WCU Balsam and Blue Ridge Residence halls are getting fresh coats of paint over new walls, newly installed carpets and extra heating in its entryways after a winter flooding issue.
In December 2022, the majority of the student body left campus to go home or to go away and celebrate the winter break holidays. While Balsam and Blue Ridge residence halls were closed, the buildings reserved for the Brinson Honors College housing, experienced frozen and broken pipes just a few days before Christmas during a cold spell where temperatures reached as low as 10 degrees.
These repairs have spilled over into the spring semester following winter break. Residents and visitors of these halls all likely saw the sign taped to the front.
“Repairs were made to the pipe immediately,” said Mike Byers, the Vice Chancellor of Administration and Finance in an email. “Additional heating has been applied to help prevent that in the future.” Even as repairs continue, the extra heating is easy to note in the entryways.
Balsam and Blue Ridge were not the only buildings affected by this cold spell. Byer’s list of other affected pipes included the Noble Hall attic sprinkler system, the football stadium west side restroom, the track restroom and a waterline outside of one of the buildings in the Village.
“The total cost for all the cleanup, water damage, and repairs is about $22,000,” Byers said in an email.
On Feb. 9, the entrance to Balsam Hall was blocked off to student use as the WCU facilities workers were painting and finishing up repairs on the walls. This only lasted a few hours before it was opened back up to student use with a wet paint sign to warn students away from the walls.
“I wish we would have been told the extent of the damages to the entryway of Balsam,” said Janna Beck, a resident of Balsam. “As well as when the maintenance crew would have been working, then I would know which door to exit through and when to stay out of their way.”
There is still no exact date for the wrap-up of these repairs, as there is still flooring that needs to be replaced.
“Now we are only awaiting carpet replacement to arrive and be installed. I don’t have a date on that due to supply chain issues,” Byers wrote.
WCU facilities took measures to prevent this from happening even when new heaters couldn’t be installed.
“In cases where no improvements are possible to prevent this, we will institute rounds and routines to monitor these locations on days that the temperature is low enough to cause damage,” Byers wrote. He also added that “where possible, appropriate facilities are taken out of service and winterized.”
