Grace Church Construction Updates

Wrought Iron Handrails Are in Place

2009-04-09T17:22:00.001-04:00

On Thursday, April 9, the installation of custom-made wrought iron handrails outside of Grace Hall was completed. A truck-mounted welder was used to join large sections of the railings along the edge of the new masonry pavilion overlooking the garden chapel and the columbarium. In the photograph above, a contractor with a pneumatic grinder takes off the rough places after welding was completed.

Kit Cone

Parking Lot Is Completed

2009-04-09T17:13:00.001-04:00

During Holy Week the paving of the parking lot was completed, and lines, arrows, and other pavement painting were added. In the photograph above, a contractor spray-paints a directional arrow using a large stencil laid on the pavement. Three stalls have been designated along the west side of the parking lot, the side facing Grace Counseling Center, for use by the handicapped. All other parking for staff and parishioners is at the rear of the building, or at the rear of the Hayes House garage.

Kit Cone

Here's the Remodeled Epiphany Chapel

2009-02-09T08:22:00.001-05:00

In creating a hallway between the older portion of the church and the lower level of the new addition, great care was taken to preserve the view of the stained glass window that had been in the Epiphany Chapel. In the new floor plan, this window is in the hallway, but the inside wall of the hallway includes large windows, opening the chapel to preserve the view of the stained glass window. The improvements in the chapel also include a new floor, newly painted walls, and a drop ceiling with integrated lighting panels. Opening ceremonies were held for the remodeled chapel on Saturday, February 7.

Kit Cone

Classroom Space Ready for Use

2009-02-09T08:16:00.001-05:00

New classroom and meeting space has been included under the parish hall, to be used by church organizations and by tenants. Because of the slope of the land, many of these new rooms have conventional windows, in contrast to the "basement" feel of some of the classrooms in the older portion of the church. The new space includes pull-down screens in the ceiling, roll-away walls to create more flexible space, sinks, and other amenities. There are also new toilet facilities in this area.

Kit Cone

Welcome to the New Parish Hall!

2009-02-09T08:11:00.002-05:00

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Sunday afternoon, February 8, to formally open the new parish hall after eight months of construction. Compare the photograph above with the one posted yesterday titled "Ready for Ribbon Cutting." An overflow crowd took part in the opening ceremony, and enjoyed the lunch served afterward in the new parish hall.

Kit Cone

Ready for Ribbon-Cutting!

2009-02-08T07:37:00.004-05:00

Visbeen Construction Co. completed work in the new parish hall and cleared out all the construction materials and equipment in preparation for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to be held on Sunday, February 8. The view above is looking toward the door to the kitchen, at right, and the doors leading to the new main entrance hall to the church.

Kit Cone

Our New Main Entrance

2009-02-08T07:37:00.001-05:00

The photograph above shows the new main entrance hallway to Grace Church. The doors at the right lead into the new parish hall, and the double doors at the far end are the entrance to the church, between the choir room and the kitchen.

Kit Cone

The New Interior Lighting Is Installed

2009-01-25T21:32:00.000-05:00

Ceiling chandeliers have been installed in the new parish hall, adding a festive touch as well as utilitarian illumination. The accompanying photograph was taken from the doorway between the new parish hall and the entrance corridor that will become the main entry to the church when it is completed. In this photograph, we are looking toward the doors at the south end of the new parish hall, which lead to the new patio overlooking the columbarium and the garden chapel.

Kit Cone

Laying the Flooring in the New Parish Hall

2009-01-25T07:37:00.001-05:00

The process of laying the sheet linoleum flooring in the new parish hall has begun. Use of this material was a "green" consideration, as it is much more environmentally friendly than conventional sheet vinyl -- and of course a return to the former asbestos tiles is out of the question. As can be seen in the accompanying photograph, the first step is to level all the joints between the sheets of plywood flooring; this is done with the dark material visible along the edges of the plywood. This compound hardens to provide a rigid base for the linoleum. Then the linoleum, which arrives on site in large rolls, is set in place with adhesive. The new floor will not be simply rolled out on the plywood, but is being cut and fitted to produce large-scale geometric designs to add visual interest to the large hall.

Kit Cone

Hallway Improvements Complete

2009-01-15T15:11:00.003-05:00

Extensive improvements to the hallways in parts of the existing church have been completed. These include removal of the old asbestos tile flooring, removal of the old glued-on ceiling tiles, repainting of the walls, refinishing of the doors, installation of new carpeting and cove molding, and installation of a new drop ceiling with built-in lighting and emergency exit directional lights. The view in the accompanying photograph is from the doorway to the new main entrance, by the kitchen (at right) and choir room (at left), looking north through the "main hall."

Kit Cone

It's Looking Like a Church Hall!

2009-01-15T15:11:00.001-05:00

Major steps have been taken toward the completion of the interior of the new parish hall. The accompanying photograph shows the new plywood subflooring, the almost-completed ceiling tiles, and the doors leading out to the new patio adjacent to the columbarium. At right are the doors to the hallway, and visible on the other side of the hall are the doors that will be the new main entrance to the church. Ceiling lights have been installed, but temporary work lights still hang from the open spaces in the ceiling until final electrical connections are made. There is now access to the new hall from the church at times when workers are not on the job. Visitors are welcome on Sunday mornings between church services to see the progress on the construction.

Kit Cone

New Carpeting in the Church

2008-12-29T19:31:00.003-05:00

On Monday, December 29, workers began the installation of new carpeting in the hallways of the existing church. Asbestos tile was removed from these areas early in the construction project, last summer. The accompanying (poorly illuminated) photograph shows one of the installation workers laying carpet in the hallway outside Nieman Hall, by the steps leading down to the Madison Day Care and Madison Co-Op Nursery School area.

Kit Cone

Epiphany Chapel Passageway

2008-12-29T19:31:00.001-05:00

The new passageway between the existing church and the lower level of the new parish hall is taking shape. This new hall runs across the end of the Epiphany Chapel, adjacent to the outside exit doorway into the center courtyard. In order to preserve the view of the stained glass window in the Epiphany Chapel, the new passageway has been made with a partial glass wall. The photograph above shows the view from inside the children's chapel, looking through the new wall, across the passageway, and to the stained glass window.

