ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 177, 27 June 1936, Page 9

ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH

ORGAN TRANSEPT. OVERLAID WITH COPPER. “The vicissitudes of nature which have visited our city during recent year have caused the vicar and his vestry much concern regarding the safety of the church organ,” states All Saint’s Parish magazine. “Several suggestions have been brought forward to safeguard this valuable asset of the parishioners, and after obtaining information regarding the roof covering of kindred buildings, both in other countries and in New Zealand, it was eventually decided to use copper. Now, the use of copper for roofing of public buildings is an old custom. In the first instance it is considered a costly undertaking, but in tlie course of time, a sound investment. It is probably on account of its cost that the new copper roof represents tho first of its kind in Palmerston North, and offers an example of yet another kind of roof covering, the variety of which appears to he endless.

“Before commencing any building operations, a light framework of timber was erected and covered by a tarpaulin inside" the church and over the organ to protect it from any inclemency of the weather, which happily remained fine, and with an absence of wind during the whole time the reconstruction work was in progress a state of affairs seldom experienced at this time of the year.

“Copper is applied in various ways; in this instance the tiles were first removed and stored, to bo made available from time to time to renovate the remainder of the roof, then tongued and grooved flooring boards were nailed to the rafters, and above this sarking battens with tapered sides were placed. The object of the j battens is to form a juncture ' between the copper sheets, which sheets are formed into trays. In passing, it is worthy of note that this copper sheathing is not held in position by nails, but by copper clips passed under the rolls and over the turneddown edge of the copper sheeting. The rolls themselves, as well as the ridge are also covered with copper, the edge of which is placed above the turned-dowr. edge of the copper sheeting, then the edge is given a final turn, forming a welted joint. During the re-roofiing operations the whole of the roof has been carefully scrutinised for cracked or defective tiles, and where necessary replaced and gutters cleaned, i “It was noted that the Virginia ' creeper, handsome as it is and so much ! admired, especially in the autumn, j was doing considerable harm by en- ! twining its tendrils under and around tho tiles and shedding its leaves into the water channels—hence the pruni jng knife has been applied to good pur- | pose, and upon its continued application will tc a great extent depend the weather-resisting properties of the roof.”