A handful of the new exterior panels at the county government center are receiving work for a condition known in the industry as “oil canning,” and the air quality in the courthouse will undergo testing for mold.

John Campbell, the county's director of facilities and operations, said Monday that the overlay material on six or seven of the panels installed on the government center's exterior over the summer were replaced by the subcontractor that installed them.

He said the panels are filled with foam insulation and he suspects small air bubbles found their way into the foam during manufacturing, a common condition known as oil canning.

The air bubbles make their way to the “skin” of the panel and create an imperfection.

The panels were manufactured by Centria of Moon Township, Beaver County.

The subcontractor will replace the overlay if a panel shows a defect due to the condition. Anderson is currently scheduling the repairs.

There is no cost to the county due to the panels' warranty, Anderson said.

Across the street at the county courthouse, signs of moisture have cropped up over the last few months.

Testing for mold

Anderson said what appears to be mildew has shown up on the historic building's first and third floor, so the air quality in the building will be tested for the presence of mold.

He said the same situation has presented itself in the past, but professionals who compared the outdoor mold count to that of the courthouse's interior said no black mold was detected and the general mold spore count was within acceptable levels.

Leslie Osche, the county commissioners chairman, said the chiller in the courthouse's air conditioning system does not dehumidify, so dehumidifiers and extra work by the cleaning crew have been deployed so far.

“But we are going to have the air tested to make sure,” Osche said. “Everyone is struggling with this mildew right now.”

She said adaptations made to the courthouse over the years have created nooks and crannies where air does not properly circulate.

“We keep doing air remediation trying to keep the air moving,” she said. “It's always going to be a struggle with a building that old when you are trying to maintain the historical value as well.”

She said county officials are now working on a scheme to move the planning, mapping and assessment and tax claim offices to the first floor of the county government center.

She said the departments would be moved to the first floor annex once it is completed.

Other departments may be moved out of the courthouse as well.

“These are things we have been discussing with the sheriff and other row offices, but it will take some time to fully assess where the best place is for folks to go,” Osche said.