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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.
Cathedral Care
Restoration and upkeep of cathedrals
There are some 42 Anglican cathedrals in the UK, not to mention 20 or so Catholic cathedrals. Cathedrals form the most important collection of historic buildings in England. The largest and most ancient are internationally famous, the smallest are usually among the most significant buildings in their region and even the most recent are architectural masterpieces.
Master Craftsmen
Championing our heritage with modern craftsmanship
Twenty years ago, English Heritage (now Historic England) published its first-ever Register of Buildings at Risk across England, which featured nearly 2,000 buildings and monuments that were ‘neglected, broken and unloved’. Recently Historic England was delighted to announce that over two-thirds of those buildings were now safe, in both urban and rural areas right across the country.
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
Exhibitors enthuse over the CRE experience
By 4pm on the first day of CRE 24 at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes, exhibitors Chris and Kim Dunphy had already had so many helpful and detailed conversations with visitors that they were “completely talked out”.
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.
Church Maintenance
Church maintenance and repair: Calendar of Care
Just as prevention is always better than cure, maintenance is preferable to major repairs. But, such repairs may not always be avoidable. Church Care offers a monthly guide in our coming issues Starting in Spring
We can help you understand the common problems and areas that need your special attention, and give you tips for regular maintenance schemes.
Pest Control
Michael Palin warns of pest threat to churches
Michael Palin is supporting the future of the UK’s historic churches and chapels with a voiceover for a new animated film. The 80 second animation, produced for the National Churches Trust, highlights why churches are some of the nation’s best loved buildings.
Town Halls
The history of the great Victorian Town Halls of Northern England
From industrial squalor to civic pride, the story behind some of the most impressive buildings of the North involve a unique mix of economics, grand designs and noble sentiments within communities.
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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Solid growth for Stone leads to investment
Darlington-based restoration, high level and general maintenance experts, Stone Technical Services, have invested thousands of pounds as the company prepares to grow and enter new markets.
Stone started 2013 by investing around £20,000 in its marketing and, in addition to taking on a new member of staff, has now launched a new website - www.stonetechnicalgroup.co.uk - to improve its presence on search engines as it continues to grow around the UK.
A Case of Carp, Concrete & Clean Water!
Siltbuster Limited’s newly launched fully integrated HD unit has been used to help Colwell Groundworks and Construction protect a lake housing £1m of fish, while the construction company repairs the lake’s retaining wall.
The three acre lake, containing carp, perch, roach and rudd is in the grounds of Eastnor Castle, a high profile stately home and visitor attraction which nestles in the Malvern Hills.
Liverpool Central Library, Liverpool
The Liverpool Central Library and Archive Project is a unique and prestigious scheme within the heart of Liverpool’s World Heritage Site. The project provides a new 8000m2 library and specialist archive and restores 4000m2 of Grade II * Listed historic buildings on William Brown Street.
The project has created a world class Library within this group of internationally important civic buildings.
Carmelite Monastery, Liverpool
A purpose built new monastery for the Carmelite Sisters in Liverpool. The layout embodies the daily cycle of prayer, manual labour, communal mealtimes and private reflection. The design is a modern interpretation of the monastic tradition. Silence and light articulates the architecture which is calm, ordered and uplifting.
The community includes a chapel, cloister, refectory, community room, library, workspaces, guest house, 24 cells, 2 hermitage cells and 6 fully accessible infirmary cells. As a home it is comfortable and modest, befitting the Carmelite philosophy.
Saint-Gobain Weber Monocouche render brings new life to Gosford Castle
Modern monocouche render by Saint-Gobain Weber, the leading manufacturer and formulator of innovative materials for the construction industry, has been specified in the exceptional restoration project of 19th century Gosford Castle, County Armagh.
Once the largest private houses in Ireland, the Castle has been rescued from dereliction and is now an exclusive community of 23 individually designed homes created within the fabric of the original building.
Imperial War Museum North illuminated by SILL
The Imperial War Museum North is now illuminated at night, enhancing its status as an architectural landmark in Salford Quays. The lighting for the iconic building’s exterior has been supplied by Sill Lighting UK, a leading manufacturer of high performance and energy efficient luminaires.
