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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
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.
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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EPL Skylift in Control of Pigeon Problem at York Minster
EPL Skylift, Lavendon Access Services’ vehicle mount division, recently supplied the access equipment required to carry out pest control work at one of the UK’s finest Gothic Cathedrals, York Minster. The famous ‘Rose Window’, situated in the south transept provides an excellent roosting spot for pigeons and, along with the surrounding stonework, is also susceptible to damage from what pigeons usually leave behind!
York Minster required a quick, safe and easy way to access the medieval window, whose glass dates from about 1500 and commemorates the union of the royal houses of York and Lancaster. Their specialist cleaning contractors, Reactive Group Services, contacted EPL Skylift. The task included the instillation of netting to protect the building, so EPL Skylift suggested a truck-mounted platform which provides up to 50 metres of working height.
Before the netting was installed, the stonework was inspected by York Minster’s Master Mason, John David and its Conservator Mason, Lee Godfrey.
Rebecca Thompson, Superintendent of Works at York Minster, also took advantage of the T50B being on site to take photographs of the window. She said: “The EPL Skylift machine allowed us to carry out an inspection, take records and install the netting in one day, this minimised disruption to the public visiting York Minster.
In the past, access to the Rose Window would have been via a scaffold. In 1984, the fire brigade had an extendable ladder which allowed the glazier, Peter Gibson OBE, to inspect the fire damage to the Rose Window, but this did not offer the viable, safe working platform that we hired from EPL Skylift. The T50B also allowed us to safely collect loose fragments for inspection at ground level.
York Minster is a huge building, with a central tower extending to 60 metres in height. Using a truck mounted platform granted access to a large section of vulnerable areas of the building that we were not possible to reach as easily in previous years, including the West Towers which bear the brunt of extreme wind.”
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