Churches

[Windows]

Does anyone here have experience of maintaining, restoring, or converting churches (from the late 1800s)? What are common problems that a church of that era might have? Is there a standard method of reducing the heating cost of stone churches?

 

[Accipiter]

I haven't but a Google search does bring up some interesting information and guidance in the Ai overview. Doing the same search ('church conversion' - other search terms will come up) may help you?

I'm intrigued as to what stage you're at... thinking of buying to convert, already bought...? Having renovated an old farmhouse on the West Yorkshire moors many years ago...

 

[RogerS]

You could look at the SPAB website

 

[Cabinetman]

From what I’ve come across over the years the main problem in converting to a dwelling is the windows which are right in the way when people want to put another floor level in, usually the cill height is too low at about 7feet.
Insulation just wasn’t thought about when they were built of course.

 

[Windows]

We’re at earliest possible stage - have seen an interesting church for sale. Would be looking to do a minimal conversion of the entire thing to two large workspaces so would probably be looking to put up 2 interior walls to divide the space, but no new floors and probably no external changes. New interior walls would go between existing windows so no light cut off.

It’s very much just an idea at this point.

 

[SamQ aka Ah! Q!]

Dad was Rector's Warden for some years. I stood in for him when work prevented attendance. Father-in-Law was a Canon in Dublin Cathedral, so I saw a fair number of churches over the years. The roofs (rooves?) were a constant issue. Built in 1888, my 'home' church's leading/flashings had seen their best and monitoring them was a sensible precaution. The windows in a big church were, well, big! The 'tween floors issue outlined above is endemic to these conversions. As to insulation and heating, I have seen an Irish couple build a 'house within a church' - the agitated, nodding, ducking, weaving, blinking Mr McCloud's programme, I think - and applied standard methods to a wooden frame inside the main space.
Heating is usually 4" cast iron pipes in the floor, or sometimes, beneath the prayer book shelf halfway up a pew. The boiler is usually recycled battleship size to cope with demand. We found two days to get to "bearable" temperatures was about right in winter, one day in spring and autumn.
Have fun and "May your God go with you"...

 

[Doug]

Does anyone here have experience of maintaining, restoring, or converting churches

I converted one around 2010, on & off but mainly on it took 4 years, the biggest cost was insulation something you really need to go to town on if you are going to keep heating costs to a minimum.
I’d add that you really need a quality survey of the roof, finding out work needs doing on the roof further down the line can add 10’s of thousands to the restoration budget.

 

[Accipiter]

We’re at earliest possible stage - have seen an interesting church for sale. Would be looking to do a minimal conversion of the entire thing to two large workspaces so would probably be looking to put up 2 interior walls to divide the space, but no new floors and probably no external changes. New interior walls would go between existing windows so no light cut off.

It’s very much just an idea at this point.

Wish you well with the project - if only I was a few years younger . Nice to see a seed of an idea germinate

I was in my early 30's with the farmhouse. The types of insulation boards available now weren't back then so would sound pretty straight forward for your plans. Some double or triple glazing over the existing windows? Depends on their existing styles I guess...

Wish you well... if not with this one then another in the future.

 

[Duncan A]

Jacob Butler did a superb conversion of a Derbyshire chapel.
www.owdman.co.uk
Not sure if he comes over this way,, but can certainly be found over the other side

 

[JamesHow]

We’re at earliest possible stage - have seen an interesting church for sale. Would be looking to do a minimal conversion of the entire thing to two large workspaces so would probably be looking to put up 2 interior walls to divide the space, but no new floors and probably no external changes. New interior walls would go between existing windows so no light cut off.

It’s very much just an idea at this point.

Do not for residential use?

I'd put in a massive wood burner, chimney up through a window. Esp if your a woodworker.

If residential then a meazzine floor and timber framed walls inside would probably be the way to go.

@Mike G must be the go too guy?!

 

[Doug]

Jacob Butler did a superb conversion of a Derbyshire chapel.
www.owdman.co.uk
Not sure if he comes over this way,, but can certainly be found over the other side

Thanks, the reveals around that round window were tricky but I was happy with how they came out.