Kit Cone

Big Progress on Electric System

2008-12-18T08:49:00.001-05:00

The electric power supply from the utility pole on Madison Avenue into the church is being expanded and moved. Power now enters the building in a pit under the narthex, where constant moisture, obsolete equipment, and rust are serious safety problems. As shown in the accompanying photograph, a new service entrance is being built in one of the former Madison Day Care nap rooms. The power will go through a new connection between the pole and a dedicated transformer on a pad in front of the building, and then underground into the distribution panel shown above. Major distribution panels are located in the former rectory boiler room, outside the sacristy, in the hallway between the library and the kitchen, and in the hallway between Nieman Hall and the rector's office. As part of the construction of the new parish hall, additional new electric distribution facilities are being installed.

Kit Cone

Our New Power System

2008-12-05T10:39:00.001-05:00

Employees of the Madison electric utility are installing a new power line into the church. Starting from the pole, a new 12,500 volt line will go down the pole and then run underground to the new transformer in front of the church. There it will be stepped down to 240 volts going underground into one of the former nap rooms to a new distribution panel. Extensive wiring changes are being made inside the building to move the power entrance from its present place under the narthex to the new center in the nap room. In the photograph, the power lines that will feed the church are visible -- not yet connected -- near the top of the pole shown at center. The new transformer is on the ground, just to the left of the "Route 124" sign. The present transformers, which will be eliminated, are the three garbage-can-size cylinders on the top of the pole to the right.

Kit Cone

Our New Patio Is Taking Shape

2008-12-02T18:06:00.001-05:00

The patio outside the south end of the new parish hall is taking shape this week, and the accompanying photograph shows masons finishing part of the patio floor. The outdoor assembly area is intended as a link between the church building and the adjoining garden chapel and columbarium.

Kit Cone

The View Into Nieman Hall

2008-12-02T18:03:00.000-05:00

After several months of being closed with a temporary wall of sheetrock, the doorway from the hall into Nieman Hall was opened this week. The accompanying photograph was taken from the hall, looking into the new antechamber (between the kitchen and the new toilet facilities) and through that into Nieman Hall.

Kit Cone

Stucco Exterior Is Being Applied

2008-11-29T18:07:00.001-05:00

The stucco exterior wall surface for the new parish hall is being applied by contractors. The work started just before Thanksgiving, and will involve three separate coats on the walls. Test patches have been made on the side of the choir room as part of the process of determining the appearance of the final coat of stucco. The round hole in the upper part of the wall is for the later installation of a stained glass window that had been removed from the church in the expansion done about 50 years ago; it was discovered in storage and will be a focal point for the new parish hall.

Kit Cone

Temporary Parking Lot Improved

2008-11-20T08:55:00.001-05:00

The temporary parking area to the rear of the Hayes House garage has been improved through the recycling of pavement material from the church's main parking lot. The top layer of the paving at the main lot was removed by a large milling machine, to provide a rough surface to which the new blacktop would adhere. All that milled material was taken to the Hayes House garage parking area, and spread over the crushed stone which had been the former surface. Then a roller compacted the milled material into the stone, greatly improving the surface of the parking lot. While not a permanent pavement, the use of the "free" paving material is expected to provide a workable surface for a couple of years.

Kit Cone

New Water Cooler Installed

2008-11-20T08:49:00.001-05:00

Remember the posting on October 9, when the old water fountain had been removed? It had sat in the wall outside the door to the choir room for years without functioning. Now the new unit is in place! With a working water fountain, there is no need to waste paper coffee cups to get a drink of water. The new water fountain is one of many improvements to the existing church building that are part of the construction of the new church hall.

Kit Cone

Our New Parking Lot!

2008-11-12T21:40:00.001-05:00

The paving and striping of the expanded parking area behind the church has been completed! The lot will be opened on Sunday, November 16, so that parishioners arriving for services will have plenty of parking space.

Kit Cone

It's Not Paint; It's Waterproofing

2008-11-11T19:51:00.001-05:00

Why did "they" paint the choir room green? No, that's not ordinary paint: it's a water proofing material that has been applied to the brick exterior of the earlier addition to the church. Later, a wire lath will be applied to the brick, and then a stucco finish will be pressed into the lath. Several samples of stucco finish color have been put on the west side of the choir room for consideration.

Kit Cone

The Parking Lot is Being Paved!

2008-11-11T19:51:00.000-05:00

A very visible sign of real progress with the addition to the church took form on Tuesday, November 11, when the paving of the newly expanded parking lot began. In the photograph above, a paving crew operates a bright yellow paving machine, while a dump truck full of hot asphalt slowly dumps its load into the paver to be spread on the parking lot. Hand tools are used to make the surface uniform across the joints between courses, and then a big power roller compacts the surface.

Kit Cone

A Tantalizing Glimpse . . .

2008-11-03T21:46:00.002-05:00

On Monday, November 3, the boarded-up doorway between the existing church and the new parish hall was open for a short time to allow workers to get access to an electric outlet in the hallway by the kitchen. The photograph shows the opening, which used to be the main entrance to the church, between the kitchen and the choir room. This will again be the main entrance when the construction is completed, except that people will enter the building through one of the two big doors on the side of the parish hall. From there they will go through a wide hallway into the doorway shown above, and into the familiar part of the church.

Kit Cone

Slate Roof Being Installed

2008-11-03T21:46:00.001-05:00

Putting on a slate roof is no job for a day laborer. It's very easy to break a slate, and the material is expensive. Slate is being used on the new parish hall not only because it will match the existing roof on the church, but also because it is exceedingly durable and long- lasting.

Kit Cone

Columbarium Patio Is Taking Shape

2008-11-02T07:57:00.000-05:00

The retaining wall for the new columbarium patio outside the parish hall was poured on Saturday, November 1. A transit-mix concrete truck, at far left, emptied its contents into the concrete pump shown in the middle of the photograph, and it was pumped up and over the archway of pipe to the section of the wall where masons were working. The patio will form a physical link between the parish hall and the rear yard and columbarium.

Kit Cone

Progress on New Electric Service

2008-10-24T17:10:00.002-04:00

A new electric service is being installed to the church as part of the construction of the parish hall. The former service entrance and main power panels were located in a utility pit under the narthex, which is often very wet and therefore unsafe for electrical equipment. Since the old panels could not carry the load of the new parish hall, a whole new service entrance is being installed. Shown in the photograph above is the new transformer pad, adjacent to the service roadway to the dumpsters on the east side of Nieman Hall. Power will come from a utility pole on Madison Avenue, underground to the transformer pad, and then underground into the building, entering through what had been a basement nap room for Madison Day Care.

