Day 161 - More Plastering

Week 34 -Day 161
Lime plastering continues on walls and laths.

Lime plaster being applied to the underside of laths to form the ceiling above
side pews, underneath the gallery on the Jackson Pit side, west side, of the Chapel.
The former Vestry can be seen in its stripped state at the far end. 

The ceiling above the side pews, under the gallery has been re-lathed and is now being lime plastered.

The inner wall on the Jackson Pit side includes a corbeled section of flue for the carrying of fumes and smoke from the central fireplace in the cellar. This flue was inserted from the inside of the building by cutting into the outside wall and creating a flue where none had previously existed. A chimney was then created through the roof, but inside the line of the stone gutter. See earlier photo of this feature from the roof side - 

Day 160 - Tidying up Walls Around Windows

Week 33 - Day 160
The bricks around the windows were disturbed whilst removing the windows, start made toady to restore the edges. Also to point the courses which couldn't be pointed because the scaffolding was tight against the wall.

Day 159 - More Paint Stripping - main stairs to the gallery

Week 33 - Day 159
With the temporary scaffold removed access to the gallery can now revert back to the normal staircase, which can now be cleaned and have its paint stripped and made ready for staining or painting.

Day 158 - Plastering Walls in the Chapel

Week 33 - Day 158
Plastering continues in the chapel floor. Here starting underneath the gallery on the George Street Chapel side of the building.

Day 157 - Plastering Walls above the gallery

Week 33 - Day 157
Lime plaster, first coast, applied to walls above the gallery level today.
Top coat applied within the vestry. Note the construction of the dumb waiter which will carry food and plates to the gallery.
The wall rising up from the cellar where the new staircase has been inserted is being lined with plaster board.

Day 156 - Scaffold Tower to Work From

Week 33 - Day 156
With the temporary floor now removed a portable scaffold tower is now in use to get to all those high up places.
The David Street gable behind the organ, on the south side of the chapel still needs to be plastered.
Note the stone slabs that form the inside face of the inserted flue for a kitchen range that had been added in the cellar as new, smaller rooms were created and the basement divided into smaller rooms.
The cleaned and exposed beams are protected by plastic sheeting and have been stained.
New lights still have to be hung from the ceiling roses, which also await fixing in place.

Day 155 - Services

Week 32 - Day 155
Gas and electricity services at the entrance to the chapel. getting ready to cover with plasterboard.
  

Day 154 - More Deliveries

Week 32 - Day 154
The floor tiles for the toilets were delivered today, along with more plasterboard and hoppers for the rainwater downpipes.

Day 153 - Internal Wall on North Gable

Week 32 - Day 153
The internal wall on the north gable has now been cleared of all the plaster and can be prepared for re-plastering. The fragment of original painted wall plaster can be seen on the right, which is the corner with the George Street elevation. In the middle of the wall is section of lighter bricks suggesting that their had been an inserted fireplace here on the gallery.

Day 152 - Replacing Last Window

Week 32 - Day 152
The last of the refurbished windows was replaced today.

Day 151 - Access Scaffolding Removed

Week 32 - Day 151
The temporary scaffolding that provided the working floor above the gallery floor and provided access for work on the ceiling was removed today. The view of the ceiling can now be seen from the chapel floor and means that restoration work scan proceed to the gallery and the pews.
Withe the scaffolding removed the windows can now start to be replaced.

Day 150 - Plastering in Cellar

Week 31 - Day 150
The plasterboard and fireproof boarding in the cellar has been plastered to day. damp weather for everything to dry quickly though. At east things have the weekend to dry out.

The Jackson Pit side of the George Street Chapel cellar dwellings.
Plaster drying over the plasterboard dry lining.

Day 149 - Ceiling Roses Prepared for Return

Week 31 - Day 149
The ceiling roses have been cleaned of their build up of paint and have been re-painted ready for their return to the ceiling.

Day 148 - Wiring

Week 31 - Day 148
This is where all those wires come from.

Day 147 - Plaster Work to Ceiling Painted

Week 31 - Day 147
The vertical face of the dropped ceiling over  the organ space, behind the pulpit was filled in and painted today

Day 146 - First Coat of Plaster to the South Wall

Week 31 - Day 146
The first coat of wall plaster has been applied to the south gable to the side of the two windows positioned either side of where the organ was placed.
Now that the roof is on and the windows have started to be replaced an air blower has had to be brought in to increase ventilation so that the plaster will dry more quickly.
The stone front to the inserted chimney flue from one of the kitchen ranges can be seen in the central section between the windows.

Visit by Friends of George Street

There was a visit to the chapel today by the Friends of George Street with some staff and trustees of Age UK Oldham. The group was escorted around the building works by site supervisor Ian

Tour of building works at George Street Chapel for the
Friends of George Street.

Day 145 - Windows Replaced behind Organ

Week 30 - Day 145
The windows either side of the organ in the David Street gable on the south side of the chapel were replaced today.

George Street Chapel windows replaced in the southern gable, on David Street.

Day 144 - Former Vestry to Become Kitchen Area

Week 30 - Day 144
The former vestry are in the SE corner of the chapel is getting ready to become the new kitchen area.

Day 143 - Clipping in all the Wiring

Week 30 - Day 143
Electricians start to tidy up and clip in wiring.

Day 142 - Progress in the Cellar

Week 30 - Day 142
Work continues to plasterboard out the cellar.

New internal partition wall dividing the meeting room area
from the newly inserted toilets.

The smart TV for use in showing introductory video and powerpoint presentations
will be mounted on this wall. George Street is to the right.

Looking at the meeting room area.
The windows are below ground level on the George Street elevation.
David Street is to the right on the south side of the chapel.

Looking to the area where the 'cellar dwelling' space will be reconstructed.
The arch from the central kitchen range carried flue gases and smoke to a
flue inserted inside the wall to a chimney constructed inside the gutter.
This range was not part of the original construction but added at a later date.

Day 141 - Hidden Services

Week 30 - Day 141
Lots of services get hidden from view during the rebuilding. Pipes, cables, telephone cables and air vents.