Day 98 - Fireproof Panels added to Old Vestry Spaces / new Kitchen Areas

Week 21 - Day 98
Fireproof panels have been inserted inside the Vestry. This is comply with Building Regulations and is similar to the fireproofing panels inserted around the wooden staircase to the Gallery.

Day 97 - New Staircase - Joists Removed

Week 21 - Day 97
With the floorboards removed yesterday the floor joists were removed to allow for the new staircase to be constructed.
This opens up a large space in the NW corner of the building allowing light to flood down into new stairwell.

Day 96 - New Stairwell Starts to be Constructed - Lifting Floorboards

Week 21 - Day 96
A section of the chapel floorboards were lifted today to allow for the construction of the new staircase.
two sets of pews have had to be removed to allow for the stairs to be located in the NW corner of the building

Day 95 - Rafters Attached to New Stone Gutters

Week 21 - Day 95
The ends of the rafters have been a attached to the new stone gutters and have had small pads of damp-proofing inserted between the timber ends and the stone guttering.
The original kick board still exists on the Jackson Pit elevation. This turns the end slate upwards to stop rainwater from flowing back underneath the slates. Look out for the flashing and felting being added before the slates are fixed in place.

Day 94 - Controls for Underfloor Heating

Week 21 - Day 94
The controls start to be connected for the underfloor heating system.

Controls start to be connected to the underfloor heating system
at George Street Chapel.

New Pipe Organ Designs Uncovered - the Even Pipes

Newly uncovered decorations to the facade pipes of the George Street Chapel pipe organ. Revealed by a combination of paint stripper and manual cleaning by Sabina van de Bruck of Hirst Conservation.
The organ was bought for the chapel in 1890. The photograph is dated to 1895.
The decoration is hard to uncover as it has been overpainted with an oil based paint, similar to the original paint used for the decorations.
These decorations are for the even numbered pipes. The odd numbered pipes have their different designs.
There is a large amount of gilding to the decorations.

Original painted decorations to the facade pipes of the
Independent Methodist Chapel, George Street, Oldham.

Day 93 - Stone Slabs Return to George Street

Week 20 - Day 93
The stone slabs from the cellar were returned to George Street today. All ready to be re-laid next week.

The stone slabs from the cellar floor returned to George Street Chapel, Oldham.
All ready for relaying.

Day 92 - Dry-lining the Cellar

Week 20 - Day 92
Dry-lining begins in the cellar.

Day 91 - Fitting New Gutter Around Roof Trusses

Week 20 - Day 91
Certain of the stone gutters have to be fitted around the roof trusses. Just as the original gutters had to be.

Day 90 - Stone Gutters being Lifted into Position

Week 20 - Day 90
The individual stone blocks that will form the gutters to the front and rear elevation are beginning to look as if they will carry away the rain water. The gutter will be lined with a sheet of lead to make it waterproof, but first they have to be lined up accurately. Each is made to fit in the correct place and has been numbered accordingly.
The lewis chains and lewis holes seen being used in the video sequence have been used by stone masons from Roman times to lift heavy pieces of stone into position.

Day 89 - Last Friday a Man Put His Foot in It

Week 20 - Day 89
Some one walked on the screed surface used to cover the underfloor heating her at George Street Chapel, Oldham.
His footprints will be there for some time!

Day 88 - Major Progress on Roof and in Cellar

Week 19 - Day 88
Major progress made at the end of this week to the roof and the cellar.
The newly made stone gutters were delivered and are being fitted along the front and rear walls along Jackson Pit and George Street elevations.
In the cellar the screed has been laid over the under floor heating coils.
Look forward to the return of the original stone flags to the cellar floor soon.

Day 87 - Framework for the New Roof Lights

Week 19 - Day 87
The picture today shows new timbers ready for the new roof light.

Day 86 - Laying the Under-floor Heating

Week 19 - Day 86
2 pictures today 1 showing the under floor heating pipes being clipped down and the pipes that has been laid

Day 85 - Raising the Internal Walls

Week 19 - Day 85

The block work in the cellar is getting higher and a new concrete lintel has been put on.

Day 84 - Preparing the Window Frame for Repair

Week 19 - Day 84

Video Update of Restoration Works - to Friday 7 June

A tour of the chapel, starting at the chimneys and roof and moving down through the chapel to the cellar to look at the stage of restoration reached by Friday, 7th June.

Day 83 - Ceiling at South End of Chapel

Week 18 - Day 83
Nice view today of the ceiling at the south end of the chapel over the pulpit and the organ.
The laths await their covering in lime plaster. Note the retention of the original plaster at the vertical wall where the ceiling height changes.

Ceiling at the south end of George Street Chapel
over the pulpit and organ.
The new ceiling laths await their coating of lime plaster.

Day 82 - Insulation Below Underfloor Heating

Week 18 - Day 82
Insulation started to be laid today which sits between the concrete slab and the heating coils of the underfloor heating system.

Day 81- Scarf Joints Joins new to Old

Week 18 - Day 81
New sections of window framing makes the old windows new again.

Day 80 - Work on Windows

Week 18 - Day 80
With the work to install the ceiling laths now completed, refurbishment of the windows in the temporary roof space has been taken up again. The glass was removed earlier, along with the paint - so now work can be carried out to replace rotten elements of the frames.