Photo by Will Vandeveer

Service Entrance Ready for Paving

2008-10-24T17:10:00.001-04:00

The service entrance to the east side of the new parish hall addition is almost completed. This roadway, which will not connect with the parking lot at the rear of the church, will be for use by the garbage contractor and for emergency access by the Fire Department. A stub road will be created where the parking circle used to be outside the parish offices, so that trucks can turn around before entering Kings Road. The upper portion of the service road, by the existing Nieman Hall where the garbage dumpsters will be located, has received a base coat of paving. The lower portion was disrupted by the need to install a new electric service, and on Friday, October 24, was being prepared for paving.

Photo by Will Vandeveer

Concrete Poured for Patio Foundation

2008-10-22T21:48:00.001-04:00

On Wednesday, October 22, two big concrete mixers were at the construction site to pour the foundation for a patio at the rear of the new parish hall. The patio is a conscious effort to bring the church itself nearer to the columbarium where so many former parishioners are interred. It's a physical bridge, as well as building a psychological closeness. In the photograph above, masons are shown working on the "steps" of the patio; the reinforcing rod in the center of the new project will support a retaining wall. The new parish hall is to the right, and the columbarium to the left.

Kit Cone

New Air Conditioner on the Roof

2008-10-22T21:42:00.001-04:00

On Tuesday, Ocrober 21, a new central air conditioning unit was raised to the roof of the present choir room by a large construction crane. The new unit will replace the ancient equipment that had provided some cooling to the chancel and front rows of the nave. The new equipment is much more energy-efficient than the old unit. The new addition at the rear of the church will have its own heating and cooling equipment in the attic, independent of the rest of the church.

Kit Cone

Relocating Our Mature Plantings

2008-10-16T10:01:00.003-04:00

Landscape contractors working on the grounds around the new parish hall have saved many of the mature plantings by relocating them. In the photograph above, a small tree is relocated to the west side of the entrance driveway as it meets the parking area. Several others near the rectory and the parking lot have also been moved, saving the cost of new material and giving us mature plants rather than little sticks from a nursery.

Kit Cone

Backfill & Grading Are Taking Shape

2008-10-16T10:01:00.001-04:00

The west side of the new parish hall, which will be the new main entrance at the rear of the church, has been backfilled and a first course of crushed stone put in place. The result, as shown in the photograph above, is that the entrance is now at grade, and it is possible to walk directly into the new parish hall through the openings where the doors will be located. Inside, visitors will enter a wide hallway leading either to the parish hall or through the old main entrance into the existing church.

Kit Cone

Our New Munchkins!

2008-10-11T07:49:00.001-04:00

The two new "Munchkin" boilers that heat the church and provide domestic hot water are shown in the photograph above. The extreme complexity of the plumbing installation is evident in the maze of pipes above the boilers. Every little piece of pipe had to be measured, cut, and soldered, clamped, or threaded into place! The big white PVC pipes on an angle at the rear are the air intake and exhaust vents. The boilers are so efficient at extracting the heat from the fuel that there is no need for metal flue pipes to a chimney. The white cylindrical reserve tank for the domestic hot water is visible beside the left boiler. The Munchkins replace the old oil burners, and they run on natural gas. The old oil tank, which was an environmental and insurance liability, has been removed. This photograph was made on October 10, when the boiler to the right was fired up for testing. The only hitch was an airlock in the line to the Old Rectory, which was easily bled off -- just as a homeowner bleeds air out of a radiator -- to complete a fully successful test of the new system!

Kit Cone

Just a Little Wisp of Water Vapor

2008-10-11T07:35:00.003-04:00

The little wisp of water vapor seen against the early morning sky in the photograph above is symbolic of a huge step forward for the current construction work at Grace Church! The tiny white puff comes from one of the two new "Munchkin" boilers that have been installed in the church basement, replacing the former oil burner that heated the church. On Friday, October 10, the boiler was put online for testing, with excellent results. A new underground gas main must be installed to provide sufficient fuel to run both Munchkins at full output, and that is expected within a few days. The new boilers are extremely efficient, and the resulting reduction in fuel cost is expected to pay for the entire installation in four years.

Kit Cone

New Main Floor Bathrooms Progressing Well

2008-10-11T07:35:00.001-04:00

The construction work at Grace Church these days resembles a four-ring circus, with carpenters, roofers, plumbers, electricians, painters, and other workers moving busily throughout the new addition as well as the existing church. Among the many improvements to the existing building is the space shown in the photograph above, where a new bathroom is being built at the west end of Nieman Hall. This is one of two adjacent facilities -- for women and for men -- that will supplement the existing bathrooms. The new facilities should eliminate the waiting lines that have been a problem at such major functions as holy day services, church social events, and music concerts.

Kit Cone

Good Move toward "Greener Grace"

2008-10-09T09:34:00.001-04:00

This week a new water fountain is being installed to replace the old one in the wall outside the choir room! The old one had not worked for many years, and replacement parts are no longer available. With no functioning water fountain, people had to use heavy paper coffee cups from the kitchen to get a drink of water. The new unit can be seen lying on the floor at the right in the photograph above, next to the old one that was removed. The new fountain will be built into the wall, fitting into the recess that is visible at left, in the same location as the old fountain. Many significant changes such as this are being made in the existing church as part of the construction of the new parish hall. Others include the use of linoleum tiles for the hallway floors, and the installation of new lighting fixtures that produce more light with less energy.

Kit Cone

The New Entrance to the Church

2008-10-02T19:13:00.001-04:00

During construction, the entrance near the rectory has been the principal way to get in and out of the church. This photograph shows the new main entrance from the rear parking lot into the church. The entry doors are to the left, the doors to the new parish hall are at right, and the doors -- closed at present -- into the main church hallway are straight ahead. When this section is completed, people will be able to walk from their cars to the big side doors on the new parish hall, and then through the same entrance that has served the church for decades, between the kitchen and the choir room.

Kit Cone

New Church Hall Is Taking Shape

2008-10-02T19:08:00.001-04:00

The size and shape of the new church hall is becoming visible as the walls go up. This photograph was made on October 2, looking from the back corner of the new hall toward the entrance hallway. The studs in the background are for a wall between the entrance hallway, which will also serve as the new main entrance to the church from the parking area, and the parish hall itself.

