Resources
July 2008
Welcome to July's Faith in Maintenance monthly email bulletin. Every month we will be sending you a short reminder of some of the things that you might do to make sure that your place of worship is in tiptop condition.
Things
to look for:
Towers and steeples: The external faces of towers and steeples are rarely accessible to those without specialist skills and equipment but still need to be inspected and maintained. Although physical access may be limited, you can get some idea of the condition of the tower or spire if you use a set of binoculars to examine your tower or steeple from ground level. You may also be able to gain a useful vantage point from a nearby tall building. Take note of any areas of loose masonry, plant growth or problems related to roof coverings (timber shingles, sheet metals, slates or tiles). Any defects should be reported to your architect or building surveyor who will be able to advise whether remedial action is required.
If it is possible to gain safe access to the roof of your tower or the walkway at the base of your spire remember to check the condition of the following items:
- Roof coverings: Missing or slipped slates or tiles should be replaced and cracks or splits in sheet metal roofing materials should be made watertight using a mastic tape until a proper repair can be carried out.
- Rainwater outlets such as gutters, downpipes, hoppers and chutes: These should be cleared of leaves and other debris so that rainwater can discharge easily.
- Protective lead flashings over joints: These help to ‘weather' the junction and keep the rain out. If flashings are split, cracked or missing they should be repaired or replaced as soon as possible.
- Stone or brick parapets walls: Look out for areas where the pointing is missing or eroded. Coping stones and pinnacles can be particularly vulnerable as they are very exposed to the wind and rain. If there are open joints moisture will be able to penetrate into the wall structure.
- Flagpole fixings: Check that the flagpole is securely fixed. If the flagpole penetrates the roof covering make sure that the junction is watertight.
You will also find that the tower roof is a good vantage point from which to study the condition of lower roof slopes. Check that parapet and valley gutters are clear of debris as well as looking for slipped slates and tiles.
Lightning
protection systems: The provision of a lightning protection
system will not prevent the occurrence of a lightning strike. The purpose of the installation is to direct
the current discharged from the strike to earth safely, protecting the
structure and its occupants from the effects of the strike. Fires arising from
lightning strikes can be minimised by ensuring that the lightning protection system
is always in working order. The
continuity of the conductors can be broken during building repairs or ground
excavations. As the conductors are often
made of copper they are also currently vulnerable to theft. If lightning conductors are disturbed or
stolen, they should be repaired immediately.
It is worth remembering that places of worship with a faulty lightning protection
system are at more risk than those without lightning conductors.
Things to do:
Towers and steeples: If your tower or steeple is inaccessible, talk to your professional advisor about the possibility of having it inspected by a steeplejack once every five years or so. A good steeplejack can carry out a thorough inspection and will be able to identify any areas that may need further attention. Ensure that the steeplejack uses a digital camera to record the condition of the steeple and any problem areas.
Copies of their report should be kept with your logbook. You should also discuss their findings with your architect or surveyor.
Lightning
protection systems: Carry out a visual check of
your lightning protection system regularly to check that it has not been
removed or tampered with. Consider
having your lightning conductor system independently tested at least once every
three to five years. It is important to
have the system tested at different times in the year as the electrical
resistance of the ground changes from one season to the next.
If you are unsure about how often you should have your system tested, you may wish to discuss the issue with your insurer. They will advise on the minimum level of testing that you should comply with to ensure that your building is fully covered in the event of a strike.
Further Reading:
- English Heritage (2000) Lightning Protection for Churches: A Guide to Design and Installation. English Heritage/Ecclesiastical (Product Code XH20087).
If you are unsure about how to look after
your place of worship or have any questions about issues related to maintenance
and repair you can contact David John,
our Technical Advisor, on the Faith in
Maintenance Technical Advice Line.
This service is normally available on Fridays from 9.30am until
3.30pm on 0207 456 0916. Information about courses run by the SPAB can
be found here. You can also visit our online bookshop,
which sells the SPAB's range of Technical Pamphlets and Information Sheets as
well as a selection of related conservation and repair titles.
News!
New Faith in Maintenance Forum now online! The feedback from people who have participated in our Faith in Maintenance training days has shown that volunteers really appreciate the opportunity to discuss problems and issues with fellow churchwardens and fabric officers. We believe that this is a very important way of sharing tips and ideas so we have decided to launch an online discussion forum to allow others to join in. You can contribute to the forum by registering here. If you have any suggestions for topics for discussion in the forum please email us your ideas and we will add them to the board.
New
Faith in Maintenance handbook now available!
‘The
Good Maintenance Guide' has been written by the
Faith in Maintenance project team and contains a wealth of advice about the day-to-day
care of historic places of worship. The
handbook is intended to be a practical and easy to use source of advice and
includes chapters on understanding traditional materials, why buildings decay,
maintenance tasks and working with professionals and others. It also contains a useful maintenance
checklist and many references to related sources of help and guidance.
The guide is aimed at volunteers who care for historic places of worship but its message that we should aim to ‘stave off decay by daily care' is applicable to all historic structures. Come along to a Faith in Maintenance training course to receive your free copy of the ‘The Good Maintenance Guide'. You can also purchase a copy online or from the FiM office at 37 Spital Square, London E1 6DY (0207 456 0913). The guide costs £5 plus £1 P&P.
New guide to managing bats now available! Natural England has just released a new guidance document about managing bats in places of worship. The guidance is available to download from their website.
We hope that you have found this email bulletin useful. If you have any comments or suggestions on how we may improve this service please do get in touch with us using bulletin@spabfim.org.uk.
Sara Crofts Faith in Maintenance Project Director
Stave off decay by daily care ~ William Morris 1877
