A problem in the Guilford County Detention Center in downtown Greensboro is proving difficult to deal with, and the Guilford County Purchasing Department is soliciting outside help for a second time in a new attempt address the issue.
Famously, jail showers can be home to all sorts of problems – however, in this case, the problem is somewhat mundane, but still recalcitrant.
The Rhino Times first wrote about the issue in May of 2023, and, at that time, the county estimated it would take about $400,000 to fix. Due to constant use, the coating on the jail’s shower walls and floors was coming off even though the jail is just over a decade old.
The county put out a request for competitive bids for the project last summer, but apparently the problem remains because, this week, the county put out a new request for proposals to address the issue.
A non-mandatory pre-proposal ZoomGov meeting will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 10 a.m. for those companies interested in making the repairs.
A non-mandatory site walk-through is going to be held on Wednesday, Jan. 17, at 1 p.m. at the jail at 201 S. Edgeworth St. in Greensboro.
According to Sheriff’s Department officials, the main problem with the shower area coatings has been the failure of the epoxy coating to stick to the underlying block walls. This has led to cracking and chipping in the shower walls and the shower floors.
They believe that a combination of wear and tear due to the substantial amount of inmate use, combined with a potential defect in either the product or the application of the product, is the cause of the peeling.
Guilford County Sheriff’s Department Sergeant Aline Almonor told the Rhino Times last year that, in the opinion of department officials, the shower coating should have lasted longer than it actually did. She said the failure of the epoxy coating to stick to the underlying block walls led to cracking and chipping in the shower walls and, eventually, in the shower floors, mostly near the drains.
Amazing now the sheriffs department have officials that are experts in expoxy coating and application
“Recalcitrant”. Impressive, Scott. (Every so often that Duke education shines through.)
It seems the epoxy surface is not durable; the story alludes multible applications which is quite costly.
Now, when I was in the Navy, our barracks showers were in use all day, everyday and were pretty durable as the walls and floors were tile and grout. It would appear that if tile is more durable, the added expense to do the walls and floors once with tile rather than spending lesser amounts many times over for epoxy is a more cost effective choice.
Hey It’s Greensboro….same old same old! Sad and disgusting!
How is this same old? Do we have epoxy coating problems in all our government buildings? Or do you think the county should never have maintenance issues?
Chris just a heads up don’t forget to celebrate January 19th really special day
You pay for cheap, poor labor, and that’s what you get. From what I have read over time, our govt builds everything from schools to johns, and fails to maintain them.
Solution: supervised constant inmate maintenance. In addition you could offer inmates reduced jail time to work in the showers full time.
Damn right! I have said for decades that the county jail (and all county owned buildings and vehicles) should look like you just walked in @ HPU or Disneyland. They have all the labor right there but are terrified to make “pre-trial detainees” work. Many of them would welcome the opportunity to get some fresh air or do something to pass the time. Meanwhile we pay to feed & clothe them, pay for all their medical expenses while they watch cable TV & eat tater chips 24hrs a day. It seems like no matter what you ask of some, when you decide not to send the horses to do the work, you get the ‘ol “my grandmother was Dutch” excuse…
Epoxy is the wrong product for that environment. Epoxy is a very durable product but not flexible, so due to heat, hot water and humidity it will not flex which over time will lead to cracking and separating allowing for water to enter with no escape route thus creating separating and flaking from the block. There is no cheap easy solution to this problem. The coating can be removed by sandblasting down to the block and then a proper shower room finish applied but it’s going to be costly and time consuming. Good luck.
What’s the problem skip can’t you get any quantity minority, mwbe or dei companies to bid this project
I think the contractors feel it is not worth it to take Govt contracts here. Thus we get low end construction & maintenance.
There is plenty of business for people in construction. Why deal with a problem customer who tells you how to run your business (like our local govt knows zip about plumbing, painting, masonry, architecture, etc.), in your face constantly, etc. It is very difficult for individuals to get anyone to come to your home for smaller jobs. They have their bread & butter biz thru contract work.
I’m thinking you screwed Samet over and now Guilford County is being “black-balled” by other contractors. KARMA is a bitch
Now, if we had the ability to avoid our local govt………
cover walls with sheet metal attached with caulk. zero prep. dun. floor should be sealed concrete with rubber underneath. how did they screw that up ? who inspected & approved it ? squirm. who hired who for how much ? squirm
Hey skip I saw that A&T is using Samet to build their new building Apparently they aren’t as Racist as you are or maybe they didn’t have a relative involved in the bid process Karma is coming skip. Already there are successful lawsuits targeting discrimination against White people and guaranteed quotas to certain groups. Coming soon to a county near you