Kit Cone

Ceiling Tile Going Up

2008-10-02T19:05:00.001-04:00

New ceiling tile is being installed in the hallways on the first floor of the existing church, completing the drop ceilings. The new style of tiles is considerably more substantial than most drop ceilings, and the lights are fitted into modules into the ceiling frame for a unified appearance far superior to the old tiles that fell off the ceiling, and four-foot fluorescent lamps that betrayed their 50-year age with frequent failures. Shown above is the hallway behind the high altar, from the kitchen toward the library.

Kit Cone

Painting the Reconfigured Nieman Hall

2008-10-01T10:48:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday, October 1, work began on painting the new walls that have been erected to divide off the interior end of Nieman Hall. The photograph above is of the new lobby connecting the main hallway with Nieman Hall. The doorway to the right of the painter leads to the kitchen; the other kitchen door has been closed off permanently. On the left side of this lobby, out of view in this photograph, new bathrooms are being built; they will be accessible from the lobby. At left in this picture is the doorway -- now closed by a temporary partition -- that will lead from the lobby into the reconfigured Nieman Hall.

Kit Cone

The New Hall Has a Roof

2008-09-26T22:31:00.003-04:00

This week a construction crane and a crew put steel sheathing over the steel frame of the roof for the new parish hall. The steel sheathing will support the weight of a slate roof to match the existing church building.

Kit Cone

Munchkins Breathe In & Breathe Out

2008-09-26T22:31:00.001-04:00

Plastic pipe was installed this week inside the existing chimney to provide an air supply for the new Munchkin boilers, and also an exhaust pipe for venting the heating units. Two of these little boilers will heat the entire building, plus supplying domestic hot water. The Munchkins are so efficient that ordinary plastic pipe is used to vent them, because all the heat has been extracted from the fuel. The old oil-fired unit was vented through steel pipe covered in asbestos, leading to the masonry chimney. In the photograph above, workers use a crane to lower the assembled plastic pipes into the old chimney.

Kit Cone

Madison Day Care Returns to Grace Church

2008-09-20T21:24:00.001-04:00

On Saturday, September 20, a small crew of Grace parishioners moved the equipment for Madison Day Care back to the church. MDC had been housed at St. Paul's Church in Chatham during the summer months, while asbestos was removed from the Grace basement, fire sprinklers were installed, new electric lights and outlets were put in place, and all the classrooms were painted. The result is a beautiful "new" classroom space! Madison Day Care and the Madison Cooperative Nursery School have swapped ends of the basement, and MDC will also have some additional space under the new parish hall when that construction is completed.

Kit Cone

Roof Trusses Are in Place

2008-09-20T21:19:00.000-04:00

An unusual Saturday work crew put all of the roof trusses in place above the new parish hall on September 20. The metal trusses had been fabricated off-site, and were delivered ready to put in place. On Saturday a construction crane hoisted each triangular truss into place, and it was secured by workers balancing themselves on the top of the walls. In the photograph above, other prefabricated metal structural elements are piled in the foreground.

Kit Cone

Sheathing the Exterior of the New Hall

2008-09-19T20:27:00.000-04:00

Plywood sheathing is being applied to the steel studs that form the three outer walls of the new parish hall. The fourth wall, which faces the existing church, is masonry to conform to fire safety codes. In the photograph above, it is possible to see some of the little details that are being included in the exterior façade to make the appearance similar to the existing church. In the foreground are prefabricated steel roof trusses, ready to be installed by the mobile crane which is visible at right.

Kit Cone

It's Starting to Look Like a Church!

2008-09-18T21:08:00.001-04:00

With the rapid installation of steel studs for the exterior walls of the new parish hall, the exterior shape of the building is becoming evident. The steel framework is durable, fireproof, and goes up quickly. Plywood sheathing will be the next step on the outside walls. Visbeen Construction Company, the general contractor, hopes to have the first layer of the roof on the parish hall within a matter of a few days.

Kit Cone

The Parish Hall Walls Are Going Up

2008-09-15T20:59:00.002-04:00

On Monday, September 15, carpenters started putting up steel studding for the exterior walls of the new parish hall. In this photograph the masonry wall that will separate the new parish hall from the existing building is visible to the left. The new studs are at far right. The angle bracing is temporary, and will be removed when the end walls are in place to support the back wall.

Kit Cone

New Hallway Lighting Is Installed

2008-09-15T20:58:00.001-04:00

On Monday, September 15, electricians installed new fluorescent ceiling lights in the hallways on the main floor of the existing church. This improved lighting will be recessed into the new drop ceiling, and the fixtures provide more light with less electricity -- and therefore less money -- than the old style 48-inch lamps.

Kit Cone

Walls Form Small Courtyard

2008-09-11T17:46:00.000-04:00

Shown above is a view of the courtyard formed by the former Madison Day Care classroom space, which is now occupied by the Madison Cooperative Nursery School, on the left, and the new parish hall under construction on the right of the photo. The picture was made from the roof of the kitchen -- directly above the Epiphany Chapel. At the top of the picture is the portion of the former exit driveway that will now be used to provide access for garbage removal and fire protection; it will not connect with the rear parking lot. The new poured concrete retaining wall and staircase are also visible.

Kit Cone

Parish Hall Decking Is in Place

2008-09-11T17:34:00.001-04:00

The plywood decking for the new parish hall is in place. In contrast to the present Nieman Hall, which has concrete decking, the new hall has a much lighter deck made of manufactured lumber joists topped with plywood. These building materials offer a strong floor at less cost than the 50-year-old Nieman Hall.

Kit Cone

New Lower-Level Passage Taking Shape

2008-09-09T11:24:00.002-04:00

As a result of a slight revision of the original construcion plans, a passageway is being created at the end of the Epiphany Chapel to connect the existing church basement with the new parish hall wing. At center in the view above is the entry to the passageway as seen seen from the inside of the new parish hall basement. Directly above it is where the new doorway between the parish hall and the kitchen will be located, and to the left of that is the doorway to the former main entrance to the church. Below, a mason works in the new hallway in the existing building. In order to retain the value of the large stained glass window in the Epiphany Chapel, visible at far left in the photo below, it will be left in place, and a huge picture window will be installed above the waist-high wall which will separate the hallway from the existing Chapel. This will allow people going through the hallway to appreciate the stained glass, while keeping it visible from the Chapel.

