Our Church Restoration Project is underway! What can you expect? Our builders,
Building Restoration Corporation (BRC), will have a fifty-three foot trailer parked on the east
side of the Church on Moore Street. It will be their onsite office, tool storage, employee lockers,
etc.
BRC will begin their work on the large crack high up on the southeast corner of the
church (Dayton and Moore). Their current plan is to go from that southeast corner, and work
clockwise around the whole building. Expect to see scaffolding and two aerial lifts on site soon!
BRC will not work on Sundays, and this work will not impede Sunday Mass or our weekday
liturgies. The workers will stop working during Mass on weekdays. On Sundays the aerial lifts
will be parked on Moore beside the trailer. The amount and type of equipment will shift as BRC
makes its way around the church. The North side of the church will need some larger equipment
in the alley because of its height.
Once BRC removes the bricks on the top southeast corner, they will meet with engineers
from Miller Dunwiddie (our architects) to decide how best to attach and strengthen the facade in
that area. This is the corner that needs the most attention.
History lesson: apparently our church building has been 100% tuckpointed at some point since its original construction. Tuckpointing is replacing the mortar between the bricks when it begins to age and break down. The tuckpointing is an inch or two thick, so there are actually two mortars within the walls. There is the deeper, original mortar, and the “new” one. So far it seems like both are holding up well, except in the places we have contracted the builders to fix. The mortar will be carefully analyzed and matched for color. Most of the bricks will be reused, but a few broken bricks will be replaced. They will also be matched for color.
The typical workday for BRC will be 7am to 3:30pm. Again, they will not work on Sundays and they will stop working during our weekday Masses. We do not anticipate ever
having to cancel any Mass because of this construction. We may, however, “re-route” foot traffic
entering and exiting the church, depending on the needs of the builders. So be ready to enter
through a different door than usual as things progress.
Exciting times my friends! This work is only accomplished through your prayer and
generosity—so good work everybody!
--Joe Hermerding, Business Manager
