Building Team Blog

Church Work Week 10/4-9

10/12/2021

Team,

Like every week we start our work week morning with an opening prayer and then we place bets on the accuracy of the weather forecast for the day. Fortunately the weather apps are usually wrong!

This week so much work went into finishing the last 6 trusses on the fellowship hall roof. With the area surrounding the church blocked off with the silt fence it made it very difficult to extend the telehandler to reach the roof. The last truss install took several disconnects of the lifting straps and reattaching them to bump the truss forward inch by inch. Then it was time to start putting down the plywood sheet by sheet and nail by nail. The tops of the trusses had to be planed to make them even. All of the trusses had to be secured with some type of hurricane strap which is a lot of nailing. This took most of the week to complete. The constant use of the air nailers is great for arm strength and hearing loss!

We rebuilt the header support with cinder blocks per the Architects direction and added more threaded rods through the block wall for support.

We spent time sorting out the remaining roof trusses in preparation to the Saturday work day.

Sunday Dennis Kiser and his wife Donna returned to their home in Williamsburg, VA. Dennis will be surely missed for his great attitude, carpentry skills and his awesome sense of humor. We thank God for both of them. If you want to send them a thank you note, please contact JT at Rejoicefellowship@gmail.com for their address.

Saturday work day was a big success. It was time for the fun of putting down the waterproof paper on the plywood. Again thousands of staples and then the fun of adding the heavy duty clips and staples with countless jams of the new fangled stapler! Many hours crawling on your knees. A well oiled machine working together to finish the roof. Great job guys!

The team attacked the much need cleanup aspect of the project. Lots of wood debris, plastic sheeting, drywall scapes, stones, electric debris, rocks etc… were hauled away. Floors were swept and the wood scrapes were hauled to our burn pit area.

We built temporary headers and support legs to hold the trusses located at the front of the church. Steve Schenk spent countless hours reading the plans, running string lines, measuring, measuring and more measuring to determine where the trusses would land on the headers. If you have visited the Church recently you will know that access to the front of the building is cut off due to the footers and the trenches. This made installing the front trusses a real challenge as the truss had to be lifted high in the air over the power line and blindly lowered in place with the help of our spotter Bonnie Stoner. We managed to put 6 trusses in place with the help of our ground crew lifting the truss off the ground, attaching tag line ropes and securing the lifting strap.

I am so proud of each of you, your efforts and of course your dedication to building our Church.

Thanks
Steve

Church Week 9/27 - 10/2

10/5/2021

Team,

What a great week. Building, building and more building! For so long we did demo work so it really feels great to be building our church. It was a busy week to say the least. The concrete contractor finished pouring the new sanctuary footers. So access to the building is now through the side door.

We spent a considerable amount of time placing fire rated drywall on the inner roof truss. Three layers to be exact. Fire retardant caulking was placed between the seems and we covered it in plastic sheeting to protect it in case of rain.

We spent most of the week installing the remaining plywood on the wing roof and the pop up. And just for the record plywood does bend over a curved truss! Lol. Hanging off the pop up roof installing a plywood filler on the front of the building was so much fun! A roof cricket was expertly designed, built and installed to curb the water on the roof.

We then covered the entire roof with water resistant roof paper. Staple, staple, staple for hours on end. Then the team used a new fangled tool to place heavy duty plastic washers with a staple in the center to provide more holding power until the roofer puts down the shingles.

We installed plywood on the remaining side of the pop up using our awesome platform which really made the job safer. The windows have been cut out and the Tyvek material covers all of the exterior walls.

We prefabricated the end roof truss for the fellowship hall. Much easier to do it on the ground.

Friday the remaining roof trusses were delivered for the narthex area and the new sanctuary.

The custom joists that we built to blend the new roof to the existing roof turned out terrific.

One trip of debris was taken to the dump.

Saturday we installed the facia boards on the fellowship hall trusses. We also lifted and set the three remaining trusses on the far end. Hurricane straps were installed on all 40 rafters and pieces of wood were attached to the trusses to prepare for the roof vents. The lateral bracing boards were also installed providing more stability. At one point we had three nail guns going at the same time.

Chris and Karin Dunker left for home Sunday morning. It was so nice to work side by side with Chris and we all learned from him. Chris and Karin brought so many talents to the team to include their Christian spirt and their musical talents which we will surely miss. Plus Karin’s expert tag line skills will be missed. We pray for safe travel for them. We were blessed to have them working on the project.

If you want to send Chris and Karen a personal thank you note, just contact JT in the office at Rejoiceelca@gmail.com to obtain their home address.

I want to thank everyone for their hard work and dedication to this project. I realize working full time 5-6 days a week on this project is very difficult and tiresome to say the least.

Time is running out for Mission Builders and there is still so much to do. We can’t do this alone so stop by Tuesday - Saturday and lend a hand.

Thanks
Steve

P.s. Due to the large amount of pictures they now appear at the top of the page in a slideshow format.

Church Work 9/20-25

9/28/2021

Team,

Another busy week getting ready for day 2 of the truss installation on the fellowship hall roof.