Kit Cone

Co-Op Nursery School Ready to Open

2008-09-06T17:02:00.001-04:00

The space used by the Madison Cooperative Nursery School in the existing portion of the church has been completely refurbished, and during the past week the staff and parents of the Co-Op have brought the furnishings out of storage. All is now in readiness for the children on Monday morning in their new facility. Madison Day Care has been operating during the summer at St. Paul's Church in Chatham, and will be returning to Grace Church later this month.

Kit Cone

The Beginning of the Main Floor

2008-09-06T16:47:00.000-04:00

As of Saturday, September 6, about half of the joists which will support the main floor of the new parish hall had been installed. The joists are made of "manufactured lumber," with wooden frames around oriented strand board centers. These joists are stronger than conventional solid-wood lumber, and more than half of their weight consists of reclaimed fibers from sawmills. In the photograph above, the wall that separates the new parish hall from the existing church is visible at left.

Kit Cone

Concrete Sidewalks Are Poured

2008-09-04T11:10:00.002-04:00

On Wednesday, September 3, concrete was poured for several sidewalks and for pads where the church's garbage and recycling dumpsters will be kept, in their former location beside Nieman Hall. In the photograph above, masons screed the new walkway outside what will be the Madison Co-Op Nursery School rooms in the existing building. Below, the two dumpster pads are completed adjacent to the new access road where the former exit driveway had been located on the east side of the church.

Kit Cone

Co-Op Nursery School Moving In

2008-09-03T19:26:00.001-04:00

The Madison Co-Op Nursery School is preparing to open next week in the space that was formerly used by Madison Day Care. Co-Op staff members were at the church on Wednesday, Sept. 3 to move furniture out of a storage room and into their newly refurbished quarters. In the photograph above, school director Laura Kushner looks through the store room for some needed furniture.

Kit Cone

Downstairs Rooms Progressing Rapidly

2008-09-02T22:13:00.001-04:00

The classroom space downstairs in the existing church have been totally renovated as part of the construction of the new parish hall. The first big step was the removal of all the asbestos tile on the floors. New lighting fixtures with energy-saving fluorescent bulbs have been installed, the walls have been painted, and, as shown above, new vinyl tiles are being installed this week. This photograph was made in the former Co-Op Nursery area, which will now be used by Madison Day Care. At the other end of the lower level, near the bathrooms, floor wax was applied on Tuesday, September 2, to make the whole area sparkle! In addition to the present space, Madison Day Care will also move into some of the new classroom space under the parish hall when construction is completed.

Kit Cone

The Lower Level Has a Floor

2008-08-29T14:42:00.001-04:00

On Thursday, August 28, the concrete floor of the lower level of the new addition was poured. In the photograph above, workers smooth the floor with power machinery; the edges were done with hand trowels. The photograph below shows the new steps from the center courtyard up to the level of the playground and parking lots. This staircase is also part of the emergency management plan, allowing people on the lower level of the existing building as well as the new building to leave quickly in an emergency.

Kit Cone

Portrait of the Construction Management Team

2008-08-27T22:09:00.001-04:00

This family team visits the construction site each evening around sunset to make sure that the day's work has been done properly. It is a family business, involving a mother and her two children.

Kit Cone

Ready to Pour the Concrete Floor

2008-08-27T22:06:00.000-04:00

The installation of reinforcing rod for the floor of the lower level of the new parish hall wing has been completed. For this purpose, the metal rod is supplied in welded mats, which are very strong and speed up the installation process. The next step is to bring in the concrete, pour it, level it, and finish the surface. In the photo above, white pipe fittings can be seen at left where bathroom facilities will be located.

Kit Cone

The Munchkins Are Here!

2008-08-27T22:03:00.001-04:00

That's their real name: Munchkins. They are very compact and very efficient boilers for heating the water that keeps the church warm in the winter. On August 21 we posted photographs of the old oil-fired boiler, and of the empty space in the boiler room after it had been removed. Today, August 27, the two Munchkins were put in place, and over the next few days they will be connected into the existing system of pipes that carry the warm water to radiators all over the building. Some changes are being made in this plumbing to improve the efficiency of the system as a whole. The Munchkins are so efficient that they don't need a chimney for the hot exhaust gas! The exhaust is warm, not hot, and will be carried up the old chimney in a plain PVC pipe. All the rest of the heat in the fire will be been extracted by the Munchkins and put to use in the building. The system is so effective in this heat extraction process that the expected payback for the new equipment is only four years!

Kit Cone

New Flooring Downstairs

2008-08-25T22:22:00.001-04:00

As part of the extensive renovation of the classroom space on the lower level of the existing church, new flooring is being installed to replace the old asbestos tile. On August 25, work started on laying vinyl tile in the hallway outside what had been the Madison Day Care rooms; in the new configuration these will be occupied by the Co-Op Nursery School. Madison Day Care will return from St. Paul's Church in Chatham next month to occupy the former Co-Op rooms adjacent to the Epiphany Chapel, and then will expand into the new classrooms in the parish hall addition when that space is completed.

Kit Cone

Rapid Progress Restoring Classrooms

2008-08-25T14:35:00.001-04:00

The classrooms used by Madison Day Care and the Madison Co-Op Nursery School are being restored in preparation for the resumption of the academic year. The whole lower area of the existing building had been in chaos as a result of the difficult process of removing asbestos. In the photograph above, one of the MDC classrooms is shown after it was painted. In addition, all new ceiling lamps have been installed, fire sprinklers are in place, there are new electric outlets, a few walls have been moved, and the heating pipes have been insulated with fiberglass to save energy and to protect little fingers. All that's needed now is some trim paint and new flooring! In the photograph below, similar work is shown at the Co-Op rooms.

