The central hub of Grand Valley State University’s Allendale Campus is the Russel H. Kirkhof Center. Kirkhof holds the offices of several student organizations, a game room, student dining, study areas, a cafe and more. Desks are often set up throughout Kirkhof for organizations to promote themselves and provide resources. Kirkhof also houses the 2020 Information Desk which can be used for just about any inquiry. 

For at least two weeks now, the exact timeline is unknown, the ceilings throughout Kirkhof have been dripping. There have been buckets full of water scattered throughout the building surrounded by caution signs warning about possible wet floors. 

Many students seem to be unaware of this phenomenon, however, what it was brought to attention students seem to be concerned about how long this has been going on for. Caleb White, a GVSU senior, believes that this should have been taken care of sooner.

“I think it’s concerning that it’s been going on for some time now and nothing’s been done about it,” said White.

Just recently, maintenance started to solve the problem of the dripping ceilings. According to Rence Meredith, the Assistant Vice President of Facilities Services Allendale, the dripping ceilings have not caused any other damage or problems throughout the building besides possibly being a nuisance for occupants. He also said that it did not have any reported effects on GVSU’s recent Sibs & Kids weekend.

“Other than it possibly causing a nuisance for building occupants, no other issues to report as a result of this leak,” said Meredith. “Other than the affected area the rest of the building has had normal use.”

Meredith said that GVSU has contracted roofing contractor company Tremco to do the fix, which occurred on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Meredith said the leaks are result of an issue with the roof itself. 

“A roof leak is the most common source of water affecting the ceilings/ceilings in all buildings on campus. There are times when the leak is caused by either fire protection piping or hot and cold water supply lines between floors,” Meredith said. “The leak in Kirkhof was confirmed as a roof leak as a result of a puncture in the roof membrane.”

Roof membranes are think pieces of material that are used instead of shingles or other roofing materials. They are typically used on flat roofs or roofs with a very low slope and thus a more difficult time draining. They can last, depending on the material, anywhere from 7-30 years. 

In regards to the specific cause of the puncture in the roof membrane, Meredith said that the results are inconclusive. 

“Hard to say. Could be the age and an issue with a seam coming apart or debris blowing around in the roof,” Meredith said.

While there are several different possible causes of the puncture to the roof membrane, it does not seem to be a very large concern. It is unclear whether or not Tremco has completely finished fixing the issue, but it is most definitely being worked on. 

This is not the first time that there have been leaks in the roofing, but it will also probably not be the last based on the way that roofs generally deteriorate with time and weather patterns. GVSU will continue to work on keeping the roof patched up and leak free.