Water leakage in a section of McMurry Hall’s ceiling has caused damage, constituting a safety problem to occupants of the building.

The damaged area encompasses several feet of the ceiling on the third floor of McMurry near the entrance to Wirtz Hall.

Marvin Hill, management professor, said on several occasions when he walked past the area he saw plaster had fallen onto the floor. In some instances, the janitors had roped off the area, he said.

“I was concerned because plaster was falling from the ceiling. I know of two people who got hurt by sliding on water (that leaked onto floors),” Hill said.

The crumbling ceiling poses a danger to those who frequent the building, Edward O’Donnell, superintendent of building maintenance, said.

“It (the falling plaster) could hurt someone,” he said.

Conrad Miller, project manager for the physical plant, inspected the ceiling on Feb. 5. He said he had not realized the severity of the damage.

“I don’t ever consider it safe when plaster is falling,” Miller said.

The crumbling plaster is held together by a wire grill, and chunks loosened by water damage could fall at any time, he said.

NIU workers will remove the loose plaster this week, Miller said. The work will be temporary, since the ceiling will continue to deteriorate as long as the roof is not repaired, he said.

Another temporary measure is the placement of a gray, metal pan beneath the leak in the roof to collect the water in the building’s attic.

Although some water-damaged areas in McMurry are beneath the newly-installed concrete roof, NIU personnel said the leaks are from the flat portion that was not replaced.

The water is running off the recently-replaced roof onto the flat, leaky roof, Miller said. The water leaks into the hallway underneath the new roof, he said.

However, Hill said, “I can’t buy the idea that the plaster coming down from the ceiling is from the old roof. Water doesn’t leak up.”

NIU personnel said the roof cannot be fixed until $8,500 is appropriated. Miller said if the money were appropriated, permanent repairs to the roof cannot be made until the summer.

“We are confident the dollars will be made available to correct it (the leaky roof) this spring,” Miller said.