Kit Cone

Our New Fire Protection System

2008-08-24T21:32:00.001-04:00

Every fireman in the world will agree that a fire sprinkler system is the best protection there is against a serious building fire. At Grace Church we will have this kind of protection in the classroom areas of the basement of the present building, and in all of the new wing. Shown above is the "brains" of the operation as it is being installed. At right is the six-inch ( ! ) water main coming into the building, in one of the former Madison Day Care nap rooms. Attached to the end of the black cast iron pipe is a large "T" fitting, where the water supply to the bathrooms, kitchen, and sacristy will be tapped off. Lying on the floor, ready to be connected, are the first red sprinkler shutoff valve, and then the preassembled unit that connects to the sprinklers. If a sprinkler head is activated by the heat of a fire, water begins to flow through this unit. The flow is detected, and automatically an alarm is sent to the alarm company. While the fire engines are on the way, the sprinkler head is already on the job, putting out a deluge that resembles a gigantic shower head to douse the fire while it's still small. The system itself costs money to install, but besides protecting the building from fire damage it saves money on the church's fire insurance bill.

Kit Cone

Masons Open Walls in Former Chapel Space

2008-08-22T14:50:00.002-04:00

Two doorways have been created in what used to be the Epiphany Chapel in the basement of the church. One of the new openings connects the outside hallway to the chapel space, and the other passes through the exterior wall of the existing building. They will form a passageway leading from the existing building into the new construction. The photograph above is of the hallway opening as seen from inside the Epiphany Chapel; a triple beam of reinforced concrete has been installed as the new lintel over the doorway. Below is what was left of the doorway after the demolition had been completed.

Kit Cone

Steel Framework Is Going Up

2008-08-22T14:46:00.001-04:00

Early on Thursday morning, August 21, steel trusses arrived at the construction site, and during the day they were put in place. As shown in the photograph above, the beams rest on masonry pillars that were built as part of the wall structure. Below is an overall view of the work at the end of the day.

Kit Cone

New Heating Plant on the Way

2008-08-21T10:00:00.000-04:00

In connection with the current construction project, the old oil-fired heating plant is being replaced. The new gas-fired system, with the intriguing name of "Munchkin," is so much more efficient than the old equipment that in only four years it will have paid for itself in fuel savings! The Munchkin boiler, which will also heat the domestic hot water, extracts so much of the heat from the gas fire that the vent is just a piece of plastic pipe.

The photograph above is of the old boiler; below is the space on August 20 when the boiler was removed (in very messy surgery) to make way for the new equipment.

Kit Cone

The North Wall is Finished

2008-08-21T08:22:00.001-04:00

The mason crew has finished the north wall of the new addition to the church. This is the wall that is contiguous to the existing building. In the photograph the space where a door will be made into the present kitchen is visible on the upper level, and to the left of that is the former "main entrance" to the church. When the addition is completed, this hallway will again be the main entrance, with the exterior doors opening through the new wing. The windows on the lower level open into the courtyard formed by a "U" in the building: the existing Madison Day Care rooms, the Epiphany Chapel, and the lower level of the new parish hall wing.

Kit Cone

Backfilling Begins around Foundation

2008-08-20T09:56:00.000-04:00

On August 9 we posted a photograph of work on reinforcing rod, and on August 11 the same spot with forms in place, ready to pour concrete. On August 18, after a week for the concrete to cure, the earthmoving subcontractor started backfilling behind the new wall. The photograph above shows the area along the east side of the new addition as soil was moved to fill behind the wall; the brick wall of Nieman Hall is visible at right, and the new construction is in the background. Below is a view after the backfilling was completed. It was to support the weight of this soil that the poured concrete structure was required. The wall will protect the east end of the courtyard outside the Epiphany Chapel and the Madison Day Care classrooms.

Kit Cone

New 6" Water Main Enters the Church

2008-08-18T10:12:00.000-04:00

A new six-inch cast iron water main has been completed from the intersection at Kings Road under the former church exit driveway, across the old parking circle, through the church foundation, and into one of the former Madison Day Care nap rooms. In the photograph above, the new water main is visible at the bottom of the trench, going into the hole that was cut through the foundation. In the picture below, the big pipe (with a temporary cap) comes through the masonry wall and into the nap room. This new line will serve the fire sprinkler system that is being installed in the existing church basement and the new addition, and will also feed the domestic water supply in the church for running water in bathrooms and the kitchen.

Kit Cone

The Masons Reached the Peak!

2008-08-16T21:45:00.001-04:00

The photograph above was made on Saturday evening, August 16. The previous posting, a photograph made shortly after 10 a.m. on Saturday, shows the masons reaching the last full-width course on the north wall of the new parish hall. By late afternoon, they had finished work on the gable end peak! This was a big crew, and they were clearly serious about laying concrete block! The "attic" formed by the peak will enclose the HVAC equipment, rather than have it sit out on the flat roof like the present air conditioner on top of the choir room.

Kit Cone

A Big Crew of Masons on Saturday

2008-08-16T17:45:00.001-04:00

Even on Saturday, the work on the expansion of Grace Church moves forward at a rapid pace. This picture was taken on Saturday afternoon, August 16, when a large crew of masons was at work on the north wall of the new parish hall, adjacent to the existing church. In this photo the masons have reached the final course of blocks on this section of the wall. The big red machine at far right lifts pallets of blocks up to the scaffolding where the masons are working, and then can be driven around to the parking lot where more blocks are stored.

Kit Cone

Say Goodbye to the Doors

2008-08-14T13:53:00.003-04:00

On Thursday, August 14, two Nieman Hall doors were closed as part of the construction of the new parish hall. Above, Gene Carpenter is shown in the kitchen with what used to be the door into Nieman Hall. In the photograph below, a workman closes up the doorway that used to go from the church hallway, near the baptistry, into Nieman Hall.

Kit Cone

Masonry Walls Going Up Fast

2008-08-14T11:11:00.001-04:00

With the walls for the lower level of the new church addition completed, scaffolding has been erected to continue building upward on the walls of the new church hall. A mobile material hoist has been brought in to lift pallets of concrete block up to the second floor level, where they are stacked on the scaffolding to be used in building the walls. At lower left in this photo, a workman applies waterproof sheeting to the finished concrete block walls of the lower level.

Kit Cone

Amazing Progress in Nieman Hall

2008-08-12T09:34:00.004-04:00

On Monday afternoon, August 11, a crew of three carpenters put up the steel framing for a partition wall in Nieman Hall! The photograph above was made at 3:24 p.m.; the photograph below was made at 3:43. Less than 20 minutes! In addition to being much quicker than wooden 2x4s to install, the steel studs are fireproof.

