From atop the towers

I had a chance this morning to climb the two towers, and to see first-hand some of the work that's being accomplished.

Once every two weeks or so, we have meetings with the engineer, the contractor and the foreman who is overseeing the project, and on this day, I too joined the band as we climbed into the skies to inspect the progress so far.  What we found was a mixture of blessings and further questions.

First, the view from atop the towers is absolutely breathtaking.  The entire city can be viewed from that vantage point, and indeed appears to be dwarfed because of the height of the towers.  As we climbed the scaffolding, the vista became increasingly spectacular until we could see the entire city laid out before us, complete with the heat haze that was present because of the scorching temperatures.  Fortunately, from the top of the towers, there was a pleasant breeze blowing, perhaps a sign of an approaching storm, but pleasant nonetheless, especially given the summer heat.

Discussions at this encounter focused on

• the wooden structures which have now been removed from the top of the towers. The wood which has stood sentinel at the apertures of the bell level on both towers has been in place since the 1920s and there is more than enough evidence that they are in sad condition.  In the next couple of days, a decision will have to be made about how we proceed with this challenge.  There are a number of possibilities, including reinstating the wood as is (not recommended given the age and condition of the existing structure); replacing it with a fibre glass structure, replacing it with a metal structure ...  Stay tuned for more on this subject;
• there is evidence, particularly directly below the belt courses (the white bands which can be found directly below the bell level on both towers) that the water damage to the bricks and mortar is indeed severe.  In some sections, the outer wythe of bricks is flaking away and can be removed with bare hands.  The middle wythe of bricks also demonstrates signs of water damage, including the perils of freezing and thawing over the decades.  In these cases, the sections affected will have to be removed and then re-built one brick at a time;
• the first samples of the outer mortar have arrived and have been applied on a small section of the brick.  However it would appear that the colour match is not appropriate, so a second sample will have to be applied in the coming days.  Once we get the colour match right, the re-pointing on the outer towers can proceed.
• the decking at the bell level of the east-tower will have to be modified slightly in order to maintain a slope which will guarantee that any water that gets into that level will indeed run off instead of pooling (which would result in further deterioration of the wood surface).

 There is also evidence that the casing around the rose window will soon need some attention, and that the chimney attached to the rectory will also soon merit some tender loving care.  These, and more will form the basis of future discussion.

A further set of pictures, taken yesterday will be posted in the coming days.  Stay tuned.