Remedy to Museum of the Great Plains damage is exterior, interior repairs

Museum artifacts plus water equals a bad situation.

Museum of the Great Plains leaks. It has for years. The problem has gone on long enough that mold and other damage is evident throughout the building, inside and out. It’s a problem that is important to any structure, but especially one whose reason for existing is preservation of important pieces of local history.

An in-depth analysis by C.H. Guernsey comes to one conclusion: the solution to the museum’s problems is ripping off the outside of the structure, repairing damage and eliminating problems that allowed it to happen, then replacing the surface.

“We feel the best way to do this is to remove the exterior skin of the building,” said Guernsey’s J.D. Clark, who outlined the problems for the City Council as a guide to determine what they want done to repair the damage caused by water that infiltrated the building and migrated, as well as ensuring it doesn’t happen again.

The report leaves the council with multiple decisions to make as they weigh repair options that range from $5.786 million to $6.07 million: what is the best option, how do we fund the work, what work has to be done now, and where do we find the money to take the first step, which is $450,000 in design work.

Clark said many of the problems originate with the 1995 building addition, the rounded area that wraps around the 1966 portion of the museum. The methods used during construction, including installation of EIFS (exterior insulation and finish systems) were common but haven’t aged well.

“Those methods are no longer used due to several common issues,” Clark said of the EIFS, adding while the issue was compounded by the fact windows were not installed properly, the main issue remains the EIFS. “We no longer build buildings that way because they are known to leak.”

Clark said the combination of those factors had led to water infiltration throughout the museum. Coupled with mechanical issues in an aging air conditioning system, and damage caused to the roof and EIFS by the June 2023 hail storm, the result is troubling for a structure created to preserve historic artifacts.

There is evidence some damage is long term. There are birds nesting in the EIFS, Clark said, adding some brick also is missing. In the clear story (the second-story area with windows over the gallery), flashing designed to keep the windows from leaking apparently wasn’t installed.

“The windows are made to get water in them,” Clark said, adding while gutters and downspouts are designed to funnel water, the ones at the museum are missing the part that causes water to shoot away from the building. “So, all the water that gets into the system goes straight into the wall.”

Attempts over the years to repair damage have not worked or made issues worse, Clark said. Other issues include a brick veneer installed without a proper air gap, mortar deflection device or air/water barrier. Water infiltration is evident by mold growing on the south exterior walls.

Issues on the outside have created problems inside with mold and mildew.

“For any building, it’s bad. For a museum, it’s really bad,” Clark said.

Damage is evident throughout the interior, on walls, ceilings and floors, Clark said, adding the solution there must be replacement. He estimated 25 percent of the drywall must be replaced after checking plywood underneath and dealing with any damage, adding replacement can be done in sections so the entire building won’t have to be gutted. But he recommends complete replacement of ceiling tiles because new tiles can’t be matched to existing ones. The same is true for carpeting; while bad sections could be cut out, it would be virtually impossible to match new carpet to that laid in the 1990s.

“It’s kinda lived its life,” Clark said, adding the museum needs a broad approach. “Let’s get in there and fix them, make it look good.”

Age and water infiltration are the reasons the museum’s mechanical systems don’t work properly, Clark said, citing age, the need for refrigerant no longer used and damage as the reasons for replacing the entire system so it can protect the museum’s artifacts.

“You have a wonderful collection,” he said. “Let’s make sure it lasts another 100 years by good climate control.”