Technical Questions

What other problems will be found when the floor is lifted? What is the contingency for this?

The floor of St Mary’s may well hide all sorts of things! We know from previous excavations that we will find the rubble from the Victorian reordering, pipework and ducting from various heating systems and lots of sand! The project has a contingency budget for unexpected finds, that should allow us to manage unexpected things below the bricks. All works and excavations will be carried out with an archaeologist on hand, so any part of the church’s history we may uncover will be preserved and documented.

How will the Chancel (altar end) of the church be heated? 

The underfloor heating will stop at the altar rail, so to heat the Chancel fully, the project will retain some radiators in the chancel. The system can happily cope with a mix of radiators and underfloor heating, all powered by a carbon efficient energy source, so this is a fairly simple issue to manage.

How can you be sure that limecrete edging will prevent damp once the floor is relaid?

The final design of the flooring system, and the management of moisture has been completed following a detailed environmental survey, which took place in the autumn of 2019. As with most old buildings, it isn’t possible to completely avoid damp in the church building, but the underfloor heating system selected for this project has been specifically designed to help manage water and ensure that the fabric is protected from further damp related damage.

What about the damp?

Removing the old leaking pipes will help stabilise the moisture in the building. Additional sources of dampness may be identified and dealt with once the surface under the floor is exposed. Once the damp has been resolved, repairs to the paint and plasterwork will be carried out.