Roof Project Newsletter
October 2023
Dear Members and Friends,
Who would have thought that drones would help maintain a 300 year old building! Last week 3C’s very own drone flew its maiden flight over our church building. By geolocating the drone to a very accurate position we are able to compare images it collects with ones taken previously to compare for very minor movements of any structure.
We can also check for missing tiles, holes and check the state of our gutters - it’s going to be invaluable.
Woodworm
This week our attic was inspected to evaluate the extent of the woodworm observed in last year’s structural survey. The good news is that there is no active woodworm infestation and the holes are considered by the expert to be historical – even up to 200 years old. We will have to replace the worst affected timbers and we will treat all the wood when the roof repairs are completed, but there is nothing to do now.
September 24th Church Meeting
The roof team send our thanks to all those who attended last Sunday’s special meeting about the roof. The team presented the two alternative approaches to fixing the roof – a thorough approach based on replacement that would bring the roof up to current building standards, and a less obtrusive approach characterised on repair and conservation. The team presented the differences between these approaches, with the expected life and cost for each one.
The team recommended the second approach to repair and conserve, and after a good discussion those present voted with a very large majority to follow this path going forwards. We are therefore now approaching one contractor to provide the necessary drawings we will need for planning permission, and, whilst we are sure the Council’s Conservation Officer will approve, we will see if the Building Regulations Officer agrees that it is safe to proceed.
Grants
With the decision on direction having been made, we now have a clearer target cost, which means that we can now start applying for grants. We are planning to make a first submission to pay for the new drawings.
Things to pray for
Please pray that God will lead us to the best contractor to do the work. And that the grant authorities will find favour with our applications
You can find our latest and previous newsletters on www.3ccommunitychurch.org. Look for the link on the dark pink stripe on our home page.
You can also find it on the 3C App - look for the tile icon. If you haven’t already downloaded the app we would love you to do so.
There are instructions here.