The problem child has been in treatment since 2019: The Otterfinger school gym is suffering from water damage.
At first it appeared that waterproofing and drainage shafts would solve the problem.
In the end, however, an expensive complete renovation was necessary.
After the Christmas break, the school will get its hall back.
Otterfing
- “Our swimming pool, it's dry again.” Otterfing's Mayor Michael Falkenhahn (SPD) uses irony to help announce the end of a lengthy, large-scale construction site.
The primary school gym, accessible via the basement, had to be completely drained and renovated this year, including a new floor in the hall and ancillary rooms.
Work began in June, originally the hall should be ready for use after the autumn break.
"But there have been postponements," says Falkenhahn and promises: "The hall will go back into operation after the Christmas holidays."
A water damage in 2019 heralded the mishap
Water damage in February 2019, presumably caused by botched construction of the hall 20 years ago, triggered a renovation cascade.
As the head of the building authority, Hubert Zellner, reports, surface water seeped into the walls and floors.
As a result, there was massive water damage to the sports hall.
In 2019 and 2020, the municipality tried to get the water entry from the outside under control by means of additional and deepened drainage shafts as well as base renovations.
Around 77,000 euros were spent on it.
This spring, however, it became apparent that the floor and masonry had suffered more.
The local council bit the bullet and released a total of around 600,000 euros in two resolutions in April and July for a major operation: the gym and ancillary rooms were completely renovated.
When asked, the mayor emphasized that the money was well invested.
When the floor was dismantled and opened, it was confirmed that the refurbishment that had been decided upon was absolutely necessary in order to permanently remove moisture from the floor and masonry.
“It was the right way to go for the big solution,” says Falkenhahn.
Sports lessons temporarily in the Otterfinger Hof
The renovation included the hall floor, the floors of the equipment rooms and masonry renovations; The floor structure was also renovated in the area of the changing rooms and sanitary facilities. According to Zellner, the replacement of the sports floor with underfloor heating alone cost around 125,000 euros. The cost of dismantling and disposing of the old floors in the equipment room and gym as well as further sealing and grouting amounts to 180,000 euros. The total also includes the screed and the new floor in the equipment room. The renovation of the corridors, changing rooms and sanitary areas cost around 295,000 euros.
"We are happy when we can go back into the hall after the holidays," says headmistress Inge Weber.
So far, in the current school year, construction work has blocked any use.
The 199 primary school students made a virtue out of necessity and played sports outdoors, in the school yard or on the hard court.
According to Weber, the auditorium is rather unsuitable for sporting activities due to the difficult floor.
"But we do gymnastics in the stage next to the auditorium," says the headmistress.
When it recently became more uncomfortable outside and work was delayed, the classes marched down to the sports center on the north ring.
“We can use the multi-purpose hall there,” explains Weber.
"It's only worthwhile for double lessons, but it helps that we can cope with the situation quite well."
You can find more information on the subject here.
