Facilities Team Update - November 2021
Start with a church building about 130 years old, add in some nasty tricks by Mother Nature, and you can understand why the Facilities Committee, the custodial staff, and Ebenezer volunteers have kept busy at church during the pandemic.
A number of emergencies can be blamed on water from outside and inside the buildings.
The long copper gutter at the far east end of the Community House had to be repaired (but not replaced, phew!) at both the north and south ends. That work was done professionally.
Some sections of the sanctuary roof were damaged when shingles blew off. Those shingles were replaced by professionals.
The sidewalk along the playlot was tilting toward the building, allowing water to seep down the foundation and gym walls. Volunteers cleared out the old sidewalk and our sexton laid a new one.
Over time, water from outside has found its way into various parts of our buildings, damaging plaster along the way. Whenever possible, our custodians and committee members are prepping, plastering, and repainting the walls. We have worked on problem areas in the sanctuary, choir room stairs, education rooms and Cafe, stairwells and bathrooms in the Community House.
The most dramatic event was a serious breakdown of our hot steam heating system. An issue with the boiler created too much pressure in the pipes and some burst. Water leaked from the Auditorium to a small area of the gym floor. The major damage occurred, however, in the Community House Dining Room, and below the Sanctuary in the Education Center rooms, Cafe, and the AIAI office. After the system was repaired, our own staff and volunteers took down the ruined Dining Room ceiling, then plastered and painted the original ceiling as well as installing new lighting and fans. In the rooms under the Sanctuary, the radiators leaked buckets of water. The heating system was repaired.
How else have we kept busy?
In the gym: the ceiling has been painted, sound-absorbing panels have been installed around the room and two sets of heavy duty, double doors were installed.
In the Dining Room kitchen, we are preparing to install a fast, energy efficient dishwasher along the south wall. The cabinets and drawers in the kitchen are now numbered, and a booklet explains where to find dishes, utensils, and pots and pans.
A problematic (and unnecessary) fire escape from the Link Building has been removed.
The main doors to the sanctuary were repaired.
We now have a key code system at main entrances (courtyard, Community House, alley) to make the building more secure and simplify access.
A small office space in the SW corner of the third floor of the Community House is being prepared for possible rental (new plaster, paint, flooring).
The garage was re-sided and new mulch was put down on the playlot and garden beds throughout the courtyard.
The Auditorium has been cleaned up and will soon welcome a new congregation on Sundays. Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble has donated new Auditorium lighting outlets, which will make that space even more appealing for theater and dance events.
What now?
There are always jobs that need to be done – more than we can ask our custodial staff to handle.
Do you have an itch to DIY? Would you like to try your hand at tasks like preparing surfaces for plastering, weeding the gardens, painting, dusting pews, cleaning the Cafe kitchen, removing scotch tape from windows? This grand old building needs TLC, but with your help, she can live another 130 years!