This is a great picture. It shows the ceiling in different stages of completion. On the upper ceiling the base color of blue can be seen. On the lower panels to the right, the stenciling is visible in an almost finished state. The Restoration committee has chosen the idea of making the great arches that adorn our ceiling more dramatic through the painting technique of 'graining'. This is the process of applying paint, and stain in such a way that the result looks like natural wood. In the forefront the arch is covered in the base coat of paint, and in the background Henry, Brett, and Patrick can be seen applying the stain. Having been up there to see the result I can assure you that it really does look like natural wood, and it is a dramatic change.

For the better.

Restoration project 8-27-07

My apologies to all. There have been some difficulties both technical and personal that have prevented my updating this blog much in the month of august. As you can see a lot of work has been done since the last posting. A color has been chosen for the ceiling and stencil we are very excited to have our new ceiling done in blue tones. Rich browns and earth tones in the stencil will add to the beauty of our new ceiling.

Our window contractor has been busy as well. The rose window stained glass has been totally removed and they are hard at work painting the exterior.

Restoration 8-5 -07

While we were worshiping outside. The lord was at work in His house.

Restoration 8-4 -07

Images of restoration.

<------ is that Neil or Joanne?

Restoration 8-3 -07

This week ended with our Ceiling being reborn. With a coat of primer covering all of the plaster work we finally can get a feel for what a new ceiling will look like with one uniform color.

restoration 8-2-07

While Henry and his crew were busy with the final coat of plaster and preparations for paint, volunteers from the church got busy also. Dennis Kirby and Matt Gardner were sent up into the rafters to create a catwalk for future maintenance projects. A small door was installed above the balcony to provide access. Many thanks to these guys for a hot, dirty afternoon given for a good cause.

restoration 8-1-07

My apologies to all of you that have been checking into the blog to chart the progress of our progress. A killer final week in Spanish, and some technical problems with the church camera combined to create silent week. Although the blog was silent, the project continued on its scheduled pace. Henry and his crew have started filling in the patches with the finish coat of plaster, and we are getting ready for the primer coat of paint.

Restoration 7-25-07

At the end of the day, most of the rose window is out, and on its way to the workbench to be rebuilt. Jeff tells me that the pieces of window were held in by 'carpet tacks'. This was a common practice of the day when they were installed, and a installation system still used today.

Restoration 7-24-07

All one need to do this week is to drive by the church and see the action. Jeff and his crew from Godfrey Muller Studios are here in force and pieces of our Rose window are disappearing. Their lift easily reaches from the curb on Main Street to the window. Click on the picture and you can clearly see the top set of windows where the outer plastic has been removed. Beautiful!

Restoration Project 7-17-07

Today the volunteers kicked in. We started our project of creating better accessibility for anyone that has to work above the ceiling. Dennis Kirby, Matt Gardner, and I lifted two by twelves up onto the scaffolding, and placed them above the ceiling to provide a walkway for any future maintenance or installation projects that have to be done. Many thanks to Dennis and Matt for their efforts. All of this work was done through the little hole that we cut in the ceiling above the balcony last spring.

Restoration Project 7-14-17

More great images from 'above'

Restoration Project 7-13-17

Friday the 13Th. At the end of this week Henry and his crew, having endured the heat of the week, have the base coat part of the project about two thirds complete. Henry tells me that he should be able to finish this part sometime in the middle of next week, and then it is onto the finish coat.

Restoration Project 7-11-17

As the work progresses more and more of the ceiling is patched. The temperature near the ceiling is bordering on unbearable, and the heatwave continues.

Restoration Project 7-10-07

After the 'glue' dries, the plasters begin to fill the holes with the base coat of plaster. This is done to fill the majority of the space, and create a base for the finish coat. Henry and his crew force the plaster into the wire lathe with trowels and leave the surface rough. the rough surface will help the finish coat of plaster bond with the base coat.

Restoration Project 7-9-07

The Project has reached a turning point. Reconstruction begins , as the crew begins the process of installing new plaster. The first part of the procedure is for the workers to cover the wire lath with a glue like substance designed to help the plaster bond to its surroundings. this 'glue' is put on the wire lath and on the existing plaster surrounding the patch.

Some intersting images of Albion from the "second floor."

This week has ended with Henry and his men finishing the wire lath installation. We should see some plaster on Monday. The window project is moving along slow but sure. At the end of July you will see a giant Manlift on the property. This will be used to allow Jeff and his crew to work on the outside of our building. He will remove the rest of the rose window, and clean and paint our clerestory windows.

Restoration Project 6-29-07

With all of the loose plaster removed from the ceiling, and taken to the dump, Henry has cleaned up the work site. He and his crew are in the process of installing the wire lath that will work with the wood lath to give our new plaster ceiling added strength. A bonding agent will then be applied to the wire and to the existing plaster to further help the plaster hold. Our windows, that have been removed are 'on the bench' and in the process of being rebuilt. They will be returned as they are completed.

Restoration Project 6-27-07

Demolition starts this week as Henry and his crew work to remove all of the loose plaster from our ceiling. The wood lath will remain. Any loose wood lath will be re-secured with crews to provide a solid foundation for our new ceiling. It has been determined that the plaster ceiling is original to the time that the church was built in 1874, and contains real horse hair. Horse hair was used to fortify the plaster and help to keep it from cracking. In this picture, we see the one section in the whole project where all of the plaster has been removed. This section is situated in the front of the sanctuary directly in front of the Pulpit.

