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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.
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.
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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Heritage Funding
£48m heritage funding opens for churches and historic buildings
Part of £1.5 billion government investment in cultural organisations over a five-year period
Thousands of churches and historic buildings across England could benefit from a major new £48 million funding package aimed at urgent repairs, regeneration projects and wider community use.
CRE Events
Christian Resources Exhibition enters a new chapter as Church Resources Exhibition
The Christian Resources Exhibition (CRE), the UK’s largest church-related show, has changed hands in its 40th year and has been taken over by Quartz Business Media.
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.
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Heating Bills Through the Roof!
Large Community Installation
Leicester College
As part of a dramatic overhaul to upgrade its facilities for its student and in keeping with Building Regulations Part L, Leicester College updates its old boiler systems with a new state of the art solar thermal system. The new solar thermal systems provides up to 70% of its annual hot water needs and cuts energy bills at its vocational training campus, which is better for the environment and financially cost effective.
The college, which is one of the largest in the country with 27,600 students and 1,600 staff, is one of the first in the UK to adopt evacuated tube solar thermal technology to service its hot water needs. Freeman’s Park Campus, which incorporates a vast range of specialist vocational facilities, including a industry standard kitchen, now features 300 Kingspan Solar Thermomax vacuum tubes, which will service its hot water needs all year round.
Specifically designed to operate in Northern Europe climates, the solar collectors use vacuum technology to deliver an unrivalled transfer of solar energy to heat. The vacuum tubes provide insulation, which protects the system from outside influences, such as cold, wet or windy weather ensuring top quality performance is consistently achieved. They also allow energy from the sun to be collected efficiently and effectively, so that solar-heated water can be delivered in record time.
“Before installing the solar tubes, we were using gas boilers that were energy guzzlers and costly to run. Switching to Thermomax solar tubes meant we could reduce our carbon footprint whilst simultaneously generating significant savings on our hot water bills.”
Robin Dalby at Leicester College
Project carried out by Kingspan Solar
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