Starting in early 2020 through into mid-2021, our Remdal team lead by project manager, Carrie Spencer, partnered with Van Den Kerkhof & Son Masonry under the direction of Heatherbrae Builders, and a team of engineers, architects, and a heritage consultant, to restore the St. Andrews Wesley United Church.
This restoration and seismic upgrade was extensive. Remdal’s primary role was to complete the heritage finishes on the newly upgraded interior of the church.
Our Remdal team oversaw and completed:
- Custom artisan caen finish on interior stone replica plaster
- Coating of newly applied interior stucco stipple
- Glazed terra cotta & stain glass cleaning
- Tung oil application to rejuvenate the original timber trusses and coffered ceiling finishes
Custom artisan caen finish on interior stone replica plaster
Working closely with VDK, Remdal was able to efficiently deliver finishes to help restore the interior’s original appearance. This process was repeated throughout the main church interior over the course of a year and a half and tens of thousands of square feet. The project team identified and refined several processes to get an incredible result that mimicked the original stone coating finish.
Coating of interior stucco stipple
Coatings were professionally applied and colours were carefully selected to match the various restored walls and arches.
Terra cotta & stain glass cleaning
With nearly a century since the Church was built, the terra cotta and stain glass needed attention to renew its original beauty and lustre. These areas were carefully cleaned and protected providing a final result that is scintillating when you see the sun shining through as if it’s still the early 1930s.
Tung oil application to rejuvenate the original timber trusses and coffered ceiling finishes
After nearly a century, perhaps the most daunting, yet rewarding, part of the project was revitalizing the original timber trusses and coffered ceiling throughout the interior of the Church. In particular, above the main hall which is 100+ feet in the air. There was nearly as much scaffolding inside the Church as there was outside. All of the construction teams worked collaboratively to ensure the project was delivered efficiently. The before, during and after photos show the transformative results of this tung oil restoration.
Overall, it was an amazing journey for our team as we helped overcome access challenges, scheduling and phasing complications, as well as delivering a consistent, COVID compliant workforce throughout the project.
The project was an overwhelming success for both the contractors that we partnered with, as well as the Church and their congregation. Heritage BC awarded this project the 2021 Outstanding Conservation Award.
We are extremely proud of everyone who played a role in this remarkable endeavour.
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We hope you find the article above helpful and we are happy to provide additional information on any of the items discussed.
Please call 604.882.5155 or email [email protected]
