Church Projects Completed in 2019 and Planned for the Future
In the past year, some very important projects were completed for the maintenance of St. Isidore’s Church: resettlement of the dirt on the north and east sides of the church, repair of stone treatments and trim on the church’s exterior, and installation of flashings next to the gutters.
Improvements to drainage through regrading and concrete work
The settlement of dirt and concrete on the north side of the church were causing water to run toward the building instead of away from it, resulting in flooding inside the building. Contractors were hired to demolish and remove the existing sidewalks and concrete apron between the parking lot and the church along the length of the north side of the church. The dirt was excavated down to a sound and stable depth and re-placed with mechanical compaction, ensuring that the dirt will not settle in the future. Final grading to produce a positive slope away from the building was performed and the concrete was re-poured.
Brick and stone repairs
Settlement of dirt on the east side of the building was causing the sacristy staircase to rotate, the brick to pull loose from the east façade, and the fire line into the building to be deflected, causing a threat of rupture. To resolve these issues, the existing concrete stair was demolished and excavating was done down to stable soil. The fire line was realigned and resupported, and the soil was recompacted to ensure against future settlement and provide positive drainage away from the building. A full reinforced concrete foundation was installed to support the new cast in place stair. The loose brick was removed and reinstalled with proper masonry ties and flashings. The concrete sidewalk and apron were poured.
The same settlement issue caused the movement of stone treatments and trim, which led to crumbling of mortar and potentially more dangerous movement of stone. Bricklayers were hired to find and fix the stone elements in need of repair or re-anchoring. They brought in a large manlift to reach loose stones high along the walls and repair them.
Repairs to gutters and flashing
Gaps between the wall and the roof were causing water to flow into the walls instead of to the exterior. In order to eliminate the easy infiltration of water behind the gutters, they were removed and new flashings were installed. These repairs covered the gaps to force water that might overflow a gutter in a down storm to flow down the face of the wall rather than into the wall cavity. Additionally, new end caps were installed on all gutters and decorative, existing fascias were reinstalled in such a way as to allow another path for water to overflow a gutter without endangering the building.
The cost for these projects was just under $150,000. Their completion would not have been possible without the generous contributions of parishioners. Thank you for your support of the church, and may God reward you abundantly!
Future projects
Projects to be completed in 2020 include:
- New doors for the front entrance of the church
- Replacement of the stone tile on the entrance steps
- Repair of the flashings on the roof