We spent time last week putting some of the plywood on the roof trusses we installed last weekend. It takes some planning to get it started so it’s all squared up. We installed the rafter vents on the front side of the building. Not an easy task hanging off a ladder or working under the plywood. We then put plywood on one side the conference room pop up and cut out the window openings.

We spent some time working on the fellowship hall roof removing the old kitchen and bathroom vents. Removing roof shingles and installing the 2x6 lumber where the trusses would lay on the roof. We moved all of the trusses from the parking lot to the rear of the building and staged them for the Saturday install. Did one test run to ensure the telehandler could reach far enough on the roof and it worked perfect. The telehandler had an overheating issue but thankfully the mechanic arrived Friday morning to fix the issue.

We built a 4x8 platform with railings and a door to be used to install plywood and other items and to be lifted by the telehandler. Just too difficult to work from a ladder.

One more electrical breaker box was removed.

We moved all of the fire rated drywall into the hallway and staged it for install next week. This is to be used to create a fire break in the roof structure.

The septic tank was completed to include the new pumps.

It was a bit wet so no digging or concrete work was done this week.

Thank you all for your continued support and heavy lifting. At least the demo work appears to be done now! LOL

Saturday the big lift took place with Bonnie doing a terrific job running the telehandler and Karin holding on to the tag line while Mike was the spotter. It really takes a team to make this happen. As you can see there were like 40 trusses that had to be lifted, aligned, plumbed and secured. Many hands on the roof guiding and securing the trusses.

We appreciate all of the Mission Builders and church volunteers helping to build our church. Without you this would not be possible.

Thanks
Steve

Church Work 9/13-17

9/21/2021

Team,

The amazing truss news arrived Tuesday morning mid our morning worship time. A bit emotional for me to say the least. A long awaited gift from above!

We accomplished so much this week getting ready to install the roof trusses and doing more plumber demo work.

We rented a heavy duty breaker to break up the men’s room floor. We shoveled and dug out the broken concrete and hauled it away. We then cut out all of the buried abandoned heating pipes. We are now ready for the plumber.

Next we unbanded some of the trusses and began the long talked about but little understood curve that needed to be cut in the trusses. A template was made and we cut 9 trusses. Then added the soffit extensions and curved end facia. It’s amazing how you can bend wood! These were placed on the conference room roof.

We then attacked building a double truss for the rear of the building. Put plywood on it and built the soffit extensions. All of this work was necessary to be done in preparation of the big truss install day.

The gigantic telehandler we rented arrived on schedule. A much need piece of equipment to lift the trusses and plywood.

The old septic tank was removed, new plumbing installed and a new larger tank was installed.

The concrete crew began their footing dig which is really wide and deep. They should finish the digging on Monday. Concrete to follow.

The new temporary wall was painted and we made covers for all of the large holes in the floor for safety reasons.

It was great working along side the Mission Builders team as they taught us a lot about construction. It’s a terrific group of people to work with.

None of the building process would be possible without your continued dedication. Putting in long days and going home exhausted.

Let’s keep building!

Thanks
Steve

Church Work Week 9/6-11

9/14/2021

Team,

Just another busy week working side by side with the Mission Builders team. What a great bunch of talented men!

This week we completed the metal stud work in the former front classroom and office. Also built the storage closets in the new admins office. Cut a hole in the block wall for the HVAC duct work. Reattached the block wall top cinder blocks.

In preparation of the trusses being delivered. We removed two small bushes close to the front of the building. We also removed one large shrub that was in the way of the future fire lane.

We also built scaffolding inside the conference room “pop up”. We recycled the original ceiling joists. This will provide the team with a sturdy and safe area to work from when installing the curved roof trusses.

We installed double header beams on 2 walls that will support the corner roof trusses. Again using recycled lumber.

We made several trips to the dump to discard the roof insulation panels and other debris. Also took a very heavy load of cement blocks to the dump and one very heavy load of steel I-beams to the recycler weighed in at 960 lbs and paid a mere $37. Total recycle money this week was $52.80.

The men’s room toilet partition was removed, women’s room was cleaned and the rubber roof was extended to cover the sink and toilets. The longer we can continue to use the existing toilets the more money we save from renting a portable toilet.

The week just flies by when we are so busy. Thank you all for your heavy lifting, carpentry skills, expert cleaning skills and your continued support to build our church.

Thanks,
Steve

Church Work Week August 30 - September 3

9/7/2021

Team,

You accomplished a lot this past week working side by side with the Mission Builders.
More interior metal walls were built in the rear classrooms. More electrical circuits and fixtures were removed. Two truck loads of metal was hauled away to the recycler and it paid over $250. And like every day there is always sweeping up debris and hauling the debris to the dump.

The plumber located one of the sewer lines in the new bathroom and we cut out more of the concrete floor and dug down to expose the pipe. The plumber also located the sewer pipe in the warming kitchen and we dug down and exposed that pipe as well.

