roof of the 55-year-old building. According to report findings, a “small percentage of the Centre’s RAAC roof panels had degraded to the extent that they’re at high risk of collapse come winter.” The Centre likely won’t be open again in new premises until 2028.
Repair costs for the Ontario Science Centre
The estimated repair costs for replacing or reinforcing the science Centre’s deteriorated roof panels are nearly a half-billion dollars. While the focus has been on the roof, funds are also needed for a backlog of other critical infrastructure repairs, including a vital pedestrian bridge that has been closed since 2022 and a heat line failure. These costs don’t factor in that the 800,000 tourists and school children who visit the Centre annually will miss this go-to educational activity for years.
A backlog of maintenance problems doesn’t happen all at once. After leaving multiple problems to fester, the Centre must now create a plan (and come up with the budget) to repair its infrastructure issues.
Other public Ontario facilities and schools at risk for closure
Unfortunately, there’s more bad news. The Ontario Science Centre is far from the only public facility in Ontario to use the roofing materials found responsible for the Centre’s unsafe roof conditions. Panels of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) were mostly used in flat roofing in the 1960s and early 1970s to form the floor deck and the ceilings below.
When there are issues with RAAC and other substrates, you may need to replace a roof before the end of its estimated useful life. For example, phenolic insulation issues can cause a chemical reaction that accelerates corrosion of metal deck substrates. The lesson is that you can’t ignore issues related to a substrate’s condition. Inspections play a role, because these issues are often not exposed or visible to the eye.
An investigation has revealed that 400 public Ontario schools and other public sector facilities also use RAAC roofing panels. How many are at risk for serious and unsafe deterioration, and how many will need to be closed or risk collapse? The bigger the deferred maintenance backlog, the greater the risk for infrastructure problems.
Highlighting the problem of postponing maintenance
Deferred maintenance can happen when there are too few funds, people, or other resources to handle maintenance projects promptly. As a maintenance backlog expands, problems can become compounded–and eventually unmanageable.
While several factors likely contributed to the Centre’s ultimate closure, allowing its maintenance backlog to escalate was certainly one of the culprits. Are you at a similar risk of needing to shut down or restrict operations because maintenance problems have piled up? While the short-term savings of putting off large projects like new roofing may be attractive for building owners, the Centre points out the long-term risks.
Budgeting sometimes calls for postponing maintenance—but when is this a sound plan, and what is the long-term cost of too many delays? It pays to consider the risks. Research shows that delaying maintenance can increase future costs and capital expenditures by as much as 600%.
What are the negative consequences of deferring roof repairs?
We can all learn a lesson from the Ontario Science Centre closure. Roof repairs are not always cheap, but the negative consequences of having an overloaded maintenance backlog can include:
- Safety hazards
- Energy inefficiency
- Reputational damage for organizations
- An increasing volume and frequency of system failures
- Reactive maintenance programs that lead to more repair delays
The Ontario Science Centre could have avoided closure by prioritizing and acting on maintenance issues more quickly. In this case, it would have been vital to move potentially dangerous roofing issues to the top of the to-do list.
5 How-to items to reduce roofing emergency risks
Step 1: Schedule twice-yearly inspections
Professional roofing inspections catch problems you might not spot on your own, such as drain issues, moisture in the insulation, or uneven surfaces that can cause ponding water. Learn more about the importance of professional semi-annual flat roof inspections and how they help extend your roof’s lifespan.
Step 2: Log maintenance activity
Get a handle on past maintenance data and keep careful records of future repairs. Collect and regularly review information on past repairs, locations within the building, frequency of repairs, any increases in maintenance frequency, warranty terms, life expectancy, and ROI for repair versus replacement.
Step 3: Criteria to Help Prioritize the Backlog
If roofing maintenance is in your deferred maintenance backlog, compare the consequences of roof leaks or failure with those of other maintenance issues you have postponed. Determine what requires immediate attention, what can safely wait (and for how long), and the risks of not fixing each problem in a certain timeframe.
Step 4: Preventive Maintenance (PM) tasks
Keeping up with roof maintenance enhances your roof’s health and longevity. Some important maintenance practices include occasional visual roof inspections, keeping gutters unclogged, removing overhanging tree branches, and removing unnecessary items from the rooftop.
Step 5: Budget for roof repairs
No roof lasts forever, and an aging roof requires increasingly frequent upkeep. Toronto’s harsh climate can also lead to weather-related repairs. This includes problems from ice dams or standing water, or damage from windswept debris. Include a budget for roof repair so you don’t get caught unprepared financially.
Take preventive maintenance measures to protect your roof
Ongoing maintenance throughout your facility is necessary to keep your building in good condition. This is so full operations can continue safely, comfortably, and cost-effectively. Your roof is just one piece of the puzzle, but it’s one of the most critical.
Regularly scheduled inspections, ongoing preventive maintenance, and keeping your deferred maintenance backlog in check will help prevent emergencies. For your roof, actively tracking maintenance history can show you when it’s time to ask your roofing contractor about needing an upgrade, reroofing project, or replacement. You can trust Toronto’s Elite Roofing to install your roof with superior workmanship backed by our 24/7 emergency service. Contact us today and get the Elite Advantage.