Kit Cone

Ready to Pour Concrete

2008-08-11T16:39:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, Aug. 9, we posted a photograph of the installation of reinforcing bars on the construction site, and today, Aug. 11, the form is complete and ready for concrete to be poured. The steel walls, supported by braces, make a "box" to contain the soupy concrete. After the concrete hardens, the forms are removed. The completed structure will be a retaining wall to protect the enclosed courtyard outside the Epiphany Chapel and the Madison Day Care rooms on the lower level of the church and the new addition.

Kit Cone

How Firm a Foundation

2008-08-09T19:06:00.000-04:00

Masons are shown in the photograph above wiring together the reinforcing rods that will be inside a poured concrete section of the building foundation. Poured concrete is used where concrete block would not be strong enough: there are no joints or seams in the poured section, even at the corners. The location of each rod, and the way it ties into the concrete block wall that had been erected earlier, is all shown in detail on the engineering drawings. At left in the picture is the lower portion of the east wall of the new addition.

Kit Cone

New Retaining Wall Completed

2008-08-08T22:07:00.001-04:00

A new retaining wall (shown in the photograph above) has been completed to support the driveway on the east side of the property, adjacent to the municipal athletic fields. This driveway will provide access for the garbage removal company to back a truck in from Kings Road to empty the church dumpsters. Another retaining wall has also been finished at the back of the main parking lot, replacing the old railroad tie wall that supported the playground.

Kit Cone

A Significant Departure

2008-08-08T22:02:00.000-04:00

On Friday afternoon, August 8, a big combination backhoe and bucket loader was removed from the construction site on a flatbed trailer. The machine had been sent to Grace Church to work on the excavation of the foundation for the new parish hall. That work is done, and with the walls up to the floor level of the existing church, the machine was not needed any more! It's gone on to another job somewhere else.

Kit Cone

The Asbestos Removal Is Done!

2008-08-08T21:58:00.001-04:00

A huge step forward for the construction project this week: the
removal of the asbestos from the existing building has been
finished! In some places there was no need to remove it, so in the
view of Nieman Hall above only the portion of the floor where new
bathrooms will be constructed has been cleared of floor tiles. The
completion of the work means that we can now "have our church
back," open the office, conduct daily services, have the mail
delivered, and return to being a fully functioning church. Hester
Wharton officiated at Evening Prayer on Friday evening, August 8 -
- the first service conducted after the completion of the work.

The View from the Window

2008-08-07T09:07:00.001-04:00

Windows on the lower level of the new addition are taking shape. They will look out over the courtyard formed by the new addition, the Epiphany Chapel, and the Madison Day Care rooms in the existing building. The white cloud is concrete dust raised by a mason with a power saw evening up the edges of the window opening. The white plastic above covers the kitchen windows, and what used to be the main entrance to the church is visible in the top left corner of the picture.

Kit Cone

New Retaining Wall Going Up

2008-08-05T16:16:00.003-04:00

At the back of the main parking lot, masons are working on a new retaining wall. The new masonry structure replaces the old railroad tie wall that had supported the edge of the playground. The playground is used by the Madison Day Care Center as well as the Madison Co-Op Nursery School, both of which are housed in the church. In the new plan, the playground has been moved much closer to the church, so the little children will not have to walk through the busy parking lot. At the same time, the parking lot has been extended, to provide additional parking.

Kit Cone

The Masons Have Reached the Floor Level

2008-08-05T16:16:00.001-04:00

The top of the masonry wall at the rear of the church has reached the level of the church floor! In the photograph above, made on August 5, a mason fills the top row of blocks with concrete to form a solid base for the beams which will support the floor of the new parish hall.

Kit Cone

Lower Level Is Almost Done

2008-08-04T18:23:00.001-04:00

The concrete block walls of the lower level of the church addition are nearing completion. In this picture, made on August 4, masons are laying the last few courses of blocks before reaching the main floor level of the existing church. What used to be the main entrance to the church, between the choir room and the kitchen, is now an empty opening which will connect with the new addition. Inside the building, asbestos removal is proceeding, and today a second shift of workers was brought in to work in the afternoon and evening.

Kit Cone

The Co-Op Nursery Room

2008-08-02T17:47:00.004-04:00

The asbestos tile has been removed from the floor of the co-op nursery room. Usually filled with all sorts of kid-friendly tables, chairs, equipment, art supplies, fish tanks -- and little children -- the room is now an empty echo chamber. The door leads to the small room housing the rotary air compressor for the pipe organ.

Kit Cone

More Machinery Arrives

2008-08-02T17:47:00.003-04:00

The key to keeping a construction job going is having everything on site when it is needed. So on Saturday afternoon, August 2, a flatbed equipment trailer arrived at the church with a Deere backhoe and bucket loader combination on board. The tractor will start work first thing Monday morning.

Kit Cone

Epiphany Chapel

2008-08-02T17:47:00.002-04:00

It has not been possible to make photographs of the asbestos removal operation, but on the weekend the church is clean of any hazardous contamination. The photograph above, made on August 2, shows the Epiphany Chapel after the removal of the asbestos tile from the floor.

Kit Cone

The Madison Day Care Center Main Room

2008-08-02T17:47:00.001-04:00

The main room of the Madison Day Care Center at Grace Church has been transformed into the center of the asbestos removal operation. Some walls were removed as part of the construction project. Equipment, plastic sheeting, and even a special heavy- duty electric line have been set up in here by the asbestos removal contractor.

Kit Cone

Filling the Hollow Blocks

2008-07-31T13:34:00.002-04:00

A concrete pump was set up on the Grace Church construction site on Thursday, July 31. A conventional transit mix concrete truck pours concrete into the pump truck, and it is then forced through the long yellow pipe to a flexible hose. In the photo above, the wet concrete is being pumped into all the holes in the concrete blocks. Since the holes line up vertically, the concrete fills the entire void from bottom to top to lock the blocks together. This is in addition to the installation of steel reinforcing rods, which are visible sticking out of the tops of the blocks. The end result is a masonry wall of tremendous strength.

Kit Cone

No Job for an Amateur

2008-07-31T13:34:00.001-04:00

Excavating the former exit driveway on the east side of the church for the installation of water supply and drain lines requires operating heavy machinery in tight spaces. The arm of the shovel must be brought in close to the cab on each pass, as shown above, so it won't hit the side of Nieman Hall as the bucket turns.

