Over time, bricks crack and wear especially if water rushes down them. Flowing water can erode softer bricks, but the freezing and thawing of water in and around bricks is more damaging. It loosens and chips brick, washing out the mortar which holds brick firm, letting in more water which gradually weakens the walls. The brick walls of the colosseum in Rome have stood for 21 centuries yet the wooden steps and floors are long gone. With appropriate attention our brick walls should last as long.
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We have relatively little exposed wood. The 1866 fire destroyed the floor and roof joists so that there is no “original” wood on the buildings. The oldest wood is probably what we do not see, under floors, above ceilings, and in the balcony, dry and well protected from the ravages of weather. Wood exposed the weather, especially new growth wood from the period of the 1867 rebuilding, needs to be dried, primed, painted and repaired repeatedly and eventually replaced. The exposed wood is always under attack from wood boring insects, sun, heat, snow, cold and rain.
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Windows including their wood frames are exposed to all kinds of weather. They need to be able to be opened and still be weathertight. Anyone who has old wooden windows knows that this is an ongoing battle often limited to scrapping, patching and painting the wood. Well maintained windows can last for centuries but that maintenance must be more than putty and paint. All of our windows now rattle in the wind leaking air and the ever sneaky and destructive water.
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As you can see from the pictures, we need serious work on our mortar, brick and wood. To ensure the survival of our church buildings, we have been pursuing plans to address these issues for some time.