‘When It Rains Outside, It Rains Inside’

April 8, 2026 by Allison Wilson

Ongoing leaks, water damage and operational disruptions at the Geauga County Safety Center prompted a statutory group March 31 to approve a multi-million dollar roof repair and replacement project officials said is long overdue.

Project Manager Charles Tkach told the group — which comprises the Geauga County Commissioners, Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand and several court staff members — the design drawings and specifications presented during the commissioners meeting are considered infrastructure records of a public office and therefore are not public records.

“The scope of the project is to replace and upgrade the safety center roof,” he said. “It was constructed in 2004. It’s about 22 years old. The average lifespan of the roof is about 20 years.”

Over the past decade, the roof has shown signs of leaking, Tkach said.

An infrared scan and core samples previously taken revealed widespread moisture damage, Tkach said.

“When they took the core samples, about 90% of the coverboard — which is below the built-up roof — was wet, and when you went down to the insulation, the lower layers were about 80%,” he said, referencing two specific areas of the roof where there was significant water intrusion.

Tkach recommended fully removing and replacing two water-saturated sections — about 40,000 of the roof’s 65,000 square feet — while repairing two other sections where the insulation remains in good condition.

“We are replacing the built up system with what is called a ketone ethylene ester KEE two-ply hybrid zero VOC (volatile organic compounds) roofing system. And that has PVC (polyvinyl chloride) in it,” he said. “It is a much, more sturdier type of material that allows for a warranty of up to 30 years. So, we are asking for a 30-year warranty on this roof.”

The full tear-off and replacement of the waterlogged sections is estimated at approximately $2.5 million, while adding an overlay to the other damaged areas will cost about $1.2 million, Tkach said. Additional repairs include about $120,000 for replacement of metal coping.

The project also includes a 4.6% contingency, or approximately $176,000, he said.

“When it rains outside, it rains inside,” Hildenbrand said when asked about the impact of the roof issues. “The problem is, not only is it raining or leaking into the building, it’s leaking on some of the electronic equipment. There was a period of time where we had to close off one section of the jail because it was leaking so bad.”

Not all of the issues stem from rain, he added, noting some pipes have also been leaking.

“It’s very disruptive. It seems like it’s taking forever to get this done and it’s urgently needed,” Hildenbrand said.

About 15,000 square feet of insulation is saturated and needs to be replaced, Tkach said.

“There is significant water that is not ever really evaporating and drying,” he said.

The issues have been ongoing for several years, Hildenbrand said.

“Part of the roof was fixed 10 years ago,” he said. “They should have done the entire roof then. And now, we’re doing it now at a cost probably 10 times what it was.”

The project is expected to go out for bid within the next month, although that timeline could shift pending state approval, Tkach said.

Officials aim to complete the project this year, he said.

Later in the meeting, commissioners voted to send the proposed upgrades to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction for review and approval.