Day 19 - Temporary Floor

Week 4 - Day 19
Scaffold boards started to be lifted up to deck out the temporary floor above the Gallery Floor.
More stone slabs were marked up, cleaned and moved out of the cellar.

Boarding to deck out the temporary floor above the Gallery.

Stone slabs stacked within the cellar of George Street Chapel.

Day 18 - Scaffolding and Stone Slabs

Week 4 - Day 18
The scaffolders began linking the scaffold towers at the front and back of the chapel.
these brace the structure and allow a temporary floor to be laid that will stop debris falling from the ceiling and roof while they are being taken apart. It also makes it safer by limiting the distance anything, or anyone can fall.
the scaffolding work is being carried out by HT Scaffolding Systems who have worked at Manchester's Victoria Baths and at Ordsall Hall.
Whilst the scaffolding work was being carried out above the gallery, in the cellar the floor slabs were being taken out for safe storage. In the cellar the floor is being lifted to enable a damp-proof membrane to be put in and so that under-floor heating can be fitted.

Scaffolders Steve Baxendale, Sam Frater and Ant Jones
of HT Scaffold Systems Ltd.

The scaffold extends through George Street Chapel from front to back
George Street to Jackson Pit.

Scaffolding through the window openings.

The scaffold extending across the chapel floor
above the gallery floor.

Stone slabs from the floor of the cellar dwellings ready for removal
for safe storage.

Day 17 - Support Structure for Gallery Revealed

Week 4 - Day 17
The lath and plaster is being removed from underneath the gallery Floor revealing the support structure.
Also the new set of toilets behind the lobby entrance have been removed.

Day 16 - NW Corner Cleared - location of new staircase

Week 4 - Day 16
The NW corner of the cellar has been cleared of the modern inserted toilets.
This is the area that a new staircase and a disabled lift will be inserted to enable the new use to comply with todays access regulations.

Location of new staircase - NW corner of cellar.

Decorated Wall Plaster

At the end of Week 3, on Day 14, an area of original plaster was uncovered whilst removing the modern gypsum plaster.
It is located on the north wall at the rear of the chapel on the Gallery.
This decoration would have been hand painted, possibly by a member of the chapel.
At some date the decorated wall painting had been over-painted. Possibly it was considered an old fashioned feature and tastes had changed, or it had just become worn out and the painting had started to flake off the wall surface. It was painted over and lost to view.
The last owner had then applied a fresh skim of modern plaster on top of the over-painted wall.

We shall bring in an expert to analyse the paint and seek advise on whether the decoration is able to be conserved. Meanwhile we will also try to gently remove the modern skim of gypsum plaster and see how much of the decoration survives and if there are any more details to uncover.

Painted wall plaster revealed at the Gallery Floor of George Street Chapel.

Detail of the repeating pattern
Alternating square and rectangular patterns
with a stylised finial design above.

Day 15 - Windows - Lambert Walker Team - Peter and Plasterwork

Week 3 - Day 15
Summary of the week.
The remaining chapel windows were removed today. A long and tiring job for the team involved, but essential if the scaffolders are to complete the final sections of scaffolding next week. Well done Ian, Chris, Sam and Ali.
Also thanks to Peter Longley, a member of our FOGS group who has been helping with the photographic record.
The removal of the internal plaster has also nearly finished, revealing some interesting things about the construction, alterations and decoration of the chapel over its life-time.
More information on these discoveries next week.

George Street Chapel protected by scaffolding and waiting for its roof covering
to be completed in Week 4 of the works schedule.

Window freed and leaning inwards ready for lifting out.

Window tipped ready for lifting upwards and inwards.

Lambert Walker Team - Site Manager, Ian Mullin
Chris Marshall, Ali Walker, Sam McNamara.

Peter Longley, FOGS, one of those who is helping keep a photographic record
of the works to conserve, repair and adapt George Street Chapel.

Day 14 - Removal of Windows

Week 3 - Day 14
The first window frames were removed today.
Hopefully the rest will be removed tomorrow.
There have been some interesting decorations uncovered as the plaster has been removed from the walls.
Photos to be uploaded tomorrow.

The first of the George Street Chapel windows
removed for repair and conservation.

Day 13 - Freeing up the Windows

Week 3 - Day 13
Today the joiner spent time freeing up the windows ready for removal.
Hopefully all the windows will be out buy Friday evening.

Joiner working to free the windows at George Street Chapel.

Day 12 - Removal of Gypsum Plaster from Internal Walls

Week 3 - Day 12
While scaffolders continued with the framework around the chapel, internal works consisted of the removal of the gypsum plaster.

External scaffolding at rear of George Street Chapel.

Scaffold framework above the roof of George Street Chapel.

Removal of internal plaster from the George Street Chapel walls.

Day 11 - Scaffolding and Internal Coverings

Week 3 - Day 11
While the scaffolders continued to work on the external cladding and the framework scaffolding over the roof attention was also given to protecting the pulpit and pews.

George Street Chapel viewed from the NE in the afternoon
as the sun drops behind the chapel.

The scaffolding extending beyond the gutters to meet the external scaffold frame,
which snow surrounds the building.

Plastic sheeting now protects the pulpit and pews to prevent damage
as a temporary floor is constructed above the Gallery
and the wall plaster is removed. 

Day 10 - Work on Roof and Cellar

Week 2 - Day 10
Major progress today on the roof and in the cellar.
The horizontal scaffold sections were locked together above the roof, supported from the scaffolding at the front and rear scaffold towers. Once the window frames have been removed translucent roof panels will protect the chapel from the elements while the slates are removed and then replaced with new ones.

