LIEPA, LATVIA
AUGUST 15-29, 2014
by Holt Cason
Our VIM Team consisting of Clay Bearden, Kenny Helms, Jim McClure, Doug Thomas and Holt Cason from Tullahoma, TN; Paul Wennermark from Fairfield Glades, TN; Bud Vann from Birmingham, AL were joined by Dr. John Morrison and Mike Barr from New Orleans to work on the Hope Center to eliminate mold and to refurbish parts of the facility in Liepa, Latvia.
At times you make a mess before making something better and this was the case on our recent trip. Days one and two were spent primarily stripping old, badly worn, mildewed wallpaper and carpet from 3 rooms and a small bathroom. Additionally, we removed a partial wall and door to give the existing hallway an easier flow thru for traffic.
Following the “destructive work” the Team washed walls to remove excessive glue, wallpaper tatters and gunk from the walls prior to coating them with a fungicide material to help prevent mold growth. The bathroom presented an exceptional challenge with tight quarters but also with a buildup of layers of wallpaper, moldy tiles, etc. A special fungicide material made especially for bath facilities was used on these walls.
To help prevent the reoccurrence of mold in the future, the team cut out approximately 6 inches of sheetrock around the interior perimeter of each window. We then sealed each window with expansive foam, weatherproof stripping and added insulation to the vacated areas. New sheetrock pieces were added using sheetrock stripping mud to help prevent wind and moisture from entering the rooms. Then the work began as we patched and sanded, sanded and patched indentations on the walls.
While some sanded, others built a new wall where only a curtain had given any privacy to its occupants previously. An outside contractor was paid to install ventilation systems in each of the four rooms we worked on as well as a system in the bathroom on the opposite side of the building.
After all the sanding and patching were completed, we painted the walls including the interior of the window sills with a very light beige tone color; reinstalled a door on one room, and added a new light fixture in the hallway.
Needless to say there is still a tremendous amount of work to be done at the Hope Center but at least we have made a start to improving the interior of the building. The unused funds will be kept in a separate account for future use to complete the work list presented at the FOL meeting at Marysville this past April.
Improvements to Hope Center:
- Remove wall paper and clean walls
- Paint walls and ceiling
- Construct wall to create a hallway
- Modify window surrounds for better insulation
- Create openings for two doors
- Add new light fixture in new hallway
- Fix floor squeaks
- Paid to have 5 ventilation units installed