Oregon State University staff members encourage students in the residence halls to report water leakages early to avoid water damage after students in Callahan Hall reported water seepage.

Condensation on the windows and walls in Callahan Hall has sparked conversation among the OSU community about the annual weather complications that impact students living in campus buildings. 

Steve Clark, vice president of University Relations and Marketing, said the water accumulation was reported to be on the window and wall of one student’s room in Callahan Hall as a result of the heat being on and the window being closed.

According to Clark, the window leaking problem was exacerbated by the recent high winds that successfully pushed water through the windows and into the dormitory.

“The wall wasn’t actually leaking,” Clark said. “It was displaying moisture. What we often do is advise residents to crack a window so they allow air exchange between the room and outside so it creates an opportunity, if there is any condensation, for that to pass.”

OSU’s UHDS staff have rectified the situation and provided information to students who might be unaware of the ongoing problem, Clark said.

“My room has been pretty dry but my neighbors’ room has a little puddle on the inside of their window sill,” said Shawn Liu, a student resident living on the fourth floor of Callahan Hall.

Liu added that his heater went out and his neighbors have been putting towels near the window sill to avoid water puddles, but he still feels comfortable living in the residence hall despite the various weather complications.

“The buildings today are quite tight,” Clark said. “Apparently there was a plumbing leak in the building that occured and that problem has been taken care of. Some ceiling tiles that were damaged have been fixed.”

Clark emphasized the university is aware of the problem and staff members are addressing it as quickly and effectively as possible.

“All buildings, including our residence halls, require maintenance,” Clark said. “UHDS has done a great job updating the [buildings] across campus that were built, in some cases, decades ago.”

Brian Stroup, director of operations and facilities for UHDS, said his staff has had work orders about water penetrations, but the building currently doesn’t have any water coming from above.

“We have these other small things that can happen that we immediately address and work with students to help them understand why it is happening the way it is and how we are preventing it,” Stroup said.

According to Stroup, UHDS  staff recaulked 40 windows on the south-facing side of Callahan Hall last summer. Next summer, Stroup said they will finish off the other windows on the south side of the building to stop the water and wind from coming through.

“The second a student notices something isn’t right in their room, please put in a work order,” Stroup said. “Especially when it’s water, we respond to it immediately.” 

Stroup added UHDS staff would love to get any problems taken care of right away, and that they have the ability to come in after hours as well if it is an emergency.