Roofing scaffold frames being locked in place to protect
George Street Chapel while the roof is renovated.

In the cellar the stone floor slabs have started to be lifted. There is no damp-proof membrane under the slabs, so damp is rising up from the ground below. While the floor is lifted a under-floor heating system will be installed before the slabs are put back.

The stone floor slabs being removed from the cellar dwellings
underneath George Street Chapel.

Day 9 - Scaffolding reaches gutters at rear of Chapel

Week 2 - Day 9

Scaffolding reaches the gutters at the rear of the chapel.

Day 8 - Clear-out of Previous Developments

Week 2 - Day 8
Interventions by the previous owner are now being cleared away.
A skip arrives tomorrow to start getting rid of the debris.
We will all be pleased to see the inappropriate yellow coloured walls, the partition walls and the toilets removed.

Modern toilets, tiling and yellow painted walls.
All destined for the skip at the end of the week.

As the plaster comes off the extent of the damp penetration can be clearly seen.

Site Manager, Ian Mullins - wrapped up against todays snow - but the job goes on.

Day 7 - Chapel begins to Disappear from Street View

Week 2 - Day 7
The George Street elevation has almost disappeared from the street scene, hidden behind a protective screen. You need to log in to this blog to see what happens next.

Cladding in front of the George Street elevation protects the public from any debris.

Scaffolding continues to be erected at the rear of the chapel in Jackson Pit.

Day 6 -Scaffolding at rear of Chapel

Week 2 - Day 6
This type of scaffolding was erected today around the window openings at the rear of the chapel. It will be used to support horizontal scaffold which will be inserted through the building above the gallery floor once the windows have been removed.
At the same time the external cladding continues to be erected to protect the public from debris and dust from the repair works.

Scaffolding being erected around the windows.

Cladding continues to be erected around the chapel.
This is the SE corner at David Street and George Street.

Cladding across the George Street elevation.

Day 5 - Scaffolding and Cladding

Week 1 - Day 5
George Street Chapel is now slowly disappearing behind scaffolding and cladding. Both to enable a temporary roof to be erected over the top of the building, but also to enable access to the whole of the outside walls, to make the site secure and to protect passers by from being hurt by any falling debris from the re-pointing and brick work restoration.
So, what happens next?
Over the next week a start will be made on removing the modern pointing, much of it of recent addition which used the wrong materials. Replacement with the correct mortar will add life to the building and protect the surviving bricks from the elements for another 200 years.
The window frames will be removed so that they can be repainted and then put back with a damp-proof membrane, again to enable them to survive without needing replacement for many years.
A temporary roof will be built over the chapel, so that the slates can be removed and the internal lath and plaster ceiling removed before being restored and re-built, and a new lead-lined stone gully replaced to the rear elevation to prevent rainwater spilling over and damaging the rear brick wall.
meanwhile internally the plaster will be removed from the walls, the stone floor on the cellar will be lifted to enable the insertion of underfloor heating. This will make the chapel warmer and more sustainable for Age UK Oldham to maintain and heat.
To enable work to be carried out to the roof and to the chapel floor at the same time, a temporary floor will be built internally supported from the scaffolding at a level above the present Gallery.
Watch this blog to see how it all gets done.
Thanks to Roy and Peter for the daily photographic record so far.
We hope to set a new date for a Friends of George Street Study Day towards the end of February to re-place the session cancelled on 25th Jan because of the snow.

Cladding starts to be erected around the south gable in David Street
and around to the front elevation in George Street.

Cladding in David Street.
The south gable of George Street Chapel. 

Scaffolding and cladding George Street Chapel, Oldham.

The front elevation of George Street Chapel starts to disappear behind
cladding and scaffolding as restoration work starts.

Day 4 - Scaffolding Rises Higher

Week 1 - Day 4
The scaffolding to the elevation facing George Street rose higher today.
A start was also made to remove the  modern gypsum plaster that was put on by the last owner. Already one of the earlier fireplace has been uncovered in the celler dwellings that were accessed from Jackson Pit at the rear of the chapel. This fireplace had been sealed up during the life of the chapel as changes were made to the layout of the cellar dwellings. The construction of the brickwork is being revealed and recorded before it is later recovered by lime plaster, and is lost to view once more.
The evidence will provide us with new information about the construction of the chapel and how the residents lived.

The scaffolding rises to a new tier on the elevation facing George Street.

A surviving opening for a cast iron kitchen range (removed by previous owner).
The arch to the left ducted the smoke from the range into the cavity wall and to the chimney.

A brick arch indicates the location of an original fireplace in the cellar
dwellings below the George Street Chapel.

George Street Chapel - a building site regulations.

Day 3 - Scaffolding start to go up

Week 1 - Day 3
Scaffolding delivered today and started to be erected around the chapel.

Elevation to George Street.
The Chapel begins to be hidden behind scaffolding.

Scaffolding being erected at the front of George Street Chapel.

Day 2 - Preliminary Works in the Snow

Week 1 - Day 2
Works continued today in the snowy conditions to set up the site office and safety fencing around the chapel. The iron railing at the front elevation have been removed and the pavement moved out for the safety of pedestrians.

The front elevation on George Street will become hidden by scaffolding over the next few days.
After that the windows will be removed.
Follow this blog to watch the transformation.

Front elevation of George Street Chapel with safety barriers erected.

Safety barriers being erected to south down David Street. 

Site office being set up at the rear elevation in Jackson Pit.