The multi-award winning museum, the youngest of the Imperial War Museums’ (IWM) five branches, is the first UK building to be designed by the world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind. The design explores the concept of a world destroyed by conflict, which is represented in the architectural form of a shattered globe reassembled in three interlocking shards.
Is your church or heritage building ready for the storms?
Churches have always suffered form the effects of lightning. Golde (1977), for example, notes that the campanile of San Marco in Venice was struck and severely damaged or completely destroyed nine times between 1388 and 1762.
Even in an era when skyscrapers and cell towers overshadow the tallest church steeple, it’s crucial for churches to be intentional about lightning protection. A single lightning strike can not only sear church roofs and steeples, but it can also ruin computers, sound systems, alarms, and other electronics.
Let's Imagine creates a difference for The Salvation Army
Let's Imagine is a branding consultancy and has creative curiosity for finding interesting and innovative ways to communicate through design.
They believe that design should have a great idea at its heart, and should 'simply' engage, inform and influence.
Martin-Brooks honoured for heritage skills
Sheffield based roofing specialists, Martin-Brooks, has received national industry recognition for the quality of its work in the heritage sector.
Martin-Brooks is shortlisted for this year’s National Federation of Roofing Contractors’ (NFRC) heritage award for the complete re-roof of a grade II listed church in Derbyshire.
NE company’s commitment to young recruits
One of the UK’s leading lightning protection companies, based in Darlington, has created a number of new opportunities for local young people as the company experiences continued growth.
Stone Technical Services has seen an increasing demand for its lightning protection services in the last year – counting the likes of St Paul’s Cathedral amongst its clients- and, as a result, has recruited two apprentices and a junior manager.
Tread carefully with your carbon footprint
With an increasingly high profile focus on the Green Agenda and the clamour to reduce energy consumption and wastage through improved insulation, a word of caution when it comes to considering properties where traditional metal roofs are being installed.
The demands for thermal insulation, particularly in the roof space has led to the increasing specification for a warm roof design in both large and small projects.
Brand new ‘Grade One-listed’ building is in line for Roofing Award
The project to install the roofs onto seven new houses at Stanmer House in Brighton was an unusual one, to say the least. The houses are built on the existing foundations of the old kitchen block at the 18th-century Palladian-style mansion, which was demolished when the repairs were deemed impracticable.
However, the building materials and the style of the new build has to match the previous building as they form part of the Grade One-listed property, together with the main house, which was built in 1723-4.
Known as The Hive
The New Worcester Library and History Centre was an innovative partnership development between Worcester County Council and the University of Worcester to create Europe’s first fully integrated public and university library.
Known as The Hive, the dramatic building features seven roof cones for natural stack ventilation and is clad in 16,000 TECU® gold shingles. These are produced by KME and more information is available at http://www.kme.com/en/roofing
Safety in Roofing Awards 2013
The National Federation of Roofing Contractors today announced the members who have received recognition for their health and safety practices in this year’s Safety in Roofing Awards.
The awards have been in operation for a number of years and were instigated as a way to promote the positive attitude to health and safety by NFRC member companies. Trade members are invited and encouraged to enter information on their health and safety training and accident statistics collected during the course of the year.
Unique roofing material named finalist in roofing awards
Not far from Stamford in Lincolnshire is Collyweston, a traditional village in the heart of England. It is also the source of Collyweston ‘stone slate’, not a true slate but a fissile limestone formed in the Jurassic period, some 150 million years ago.
The stone has been mined in the area since roman times and was used extensively in the local area and on some prominent buildings around the country until the growth of the railways in the late 19th century led to the decline in the quarrying industry.
National Funeral Exibition 2013
After what has been hailed as the most successful funeral exhibition ever held in the UK, NFE are now well advanced in planning the 2013 show.
They are theming the show around the traditional Circus, providing exhibitors with an excellent opportunity to develop some exciting ideas for stand design. The NFE Big Top Bar will incorporate circus style entertainment, which will have extra attractions on Family Day.
Roofers in line to be made kings of the castle
When tenders were being submitted for the restoration of Lowther Castle in Cumbria, it made sense when considering the roofing contract to approach the only company in the county on the NFRC’s National Heritage Roofing Contractor Register – Cumbria Roofing North West Ltd.
In fact all three companies bidding for the project did just that and when Patton Construction from Ballymena in Ireland was awarded the contract it was Cumbria Roofing they employed.
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