Kit Cone

Testing Our New Water Main

2008-07-31T13:34:00.000-04:00

An independent testing company was on the Grace Church job on July 31 to check the quality of water coming from the new six-inch main. This large pipe will supply the fire sprinkler system in part of the basement of the old building, as well as all of the new addition. Because the inside of the pipes could have become contaminated at the factory, in transportation, or in installation, a water quality test is required before the connection to the building is made. In the photo above, the test technician clears the pipe by letting it run for a few minutes; then the water had to be pumped out of the excavation and a sample taken from the new pipe for testing.

Kit Cone

Big Drainage Project

2008-07-30T15:59:00.001-04:00

A big drainage project is going on, below the former exit driveway on the east side of the church. As part of the parish hall construction project, eight-inch PVC drainage pipe is being laid to carry away the storm water that has caused serious flooding in the past. How many parishioners (and especially Madison Day Care and Madison Co-Op Nursery School families) remember the "temporary" wooden dam that was erected in the exit door outside the Epiphany Chapel to keep the flood water out? The new flood control system includes huge concrete detention basins buried below the surface, and new pipes to carry the overflow to the Kings Road storm runoff system. The photograph above was taken on July 30 from the former exit driveway, looking toward the dumpsters, with the east end of Nieman Hall visible to the right.

Kit Cone

Out Go the Kitchen Windows!

2008-07-30T15:49:00.000-04:00

On July 30, demolition company workers removed the door frame to what used to be the "main entrance" to the church, and the frame of the kitchen windows. Now on exterior walls, these openings will be part of the connecting wall between the existing church and the new parish hall. Above, the center panel of the kitchen window is removed; the open doorway is at left.

Kit Cone

The Walls Are Growing!

2008-07-29T18:29:00.000-04:00

What a great sign of progress on the addition! The masons have reached as high as they can on the east wall, looking out over the municipal playing field. Today, July 29, the scaffolding crew set up their pipes and planks to raise the masons to the next level. Work on the west wall is already completed. The skid-steer loader is seen bringing up a big pile of planks, each one of which must be certified as a construction plank, to support the masons and their supply of blocks. The unfinished section of wall at the right is to allow access for the loader to bring in supplies and equipment.

Kit Cone

Another Load of Concrete Blocks

2008-07-29T17:37:00.001-04:00

Another load of concrete blocks arrives at the construction site. With only limited storage space around the new building, the contractor depends on the block company arriving on schedule with the supplies. The flatbed truck has its own crane, so a big pallet of blocks can be lifted off the truck and placed on the ground in one unit, without handling the blocks individually.

Kit Cone

No more flooding?

2008-07-29T11:53:00.001-04:00

This should take care of our long-standing rainwater flooding problem! This eight-inch pipe is part of the new drainage system to lead surface runoff from the back of the church out to the storm drain in Kings Road. Note the level to be sure that the pipe is sloping down. Flood water in the area of the Epiphany Chapel -- inside and outside the building -- has been a problem for many years, and this huge pipe should be the end of it!

Kit Cone

Progress as of July 26 (continued)

2008-07-28T13:51:00.003-04:00

More photos and notes from Kit Cone on Saturday, July 26.

There is tremendous progress with the construction of the new addition at the rear of the church. Concrete block walls are going up at a great rate.

Blocks are stacked on scaffolding by laborers, so that masons can pick up the next block and set it in place with minimal "running around" for supplies.

A long-standing drainage problem at the back of the church should be remedied by the installation of a very generously designed storm water runoff system. In the photo above, new PVC drain pipes for the addition are visible prior to being buried, and at right are the visible parts of a new eight-inch drain system for the existing building. In the photo below, drain pipe is stacked at the ready to be installed from roof drains at the side of the old rectory, feeding directly into the new drain under the former exit driveway down to Kings Road. The remediation work, being done as part of the new construction project, should eliminate the frequent flooding of the courtyard outside the Chapel of the Epiphany and the Madison Day Care Center classrooms.

Progress as of July 26

2008-07-28T13:43:00.005-04:00

Photos and notes from Kit Cone on Saturday, July 26.

Excellent progress! The former exit driveway has been excavated in recent weeks to lay new drain and water supply pipes. As this work nears its completion, the lower portion of the driveway has been restored to grade. The photo above is looking up the driveway from Kings Road; the photo below is taken from the top of the driveway looking toward Kings Road.

A look into the "off limits" areas...

It has not been possible to make pictures inside the building during the removal of asbestos. This work continues, but the contractor has cleared the site of any asbestos, and Sunday services were held in the church as usual. The photo above is the familiar "old way" of entering the church, from the "main door" between the kitchen and the choir room. The asbestos floor tiles have been removed, and hall looks very stark and bare. The photo below shows the contrast between the original light green color of the floor in Nieman Hall and the present dark green; the difference was caused by 50 years of wax buildup.

Progress as of July 25

2008-07-25T18:38:00.007-04:00

Photos and notes from Kit Cone:

A deep trench where the former exit driveway used to be is being backfilled today, following the installation of storm drains, sanitary sewer line, and a new six-inch water main to feed the new fire sprinklers. Sprinklers are being installed in the basement of the existing church, and throughout the new addition.

Masons are moving quickly with the construction of the basement walls in the new addition. In places where they join the existing part of the church, the concrete blocks must often be cut to fit; the cloud of dust at left center is churned up by a diamond-tip saw cutting a block. The open space at the back right of the foundation is a temporary access route for the skid-steer bucket loader, the small red vehicle at center right, so it can enter the "basement" to bring in more concrete blocks.

Two of the many masons on the job are shown placing concrete blocks adjacent to the existing building. The concrete blocks are built up on top of the poured concrete foundation, and locked together by reinforcing rods set into the footing.

Grace Church is now open for the weekend of July 25-27

2008-07-25T14:30:00.002-04:00

Having passed the air quality tests, Grace Church is now open for the weekend. It closes again for continued Hazmat work on Monday, July 28.

Work in the front yard for the new water main

2008-07-22T16:22:00.004-04:00

More photos and notes from Kit Cone:

These photos show the work in the front yard. Although most of the visible work at this time is in the back of the church, where the major construction is under way, there is also a lot of earth-moving going on in front.

An excavation for a six-inch water main has been completed, and the pipe put in place. It will feed the new fire sprinkler system in the basement of the present church and in the new addition.