The Tallinn French Lyceum's sports hall began leaking even before it opened, but the leak has now become so severe that the school has suspended use of the building for several days.
The Tallinn French Lyceum's sports hall was officially opened in October 2018. Principal Peter Pedak told ERR that the building had actually begun leaking even before it opened.
"Water has never come in as heavily as it is now, but there have been leaks before," Pedak acknowledged.
According to Pedak, the current, more serious leak is likely caused by a blockage in the rainwater drainage system. However, a camera inspection scheduled for Wednesday should help determine whether that is the case. The school closed the sports hall on Tuesday and Wednesday to investigate the problem.
The principal noted that the sports hall's roof also serves as a walkable surface and is partially covered by a flower bed.
"We are not entirely sure how well it is waterproofed," Pedak admitted. "In short, we first need to establish what is causing the leaks and then draw up a plan with the school's governing authority, the Tallinn Education Department. We have been in close contact with them on this issue and I hope that, now that the situation has become truly critical, we can get the building repaired more quickly."
However, leaks are not the relatively new sports hall's only problem, as there are also cracks in its ceiling. Asked whether these were construction defects, Pedak said that was a more complicated issue. He explained that the cracks are located above the panels and are generally not considered to pose an immediate danger.
The school does not have funding in its budget for major construction work. While the lyceum is commissioning the camera inspection itself, any major repairs, should they prove necessary, would be the responsibility of the Education Department. What happens next will depend on the inspection results. Once the causes of the rainwater entering the building have been identified, a repair plan can be drawn up and the costs estimated.
The principal hopes the building can continue to be used in the near future. The current closure for a few days will not disrupt physical education classes, as these are being held outdoors anyway until the fall break.
Tallinn Education Department spokesperson Sille Tiitsmaa said the sports hall's current problem is water accumulating on the roof and leaking into the building. She said this was caused by a blocked drainage system that prevents rainwater from draining off the roof quickly enough.
Tiitsmaa confirmed that the Education Department has been in close contact with the school and has supported its efforts to resolve the problem.
"At present, there is no reason to plan more extensive renovations of the sports hall or a roof replacement as the problem is caused by a blockage in the drainage system, which is currently being addressed," Tiitsmaa added.
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