Olympic Construction reinstates Grade II Rochdale Church to its former glory, following extensive dry rot infestation.

Restoring historic buildings can be a challenging and rewarding experience. It requires a great deal of skill, knowledge, and patience to restore a building to its former glory, especially when it has suffered from extensive damage such as the Spotland Methodist church in Rochdale.

The church is a Grade II listed building that was constructed in 1896. It is a beautiful building that features an impressive architectural design, original stained glass windows, and fine plaster castings. 

However, the church has had to endure the effects of unscrupulous thieves who have removed lead flashings from the roof, causing water ingress into the roof and wall structure of the property. 

As a result, wet/dry rot has affected the embedded timbers within the walls and the roof timber of the Northeast corner of the church, which was discovered when a section of the ceiling fell in.

Olympic Construction a PCA Accredited and RICS specialist damp and timber surveying and contracting company, was instructed to undertake a detailed survey and report to establish the extent of the infestation and remedial work required to reinstate the church to its former glory, they discovered evidence of fungal decay located to the bearing ends of the ceiling timbers. 

Due to the scale of the infestation and the limitations to allow a full inspection to be undertaken, scaffolding was installed to allow safe access, including full dust control to protect the unaffected areas of the property where possible.

As the church is a listed building, the works had to be approved by the conservation offer, it was essential to preserve as much of the original fabric and structure of the property as possible while ensuring the dry rot was fully controlled.

Therefore, the removal of the original lime-based plasters and timbers was kept to a minimum, and drying down monitoring of the structure was an important part of the treatment process. 

Despite the challenges, Olympic Construction managed to provide an agreed specification of work to save the majority of the installed timbers, including the pitch pine staircase, covered enclose, and the installed window frames, which are an important part of why the building was listed.

The reinstatement of the plaster coving system and replastering of the walls with a fibrous lime-based plaster system completed the restoration process.

The restoration of historic buildings is essential to preserving our cultural heritage. It is an investment in our future that ensures that our past is not forgotten. The restoration of the Spotland Methodist church is an excellent example of what can be achieved when skilled professionals undertake such work. Olympic Construction Ltd will continue to invest in the preservation of our historic buildings to maintain our connection to the past and ensure that they remain an important part of our future.

Olympic Construction @PCA @RICS