Before and After Photos of the "Attic"

The first priority in the renovation is ensuring the structural integrity of the Cathedral building.

All is well. The job is complete. The 93 -year-old wooden structural beams that had begun to rot have been replaced. The photo on the right shows a major beam that had suffered water damage. The end of the beam is nearly gone. It had fallen six inches.




The same beam is shown after the repairs in the photo to the left. The beam is now firmly anchored to the wall. The end of the wooden beam is cradled in the orange metal piece which is bolted into the brick.







The photo on the right is another "Before" photo. This photo was taken in the space above the nave, right above the main aisle in the church. The roof rafters meet at the apex of the roof, but they have started to separate.





Here is the "After" photo of the roof rafters. The small wooden triangles ensure that the roof will retain its shape and its integrity for another century.







The final set of "before and after" photos are of the catwalk, the long walkway that connects the area above the choir loft to the area above the high altar. The catwalk runs the length of the Cathedral, eighty feet above the pews. The photo to the right shows the crude original catwalk.




The rebuilt catwalk is much safer and better lighted. In the future, workers will move materials up to the main spire. The catwalk is the only way to move from the ground to the main spire.