Tips on How to Do Church Repair and Restoration

Life nowadays has become relatively complicated and it has become as important as ever for people to have a suitable place of prayer and worship. The solemnity and peace a church offers is the perfect escape from the turmoil and troubles of daily life. As such, there’s no question that the maintenance or restoration of a church, like repairing any damages that may have been brought on by the elements, is of extreme importance.

Maintenance of churches as with any building, involves a scheduled check-up of the roofing, gutters and drainpipes. Neglecting to fix any leaks and drips will inevitably lead to further and more costly damage. Plumbing and fixtures obviously should be checked as well. One of the worst things that can happen during a Mass or service is having a faucet or toilet go out of order and flood the church floor, causing water damage to the pulpits or the flooring.

Another thing that should be part of regular maintenance is damage to the walls brought about by age or termites. Cracks and holes should be taken care of immediately as these can cause heat or coolness from the air-conditioners to escape and bring electricity costs up.

Unlike conventional building repair and restoration, renovating churches entails more than just replacing and repairing walls, fixtures, and plumbing. Although the roofing, plumbing and drainage system may be the same, church restoration and repair goes way beyond the typical issues of buildings and homes as there are a lot of other things that have to be considered.

First, we start with the obvious when it comes to restoration and that is, which company to choose for professional help. As with anything that has money-making potential, there are a large number of renovators and ‘liturgical specialists’ out there all too eager to give their services. It’s all too easy to make a drastic decision and go with one that will make your church look like a museum or something other than a place of worship.

Perhaps the safest, most surefire way of going about this decision is to choose a well-established building contractor that has a considerable experience with church repair and restoration. Asking around and going with a well-recommended contractor that has an excellent record in dealing with church restoration is the best way to avoid regrets down the road.

Other things to look for when looking for the right contractor for your church is experience in replacing and restoring stone roof slates typical of old churches, oak beams and doors, marble altars, and fixtures. Those that can do on-site welding of metal gates or ornate metal design involving lead and similar material used in classic churches would be good if you have an old church. Professional architects and contractors that can match centuries-old architecture while making use of 21st methods of construction can also save you a lot of money and waiting time.

When you have found an ideal contractor for your church restoration, it’s a good idea to have a definite plan of what you want done. Whether you’ve decided to alter your church’s appearance or stick with the same design, it’s important to be sure that the plan you come up with is what the majority of those involved want. This is to avoid any problems down the road. If you plan to make changes then make sure you also know the reason why those changes are necessary.

Having the original blueprints or architectural drawings of your church at hand would also be a big help to the contractor and to the project, especially if you plan on making major structural work done. If those are not available then it is best to have new ones drawn by having your church measured-up to make construction operations flow better.