Fire at Longwood College--Historic Ruffner Hall

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

1 June 2001

SHRINK-WRAPPING OF GRAINGER HALL

FARMVILLE - The shrink-wrapping of Grainger Hall - the installation of a temporary plastic roof strong enough to withstand snow loads - began yesterday afternoon and will be completed today.

INRECON workers near Pine Street began the laborious process of hoisting what resembled a white, rolled up tarp at 3:30 yesterday afternoon and strapped it to styrofoam-covered wooden beams.

"We strapped it down and finished stapling all of it at 7 p.m., then started shrinking it and did that until 9 p.m.," Phil Gordon, regional manager for the recovery firm, said this morning. "We resumed shrinking it this morning and will be finished today. It's an 8-mill vinyl material, supplied by American Shrinkwrap of New Jersey. The building is 111 feet by 53 feet; the plastic was originally 130 feet by 80 feet. We cut it around the edges to fit the roof. It's like making a big pie."

Most garbage bags have a thickness of 2 mill, said Harry Hirst, who is with INRECON's drying department. "This is the thickest material we could get," he said during an interview in a Grainger stairwell this morning.

The temporary roof covers trusses and beams that have been erected on the third floor of Grainger. "We had to frame it to support the temporary roof," said Hirst. "The building had to be enclosed to be thoroughly dryed out. Drying is very important, because all this material is wet. We need a controlled environment in this building, so we sealed it. One de-humidifier is running right now; it's taking the air out, to create a slight vacuum and help hold the roof down. This de-humidifier takes wet air out, processes it through that machine and returns dry air into the building, all in a loop. This will continue for a few weeks, until the building is completely dry. The other two de-humidifiers (all three are side-by-side in front of Grainger, with long yellow hoses running into the building) will start when the final wrapping is done."

On the third floor this morning, Norm Hess, who is overseeing the shrink-wrap operation, used a propane torch to shrink and tighten the plastic. Other INRECON workers, like Robert McDonald and Daniel Daix, drilled holes for support beams to reinforce the walls. With its plastic roof, the third floor has the feel of a greenhouse.

Hirst, a Jamaican native who lives in Orlando, Florida, first arrived on campus May 1, worked here for 10 days, went home to visit his family, and returned to Longwood May 26. "We have a temporary roof on this baby," he said, revealing a hint of pride. He's not sure that Grainger is salvageable, but he is cautiously optimistic. "In our limited experience, we feel as though the building can be saved," he said. 4


		FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 1 June 2001 SHRINK-WRAPPING OF GRAINGER HALL FARMVILLE - The shrink-wrapping of Grainger Hall - the installation of a temporary plastic roof strong enough to withstand snow loads - began yesterday afternoon and will be completed today. INRECON workers near Pine Street began the laborious process of hoisting what resembled a white, rolled up tarp at 3:30 yesterday afternoon and strapped it to styrofoam-covered wooden beams. "We strapped it down and finished stapling all of it at 7 p.m., then started shrinking it and did that until 9 p.m.," Phil Gordon, regional manager for the recovery firm, said this morning. "We resumed shrinking it this morning and will be finished today. It's an 8-mill vinyl material, supplied by American Shrinkwrap of New Jersey. The building is 111 feet by 53 feet; the plastic was originally 130 feet by 80 feet. We cut it around the edges to fit the roof. It's like making a big pie." Most garbage bags have a thickness of 2 mill, said Harry Hirst, who is with INRECON's drying department. "This is the thickest material we could get," he said during an interview in a Grainger stairwell this morning. The temporary roof covers trusses and beams that have been erected on the third floor of Grainger. "We had to frame it to support the temporary roof," said Hirst. "The building had to be enclosed to be thoroughly dryed out. Drying is very important, because all this material is wet. We need a controlled environment in this building, so we sealed it. One de-humidifier is running right now; it's taking the air out, to create a slight vacuum and help hold the roof down. This de-humidifier takes wet air out, processes it through that machine and returns dry air into the building, all in a loop. This will continue for a few weeks, until the building is completely dry. The other two de-humidifiers (all three are side-by-side in front of Grainger, with long yellow hoses running into the building) will start when the final wrapping is done." On the third floor this morning, Norm Hess, who is overseeing the shrink-wrap operation, used a propane torch to shrink and tighten the plastic. Other INRECON workers, like Robert McDonald and Daniel Daix, drilled holes for support beams to reinforce the walls. With its plastic roof, the third floor has the feel of a greenhouse. Hirst, a Jamaican native who lives in Orlando, Florida, first arrived on campus May 1, worked here for 10 days, went home to visit his family, and returned to Longwood May 26. "We have a temporary roof on this baby," he said, revealing a hint of pride. He's not sure that Grainger is salvageable, but he is cautiously optimistic. "In our limited experience, we feel as though the building can be saved," he said. 4 • Return to Fire Press Releases