Harry Hostetter Jr. watched roof leaks in the Henry Wurst Printing Plant in North Kansas City, Mo., become steadily worse over nearly half of his 31-year career at the facility. By the time he became the maintenance manager, the problem was most pronounced along a 100-foot long valley gutter created between additions to the facility in 1965 and 1967 that doubled the size of the 86,000-square-foot printing plant. The gutter was installed before the use of stainless steel to fabricate them and corrosion had advanced steadily as the metal roof eventually exceeded its expected 15-year life. However, surface rust, pinhole leaks and loose screwbolt fasteners across the corroded roof's 26-gauge steel panels were minor annoyances compared to the severely corroded gutter down the juncture of the two adjoining, double-slope metal buildings.
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