“Pardon the noise. We are still open,” the sign on the front of the Gregg Computer Lab says to those entering the facility.

That “noise” is the sound of hammers, air compressors and feet walking on the roof of the lab during normal operating hours.

A repair team is replacing the roof membrane of the computer lab. The roof membrane is the part of the roof that prevents water from leaking into the building.

The roof membrane was part of the building’s original construction in 1965.

Steve Shrake, associate director for campus design and construction facilities planning and management, said the fact that the roof went this long without any major repairs is a testament to the excellent construction of the time.

“Forty-plus years is an excellent service life for any roof,” he said.

Problems with the roof were first noticed last winter when melting snow began dripping through the roof.

None of the computer equipment in the lab was damaged as a result of the leak, Shrake said. The only damage caused was to the smoke alarm and a few ceiling tiles.

Temporary repairs were made at the time of the failure to prevent more water from coming into the building, but permanent repairs were put off until this semester.

Shrake said those temporary repairs bought time so the department could order material and schedule a complete roof repair.

Construction crews try to avoid causing disruption among students, Shrake said, but it is often unavoidable when dealing with roofing repairs.

Shrake said the construction workers repairing the roof are part of the Roofing Department’s facilities roofing shop. He said they understand students’ need for a quiet environment when working.

“They always try to accommodate the building occupants as best as they can and still get the work completed,” he said.

Workers have to remove a section of roof and replace it before the end of the day to prevent moisture from entering the building.

“It is not the type of work that you can spend a couple hours and come back the next day,” Shrake said.

Junior elementary education major Emily Kates, who occasionally works on homework in the computer lab, said the noise does affect her while she is working.

“There will be big thuds and other noises while I’m trying to work,” she said. “It’s kind of distracting.”

Kates said she would call the noises a “medium” distraction most of the time and said they rarely completely affect her work habits.

The computer lab staff has been understanding and appreciative of the construction crew, Shrake said.

Chad Elliott, a Local Area Network specialist, has worked at the lab through most of the construction and said the lab has not had much of a problem with the construction.

“We thought it would be a major issue, but it really hasn’t been one,” he said.

Elliott said the computer lab saw double the average number of students through midterms in spite of the construction.

Even though the noise has occasionally made conversation within the lab difficult for the staff, Elliott said he is glad the roof is being repaired

“We’re just happy it’s not going to be leaking anymore,” Elliott said.