Conservation & Restoration Projects worked in conjunction with conversation engineers, JH Projects, who provide surveying services for all types of repair and restoration works particularly in historic buildings. During a building defect survey of the church Jan Hermans of JH Projects noticed the extent of the woodworm and wet rot infestation which was particularly concentrated in the roof and ceiling timbers.
JH Projects specified Triton’s Tribor Gel to control and prevent further wet rot attack. Tribor Gel is a ready to use glycol-Borate formulation which penetrates deeply into timber, and remains within the timber for the long term. It is supplied in easy to use cartridges and applied to the timber via pre-drilled holes. A total of around 1500 holes were predrilled into the timbers, where required, before injection with Tribor Gel. Pitch pine plugs were then cut and fitted flush to the original timber surface and stained to match the existing finish of the exposed decorative trusses.
For the eradication of woodworm, JH Projects specified the use of Triton’s Tritec 121, applied by low pressure spray. Tritec 121 provides a non-hazardous water based concentrate and dilution and a re-entry time to the area being treated of just one hour. It is also safe for use in bat inhabited areas.
To ensure effective timber treatment, JH Projects specified meticulous preparation of all the surfaces to be treated including the removal of all mouldings and beading etc and careful vacuuming and wiping down of all surfaces. To ensure good penetration below the varnished surface of the decorative timbers, much time was devoted to blowing out flight holes and repeated injection using vetenarian syringes and needles.
Additional timber repairs were undertaken using Trimol 50 rods and Trimol 36 structural grout.
Leave this para out if not enough room! (The church features a traditional 7-bay nave with aisles on either side, separated by Peterhead granite columns with carved capitals and limestone bases. The exposed roof timbers are beautifully wrought with carved trusses, purlin supports, turned posts and a diagonally sheeted and quartered pine ceiling.)