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Heritage Roofing
Heritage roofing - maintaining our iconic buildings
The UK is home to some of the most iconic buildings in the world, from stunning churches and cathedrals to historic stately homes. Each and every one of these remarkable feats of architecture requires regular maintenance to ensure they remain in the very best condition, allowing them to be enjoyed for generations.
Traditional Lime
Lime: it’s better for buildings – and for the environment
It is now fairly well known that cement is not good for old buildings and that lime mortar should be used. But why? What are the advantages and what are the disadvantages? In order to begin to answer those questions it is necessary to understand the nature of traditional building, the process by which buildings used to be built, and how it differs from modern construction, the process by which we build today.
Audio Visual
Audio visual equipment in church buildings
This guidance is issued by the Church Buildings Council under section 55(1)(d) of the Dioceses, Mission and Pastoral Measure 2007. As it is statutory guidance, it must be considered with great care. The standards of good practice set out in the guidance should not be departed from unless the departure is justified by reasons that are spelled out clearly, logically and convincingly.
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CRE Events
After the Midlands, onward to Milton Keynes
"CRE Midlands reminded me of the giddy days when it first began – the venue was packed with exhibitors and visitors and there was a busy atmosphere. The whole thing looked great."
Insurance
You need to ensure that reasonable precautions are in place at your church to keep it safe for those who use it. To do this, you need to think about what might cause harm to people.
You will then need to decide if the precautions already in place are adequate. If they are not, you may need to identify further action to prevent any danger. When done formally, this is known as a risk assessment.
Lead Roofing
Lead is one of the oldest materials in the roofing industry and is still commonly used throughout the world today.
Lead roofing is a traditional roofing method which has been used in the industry for hundreds of years, and is therefore proven to be extremely reliable. Lead roofing, and sand-cast lead, in particular is ideal for old buildings such as churches or historical renovations, whereas milled lead roofing is a mass-produced alternative, used for precision and accuracy in homes and commercial buildings alike.
Lightning Protection
When lightning strikes are you protected against this act of God?
The issue of lightning protection in churches is one that has exercised this publication for many years. In this four-part series of spotlights on the issue we will be revisiting various aspects of the subject, beginning with an overview of current thinking.
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LOVELL PURBECK SUPPLIES NEW FLOOR THAT LOOKS OLD
Lovell Purbeck, a specialist in Purbeck natural stone, with quarries on the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset has recently supplied St. Michael’s church in Southampton with 50m2 of replacement internal flooring, to seamlessly match the existing Purbeck floor, worn by over 940 years of footfall.
Main contractors Everest Construction, working alongside lead architects Stephens Cox Associates, appointed the Purbeck stone specialist as the supplier of the natural stone flooring for the restoration project.
St Michael’s church is the oldest public building in the City of Southampton, constructed in 1070, the original central Norman tower still remains, with the widening of the North and South Aisle, and the rebuilding of the West Door, in the late 14th and 15th century respectively, no further substantial alterations have occurred since the mid to late 19th century.
Dave Everest, director of Everest Construction commenting on the appointment of Lovell Purbeck said: “Having spoken with Lovell Purbeck on a number of occasions, and visited the works down at Langton Matravers, we were excited by their passion, expertise and the extent of their capabilities. The St. Michael’s project was an ideal opportunity to partner with them and use their products.”
“The limitations of the brief meant that this had to be a sensitive and methodical project and the guys have done a marvellous job. With so much room for interpretation the masonry team have used their expertise and experience to produce unique, one-off slabs that blend in perfectly.”
To achieve the aged appearance Lovell Purbeck implemented a technique using diamond-impregnated brushes to remove the softer patches from the stone to produce a weathered and worn finish, resembling hundreds of years of footfall. Through the company’s specialist knowledge and enthusiasm for pushing the boundaries of traditional quarrying and masonry processes, Lovell Purbeck has taken what has commonly been recognised as a waste material and created a truly bespoke product.
“The first cut of the Purbeck Thornback bed is very hard and is used for monumental masonry; anything beneath this is traditionally viewed as waste due to the high percentage of soft areas within the stone,” said Simon Hart, managing director of Lovell Purbeck. “After carrying out a number of trials, we learnt that by cutting flooring blanks from the second and third cut from the Thornback block our masonry team were then able to hand fettle the edges and brush out the softer patches, leaving a naturally uneven surface, perfect for replicating the existing floor.”
“By processing a number of Purbeck stone beds and with each bed having differing properties and characteristics we are able to produce a variety of bespoke surface finishes. The St. Michael’s church project gave us the opportunity to not only create a truly unique product but utilise our full range of skills, from extraction to efficient delivery.”
Reverend Tim Daykin, team vicar at St. Michael’s church said, “The new flooring is a real improvement to St. Michael's and the congregation are delighted.”
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