Frontage

Waterloo Road Church has embarked on a project to renew and refurbish the entrance to the church to open up the area and make the church more visible. This involves a large amount of work with builders in for around 2 months. During this time many of the church activities including the church services are being de-camped into the back hall.

The progress to date:

Week 12: Work is getting to a stage of completion. The internal glazing is almost completed and other small jobs are completed. The ambition is that next week will see the completion of all major pieces of work. Now we are at this stage it's good to look back at some before & after pictures:

Week 11: Christmas week - A week off without any work

Week 10: The final week of significant developments before small jobs required to complete. Day 1 sees work on the electrics and carpet laying has started. Day 2 the carpet is completed! What a difference! Day 4 the track for the internal glazing goes in and Day 5 sees the glass partially hung just in time for Christmas day. One of the toilets is also completed in the last days of the week. Next week is a week off for Christmas.

Week 9: The penultimate BIG week. Day 1 sees the front wall knocked out of the frontage and you get an impression of what the space will start to look like. More painting is happening inside with gloss coats applied, skirting being painted and fitted. The radiators are also installed. Day 3 sees the glass go in and paving! Day 4 more work happens on the glass and paving plus the canopy is completed. Day 5 and after lots of important small jobs are done, the screen is removed, area tidied and ready for Sunday!

Week 8: More painting and preparation for the big final push next week. The toilet floors are complete just awaiting the plumber to finish the final bits. Next week should see all except finishing touches completed with the aim being to have it in use for Sunday 18th. It's going to be close!

Week 7: Work continues to fit out the new frontage space with the first coats of paint applied & lighting largely completed. The toilets are being prepared in readiness for the new flooring due early next week before the final fits here can be enabled. Lots of small but very important work has been carried out such as wiring & finishing the gutters. The next two weeks should see the very visible final big changes.

Week 6: It's been another good week on site and the build is still on schedule. The site has been busy with plastering, electrics and plumbing work being carried out and other trades being on site to agree next steps on their work. In some areas it's starting to look almost finished & just awaiting painting. The ramp at the front of the church has been built up with the finishing touches to be completed once the new glass is installed.

Week 5: What a week this has been! The new roof has been completed just requiring the final pieces to complete the guttering. The frame of the new canopy has arrived and is installed. It's more curved than the artists impression (above) to improve the effectiveness in storms. A wall has been constructed at the front that will support the new ramp. Inside all the walls needing knocking down have been and the new toilet areas are constructed awaiting plastering & then fitting out. The area looks huge!

Week 4: The new roof has been almost completely finished and more internal walls have been knocked down. The supports for the new canopy have also been installed in preparation for the main part to be delivered in the next 1-2 weeks. A trench has been dug at the front of church to prepare for the supporting wall to be constructed for the ramp. Once again a lot of work has been completed this week with the builders still on schedule.

Week 3: The third of the beams are put in place and work starts on removing the roof and internal walls. Later in the week the roof is rebuilt to give protection from the rain. The internal wall between the church and frontage is largely removed giving, for the first time, a good view of the new space. Praise God that the work is going to plan and continue to pray for the work in the weeks to come.

Week 2: The builders have been installing two of the three huge steel beams and been starting the process of knocking down some of the internal walls. Lots of props installed to help support the beams temporarily before the walls are firmed to take the full weight. No entry signs on the front, but we're still open! Come to the side door.

Week 1: The builders have been working to build foundations for the new supporting beams and also getting the area ready for knocking down walls and roof. A huge old wasps nest was found (picture 3 below)! A large hording has been put up in the church to try and restrict dust

Organ: Before the build can start the organ installed in 1941 sadly needs to be removed. This opens up a previously covered window.