Sunnyhill New Home

 To paraphrase  our TEDCO field superintendent, Craig, it's amazing what you can get done when you have good weather. With temperatures in the 50s and 60s and lots of clouds but little rain, outdoor work has taken center stage in our new construction. So many people are working on site -- window installers, electricians, data cabling installers, carpenters, roofers, drywallers and even painters -- that TEDCO had to add a second Porta-John.




With most of the new roof shingled - a few small sections remain to be done - Buccos Roofing has been busy tearing old shingles and underlayment off the roof of our historical building and replacing them with new state-of-the-art underlayment and new shingles. By the end of the week, the roofing should be complete. The top photo reveals the difference between wooden roof decking in the 1920s (horizontal boards) and in 1994 (plywood) when our new addition was added. It's also amazing to see how solid our nearly 100-year old roof remains. 

The crews installing our Pella windows also benefited from the good weather, and most of our windows are in place. This is the north wall of the sanctuary.

This view of the northeast corner of the new addition shows the exterior of a new RE room, which promises to be the brightest room in the building. 

This is an interior view of the new RE room on the northeast corner.












The far left window has yet to be installed in the new Choir/RE room. It has most likely been left out to allow construction materials to be passed through the window as needed. The triangle under the eave, which was once going to house a louvered vent, may, depending upon cost, frame a new triangular window.

This interior view of the new Choir/RE room suggests the effect an additional window might have. The window will be smaller than the current opening, if it is installed. Re-directing the HVAC vent, which was originally scheduled to be installed over the ceiling of the Choir/RE room, has allowed us to raise the ceiling to the peak. The increase in room volume should improve acoustics for the choir, and add drama to the space.










The three-panel window on the left provides natural light to the stairway to the basement. In addition, it allows light to pass through the main hallway and into the infant and toddler room.

If you look through the three-panel window, you can see into the infant and toddler room and through to the backyard.










A bottle of Windex will be a must to keep the windows in the infant and toddler room clean and clear of smudges from children's fingers and parents noses. The room, which is immediately adjacent to the entrance to the sanctuary (seen in the foreground right), will also feature a glass door.







Some of the Pella windows are operable and some are fixed. The small window in the far right of this photo of Roy's office will swing open so Roy can pass Giant Eagle certificates through the window.

This view of the northwest corner of the building shows how bright our new sanctuary will be.










The windows that will form the backdrop for our Sunday services and other events are called "storefront windows" because they are also used for...storefronts. Since these windows face west, an event like a wedding on a sunny afternoon should be spectacular. If you look closely, you can see the sun reflected in one of the panels.







With drama like this, people will be clamoring to sit in the front row. 













An ADA compliant ramp is being installed down stage right.

















Mineral wool is being installed in the rear wall of the sanctuary. In addition to increasing the fire rating of the wall, mineral wool has better sound reduction capability than fiberglass batting. Two layers of 5/8" gypsum wallboard will be added.

Data and audio-visual cables are being installed. By tomorrow, the rough-in should be complete and insulation and drywalling can begin in earnest.

Circuit breaker panels for the new addition will be located in this small room, which has already been taped and painted. This room will also have a 75 degree ship's ladder to the attic. The niche in the rear looks like the perfect place to store folding tables.








Parts of the attic have also been painted so the HVAC crew can begin installing the equipment, which waits under plastic tarps. A drop ceiling and insulation, will be installed just below the paint line. This room will not be heated, but will have insulation to "temper" the space.

A foray to room 22 shows where a new roof rafter was added to allow the new addition to be connected to our historical building. 

The former hallway door on the left and the former closet door on the right now frame windows that will look from the foyer into the new stairwell to the basement. We are hoping to cover the drywall with oak panels to reflect the construction of the window seats in the foyer.

This triangular space, which will be drywalled over in the next two weeks, seems like the perfect place to put a box with messages to some future generation. What do you think? The blog's contribution will be a CD of all the photos and the videos to date.







Vijay's hibiscus were transplanted in the fall to one of Joe Carter's planters. Some of the bulbs that came along for the ride must think that spring is here, thanks to the warm weather.