Restoration Project 6-23-07

More images of restoration.

Restoration Project 6-21-07

This week ended with a meeting being held to determine the condition of the existing plaster ceiling. Henry and our architects, Kevin, and Virginia, got together and assessed how much of the original plaster that was to remain, and how much needed to be removed. We were happy to hear that a significant portion of the original plaster has been determined to be solid. This is great news.

Restoration Project 6-19-07

Jeff was here today to remove one of the clerestory windows. Close inspection of these windows has shown that only one has enough damage to warrant repair. Removing the glass from this opening at this time serves two functions. The glass can go to the shop for repair, and be back in place by the time the scaffold is taken down, and the opening provides much needed air circulation for the guys working on the ceiling.

Restoration Project 6-18-07

More furring strips have been removed, and we are finally getting to get an idea of what this ceiling was like before it was covered. This picture shows a cleaned section, and gives a true indication of the past. . . and the future.

We have also found out that our forefathers did such a great job caulking in the the Plexiglas window covers on the rose window, that the pieces cannot be removed from the inside without excessive damage. Jeff says that this is a minor setback, and should only affect the timing of the project.

Restoration Project 6-17-07

Images of restoration.

Restoration Project 6-15-07

This week ended with our first project meeting. I met with the architects, and the contractor, to assess progress and map future plans. The furring strips on the ceiling are being removed, and Henry has done a preliminary assessment regarding the condition of the existing plaster. The good news. . . Not all of it will have to come down. The window project is progressing, and if you walk though the sanctuary you will notice that there are several pieces that have been removed for repair.

Restoration Project 6-13-07

Henry and His crew have removed all of the acoustic tiles from our ceiling. They are bagged, and bundled and ready to become a part of the history of the church. The plaster ceiling has been revealed, and in it's day must have been magnificent. The reasons that the tiles were installed are also evident. Jeff has also begun the restoration of our Rose Window by removing some of it to his shop for repair.

Restoration Project 6- 12-07

Today we get to change the name of these posts to 'Restoration Project.' Today marks the beginning to the window restoration part of the project. I met with Jeff from the Godfrey Muller studios of Rochester. http://www.godfreymullerstudios.com/ His up close assessment of our clerestory windows (the little ones up near the ceiling) revealed that with the exception of one, they are in great shape. This is good news. Also, today, Henry's crew continued to work for the protection of our sanctuary, installing plastic down both aisles, and completely covering the choir loft.

Cieling project 6-11-07

Today is a day with little activity in the sanctuary. With the scaffold part of the project being completed so quickly, Henry and his crew had to complete another project before their planned start tomorrow. As we progress we will be seeing parts of the church that haven't been exposed in almost sixty years. It is almost like unwrapping a present.

Ceiling project 6-8-07

The scaffolding is complete. In one week, our contractors have put together a giant erector set that will provide a safe working environment for Henry and his men. I would like to thank this crew for their hard work. Henry will be staring his work next week. I would like to take this opportunity to say that the safety of all of God's children is important to us. As Henry gets going, there will be a lot of dust, and a lot of debris. Please help us to maintain a safe restoration by not entering the sanctuary with out authorization. I would be more than happy to escort anyone that is interested in seeing how the project is progressing.

Ceiling project 6-7-07

It looks like the scaffolding will be done either today or tomorrow. This is a full three days ahead of schedule, and just in time for the Strawberry festival. The contractors should be all cleaned up and out of the way before the first chicken hits the grill.

This is a link to our architect's web blog

http://www.beroarchitecture.com/news

Ceiling project 6-6-07

I just stopped in and it is about 4 pm. The majority of the scaffold is finished. there is now a temporary second floor in our sanctuary. The complete decking of the scaffolding allows for the contractor to have complete access to our ceiling. In a conversation with Henry, he stated that this deck effectively makes this a project about a 50 foot high ceiling into a project about a 12 foot high ceiling.

Ceiling project 6-5-07

More scaffolding is being erected today. Working towards the goal of decking the entire sanctuary. These guys erecting the scaffold are fearless. They climb around and function at fifty feet as easily as on the ground.

Ceiling project 6-4-07

The second week of the project begins with the delivery of the scaffolding. Five men have worked all day to begin the process of building the sanctuary long deck that will be the working area for the plasterers and painters. Imagine working all day forty-five feet in the air.

Ceiling project 6/1/07

As I look out from the balcony over the plastic covered pews, I see the work of a man who understands the significance of the building in which he is working. It has always been a personal pleasure to watch professionals do their job well. Looking ahead to next week, we should see the project raised to new heights as the scaffolding begins to appear.

Ceiling Project 5/31/07

Our Ceiling contractor, Swiatek Restoration, is hard at work in the sanctuary. In the past three days he has managed to cover the entire sanctuary in protective plastic. This is done to protect the pews, and the organ, and all of the other elements of the sanctuary from harmful construction debris. Henry (Swiatek) is going to great lengths to protect our historic building and is hopeful that all of is prep work will make cleanup easier in the end. To me, amid all of the excitement of the project, the sanctuary has the melancholy feel of a summer cottage in the fall.