A NEW ROOF: THE CHINTSA EAST CHURCH ROOF WAS CONVERTED FROM THATCH TO ALUMINUM ROOFING
The congregation of the Chintsa East Church decided to treat the beautiful old church building to a new roof. We were lucky enough to be contracted to convert the roof and see the transformation as it happened.
The Original Church Roof
The church roof was originally thatched which definitely gave the building a certain rustic, country charm. The congregation of the church decided to change the thatch to a roofing option with less maintenance and insurance costs over the long term.
The Church Roof was Converted using the Structure Stays System
We used the “Structure Stays” roof conversion system to change the roof which means that we removed the original roofing (the thatch in this case), but kept the roof structure (the poles). We then used the pole roof structure to install the new roofing.
New Roofing Type
Our clients chose to use full aluminum, corrugated roof sheeting for the new roof; the specification for the new roofing is as follows:
Roofing Type: Full aluminum / G4 ColorTech / 0.8 Gauge
Profile: Corrugated
Colour: Thunderstorm
The church is situated close to the sea (as you can see from the drone footage below), so the choice of full aluminum roof sheeting was clear from the start. Aluminum has natural anti-corrosion properties that will make sure the roof has a long lifespan even in the salty sea air. Aluminum roofing is also lightweight, durable and low maintenance.
The sheeting that we installed is Color-Tech coated which is the latest chemistry in paint technology. The coating on the roof sheeting has an extremely attractive color as well as effectively preventing sun damage and chalking.
Inside the New Roof we installed new Ceilings and Insulation so that it doesn’t get too hot or too cold!
The original roof was thatch so when the thatch was removed we had to install ceilings as well as the roofing.
Ceiling Specification
Ceiling Type: Summit XPS Board
Thickness: 30mm
Profile: Pine Tongue and Groove
The pine tongue and groove profile looks like a pine timber ceiling when it is fitted because it is moulded with ridges like the wooden planks would have. The boards are naturally white and can be painted any color. We painted the ceilings in the church white to make sure that the inside of the building has a beautiful, stark white look.
What about Insulation?
Thatch is a great insulator so when we stripped the thatch off we had to make sure that the new roof has adequate insulation. Summit XPS ceiling boards are designed to be excellent thermal insulators. We also fitted 40mm bulk insulation in the cavity between the ceiling and the roof sheeting. These two high quality insulation products bring the R-Value of the roof up to standard.
Challenges of the Roof Conversion
Every project has it’s challenges and the roof conversion on the church was no exception. One challenge that we faced was that poles are not 100% straight on the top plane so when the ceiling boards were fitted, the support structure for the new roof sheets was not totally straight. Our carpenters worked with timber sections to bring the support structure up to the same level around the whole roof.
The church had to close down while the project was completed, they could not do any services or events while the work was taking place, so we were also under time pressure to make sure that we completed the work in a specific timeframe. The team also had to be extremely sensitive to the surrounding gardens on the site which are kept beautifully. Construction work will always have an effect on the grounds surrounding the work but we had to really make sure that this was absolutely minimal and that the gardens were handed back in the same state that they were in at the start of the project.
The New Roof was Celebrated in a Heart-Felt Hand-Over Ceremony
The Chintsa East congregation celebrated our team in a heart felt Roof Hand-Over Ceremony at the church. At the ceremony we were given a beautiful collection of photos from the different stages of the project as well as a thank you letter.
Dear Jonathan and Team Bosazza Roofing,
On behalf of all in the community and the Church congregation we want to thank you so much for a job well done. The way you went about your work was exemplary. It was a real pleasure to see the old making way for the new. This [photo collection] is something to remind you from time to time how much we appreciate your time and dedication to the project.
We wish you well and thank you.
Kind regards,
The Chintsa East Church Congregation
The project was completed in March 2022.
More Information
Find out more about converting your roof on our Thatch Roof Conversions page >
Read more about our company Bosazza Roofing & Timber Homes >