Eastern Illinois University’s field house flooded last Saturday morning following rainfall earlier in the day.
The rain affected the bleachers and the main floor of the field house in various areas due to the current construction on the roof, according to the Interim Director of Facilities Planning & Management Eric Wahls.
“When they were staging material on the roof, they caused roof damage because the current roof membrane is brittle from age,” Wahls said. “The water from rain found its way into the building from the damaged locations.”
Currently, the flood has caused no significant collateral damage to the field house, but negotiations with the contractor regarding the leaks are underway, Wahls said.
A ride-on floor extractor will be used for cleaning to extract the water from the floor. Leaks have previously occurred in the fieldhouse but under different circumstances.
“Roofs move from thermal contraction and expansion, and when roofs get old, this movement can create leaks. This event is different as it is tied to the construction,” said Wahls.

The field house is used for adult fitness, holding classes, hosting games and practices for student athletes as well as being a resource for community members who use it to stay active during different times of year.
With the weather looking up, the recent flood won’t affect any seasonal sports like baseball, softball and track moving forward because their remaining games and practices will be held outside according to athletic director Tom Michael.
The leaking roof may not be causing EIU athletics a problem now, but it has in the past.
Just a few weeks ago, the field house flooded for the same reason due to heavy rainfall, which caused problems for the track team, said Michael.
“We had a ton of rain overnight from Friday to Saturday night, then we had track meets that started on Friday and then we had it all day Saturday,” he said. “They ran in the rain outdoors most of the day on Saturday, but, because the weather was so bad, we had to move a couple of the events indoors.” he said.
Looking forward, after construction of the roof is complete, it should be leak proof and better than before, Wahls said.
“Roof leaks may be a part of the construction process, but after the roof is replaced, it should be leak-free for decades with the added benefit of significant energy reductions through better roof insulation.” he said.
The renovation for the roof will be underway for the next few weeks, and once completed, the field house will be fully prepared for regular use.
“We’re excited that work is being done on the roof, and I’m anxious for that project to be completed so that we can continue to utilize the space without having the issues of the roof leaking,” said Michael.
Alexis Moore-Jones can be reached at 581-2812 or at admoorejones@eiu.edu.