From basement to roof, the renovations just keep on coming!

This week saw work being done on all the levels of the building, except the sub-basement (where the boiler is located).  In the Undercroft dining area, the old, cracked and ugly tiles were removed, and, behind sheets of heavy plastic, filters and air locks, the asbestos-laden mastic that held them in place was removed.  The new tiles have arrived, and today will see the arrival of the workers to begin putting them in place.  The pictures below show the undercroft floors in their original unadorned state.    

Many of you won't recognize this room.   It is under the narthex and used to be a stage that saw the performances of many plays and other entertainment.   When the balcony was extended to accommodate the organ in 1966, the stage area was  needed to house large steel beams to hold up the balcony extension.   What is left is this small room that has housed our tutoring program for many years.  The floor tile was removed last week.

On the main floor of the nave, Sexton William and his intrepid crew of volunteers stripped and refinished the floor of the nave.   This involved removing the pews and a lot of hard work to find the right process and materials to make the floors glisten.  It wasn't an easy job, and all involved deserve our thanks.

And the work continues out side the building as well.  It was fortuitous that Excel Energy was doing some work down the block on 31st Street, necessitating the closure of the street at Chicago Avenue.  This allowed the masonry and roof crew the opportunity to move the cherry-picker into the street without pulling a permit, and to work on the south side of the building.  The masonry work is winding down and the roof work is ramping up.  We've had good weather, and it looks like we're on track to be done with this phase of the work by the end of October.    In the meantime, much dust was generated, leaving our flower gardens looking like they'd had a light coat of snow.