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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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F. Ball Restores Floor at Emmanuel Baptist Church
Following the deterioration of the original wood floor at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Eastleigh, Hampshire, F. Ball’s flooring adhesive and subfloor preparation products have been used to restore the floor and create a safe, smooth and durable surface for the church’s visitors and weekly pre-school. A range of F. Ball’s smoothing underlayments, waterproof surface membrane and market leading adhesives were used to create a smooth, dry subfloor onto which the decorative vinyl floorcovering was adhered.
First built in 1913, the original wooden floor in the church hall had deteriorated after years of wear and tear and the effects of subfloor moisture. Following the complete removal of the wooden floor, flooring contractors, G. E. Nichols Flooring, were left with a damaged and rough concrete surface which needed to be built up and levelled in order to create a safe, even and hard-wearing surface for the pre-school children to play on.
As with most buildings constructed before 1965, no damp proof membrane was originally installed to prevent rising damp. Following a moisture test, which confirmed there was an unacceptable level of damp in the floor of the church hall, the contractor installed 5mm of F. Ball’s Stopgap Green Bag 114 smoothing underlayment to create a smooth surface before applying two coats of Stopgap F75, a high performance waterproof surface membrane. F75 suppresses the passage of moisture and prevents it rising through the subfloor and causing adhesive failure.
Under strict time constraints to finish the floor before the new school term began, the waterproof surface membrane was mixed with an accelerator to enhance the drying time to around three hours. This allowed the contractor to install both coats of F75 on the same day.
To build the damaged subfloor back up to its original height, and the same level as the adjoining toilets, 20 – 25mm of F. Ball’s Stopgap 600 Base compound was installed throughout the hall. Designed for use where floor levels need to be raised quickly and economically, Stopgap 600 was pump-applied to speed up the installation. Prior to this, F. Ball’s Stopgap P131 primer was applied to promote adhesion of the deep base compound to the subfloor.
To ensure the floor was sufficiently smooth, 4mm of Stopgap 300 HD, heavy-duty smoothing underlayment was applied over the Stopgap 600. A fast drying, low odour and protein free smoothing underlayment, Stopgap 300 has excellent self-levelling properties and was used to eliminate any remaining imperfections in the subfloor and provide an excellent surface finish.
Finally, Styccobond F44 acrylic adhesive was applied to adhere the vinyl floorcovering to the prepared subfloor. Designed to achieve a high-bond strength, F44 is protected against bio-degradation and is solvent free, making it ideal for use on the church floor.
Geoff Nichols, owner of G. E Nichols Flooring, explains: “I use F. Ball’s products on a regular basis and I often speak to F. Ball’s representatives for technical information and to find the right products for the job. I’m always impressed with the results and I knew that by using a range of F. Ball’s products I’d get the job done in the best time, with the best results.”
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