The Town Office will be closed Wednesday so carpet damaged by water that infiltrated the building through a roof leak can be replaced.

About a month ago a leak was discovered in the roof, over the main work area of the office.

The leak apparently had been letting water into the building for some time, allowing water to accumulate in the ceiling, above the vapor barrier, Town Manager E. Patrick Gilbert said. It was undiscovered until workers started digging around in the ceiling.

“We were digging at it and water started rushing out. It was startling at first,” Gilbert said. “We scampered to get the computers out of the way. It made a mess, but everything is squared away now. It was a disruption, but we got our arms around it.”

Gilbert said the cost of repairing damage from the leak, roughly $8,000 to $10,000, will be covered by the town’s insurance.

Gilbert said the leak seemed to be next to air handlers on the roof, part of an old heating and ventilation system no longer in use. He said the air handlers were removed and that part of the roof was repaired.

Drywall, insulation and other building materials that got wet because of the leak were removed as part of the repair work.

Gilbert said the Town Office remained open after the leak was discovered and as the roof was repaired. Staff members shared office space, and Tina Cagle, the town clerk, worked in the break room.

However, Gilbert said replacing the carpets requires the office to close. The Town Office will close for that work to be done Wednesday, a day when the office usually is open only a lesser number of hours anyway.

The office is expected to reopen for business Thursday, with regular hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Town Office is not attached to Manchester Elementary School, which is across a swath of parking lot from the office, and where there have been problems with mold and water damage.

Keith Edwards — 621-5647

kedwards@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @kedwardskj