Large, outdated structure with poor care. We experienced the same issues as many other churches. We wanted the roof repaired, the stone walls of the building tucked-pointed, the bell tower fixed, and the concrete steps fixed.
Raising this amount of money was a lot of work for our congregation, but several factors helped us.
First, we were commemorating the church’s first year in its current location. The historic building was highly valued, and many people and concrete companies like J & W Concrete Contractors were dedicated to keeping it in good condition.
The church also expanded its activities. We established a justice task force that actively participates in three separate community organizing initiatives in the city and began a new Sunday school class.
We do face certain difficulties. Our budget is quite huge, and it will be challenging to meet it with only 75 people. We occasionally boost our finances by renting space to other congregations and to charitable organizations. We rent out some of the spaces in our parking lot because we live in a neighborhood with a high population density. We have also been successful in growing our church, welcoming about a dozen new members over the past 15 months.
Upon the completion of the necessary funds, we then started with the repair.
Stone Wall Repair
Step 1 – Assess the Damage
Count the number of stones in your wall that are sufficiently damaged to require replacement. Small cracks and other minor damage might not require replacement.
Step 2 – Remove Damaged Stones
If the stone isn’t completely disintegrating or significantly broken, you might be able to just remove the affected area.
Step 3 – Find Replacement Stone
It’s likely that the stone in an old stone wall came from a nearby quarry.
Step 4 – Cut the Stone
Once you’ve found the right stone, either have it cut by your neighborhood masonry supply company or do it yourself with a diamond blade cutter.
Step 5 – Set the Stone
Mix your mortar after your stone has been cut. So that the mortar can gently cure, dampen the hollow and the surrounding stones. Tuckpoint the stone when it has become stable.
Bell Tower Repair
For the purpose of reaching the height of the new addition, we started our work by raising pipe scaffolding past the existing structure. In order to accommodate the additional loads brought on by building up, the top of the existing masonry needed to be structurally improved and the existing masonry itself needed to be tuck pointed.
Louver level access floor, belfry, and spire were the three main parts of the bell tower expansion. From the inside of the church, one can approach the tower through the louver level access floor. The bell, which was removed from the site for restoration, will be kept in the rebuilt belfry. The spire also lifts the new limestone cross 90 feet to the new top.
We poured new concrete floor decks and support walls, rebuilt clay tile masonry backup, laid elaborate limestone and brick masonry, and tuck pointed existing masonry to recreate these regions.
Concrete Steps Repair
As a result of temperature variations that cause expansion and contraction, concrete steps eventually crack and crumble. Additionally, water that seeps through and freezes might damage the edges.
The steps become ugly and dangerous if the breakup begins to spread and eventually get worse.
Demolition and new construction are the best ways to fix concrete steps. For steps that have completely cracked through or sunk out of level, replacement is the only viable choice.
However, resurfacing and recapping the steps might save you a lot of money and time if the damage is limited to the surface.
Steps with small holes, cracks, and spalling should be resurfaced, and any with more severe damage should be recapped. It is necessary to paint over both sorts of repairs.