We had a big turn out of volunteers this week (Tom, Mike, Dave, Brian and Steve) so we attacked the work necessary to install the raised roof section above the new conference room. We cut back the rubber roof, removed the itchy insulation panels, removed all of the plywood and cut off the ceiling joists. Next was the raising of the large front wall up on the roof, which really slid right into place. Many hands made the job easier. Next we tackled installing the rear roof wall which was certainly not as heavy as the front wall. Things are starting to come together.

Like always the work couldn’t be done with out our dedicated volunteers who give up 4-5 days a week of their time to build our church.

Thank you for all that you do.

Steve

Church Work Week August 23 - 28

8/31/2021

Team,

Just another fun filled week working on more demo at the church. I am always impressed with your work ethic and dedication to this project. The Narthex roof was supported by heavy steel I-Beams. We worked one solid day just removing the pitched steel beams by grinding off the rusted bolts. Then we had fun tying a rope around the beams and pulling them down.

The next day Arnie agreed to use his cutting torch which made quick work of cutting the bolts loose. We tore down all of the steel and then had fun removing the concrete pillars. Three we pushed over but the 3rd one we had to break it apart. Like always the cleanup of concrete rubble is always a chore as it’s just so heavy.

The following day Arnie again jumped into action and started cutting up the I-beams in manageable pieces. A 780 lbs load of steel was taken to the recycle center and we were paid $37.

I failed to mention last week the team recycled all of the aluminum facia and gutters and received a whopping $194.80. We used the money to purchased 2 sets of Argon gas and 2 sets of oxygen so Arnie could cut up the I-beams. Spent $132 on the tanks and it was well worth it!

We then climbed up on ladders to remove the remaining part of the roof and the old wood planks covering the front of the church. Lots more debris taken to the dump.

Lastly, Arnie spent some time building a wood frame for the new Rejoice Fellowship signs Jamie had made. He then put up posts and setup the sign. He did a terrific job.

Speaking of Arnie….Arnie and Mem left this Saturday for a long trip to Spokane, Washington visiting friends and family along the way. Then they will return home to Texas. We will all miss them both and especially Arnie’s impressive carpenter skills and abilities to fix things. Thank you Arnie.

If you wanted to send them a personal thank you note, you may contact JT in the office at rejoiceelca@gmail.com for Arnie and Mem's mailing address.

Thank you team for all of your hard work.

Steve

Update 8/22

8/23/2021

As you all noticed I was not with you this week, but there in spirit! When I planned my bike trip 2 years ago I never dreamed we would be in the thick of construction. The amount of work that was completed this week is truly amazing. Mike briefed me on your accomplishments and I am thankful for his leadership this past week and every week.

The abatement work was completed on the entrance to the church, which then allowed the team to remove the store front doors and windows. I am told the team enjoyed throwing rocks at the glass and watching it break. I imagine the fun was worth the cleanup efforts.

Next the women’s bathroom wall was removed by the contractor and the team did cleanup in the area. Wood trim was removed from the classroom windows and the drywall was removed from around the sanctuary windows to allow for the new window installation.

The team removed all of the existing wood from the church entrance and blocks covering the steel pillars.

Saturday the team along with many volunteers removed the existing roof shingles and then all of the roof planks. This was a major undertaking and the team worked well with the Mission Builders team leading the efforts. The dumpster was loaded with all of the debris and is almost completely full.

Thank you all for your outstanding work

Steve

Update 8/15

8/16/2021

Team,

Just another very productive work week by some phenomenal volunteers. Describing you as amazing would be an understatement especially in the 100 + degree heat all week. Very thankful for the snacks and beverages provided by our congregation and the Saturday lunches.

We are moving out of the demo phase into the building phase as Mission Builders is preparing the roofs to receive the roof rafters and tower structure.

Mike has done a terrific job negotiating and getting signed contracts for most of the necessary contracts such as asbestos abatement , concrete/masonry, electrical, mechanical and plumbing. It’s a very time consuming task and more than a full time job for him. So grateful for his leadership and dedication to this major project.

For some perhaps you have forgotten what the renovated building and the new addition will look like so I’ll include a picture. I’ll also no longer be referring to the site as the Annex and use the exciting term Church!

This week we removed the men’s and women’s bathroom ceilings as both rooms will move down the hallway and be totally new facilities with a new mechanical room being located where the current ladies room resides. We also removed the exhaust fan ducts from both bathrooms. Still can’t figure out how the exhaust fan gets its power! Lol

We removed the window and wall above and below the window as part of the new construction from the ladies room. We then filled in the opening with a old door temporarily.

We removed the ladies room door frame and header as the wall will be removed in the next phase.

We ventured onto the roof and removed the large cross. It was bigger and heavier than it looked from the ground. We will preserve this and perhaps be able to clean it, stain it and reuse it on the new structure.

The classroom wing hallway ceiling had detached from the ceiling joists and dropped about 3 inches. We blocked up the plaster ceiling and reattached it to the joists.

We hauled 2 loads of debris to the dump.

Lastly, we continued to remove existing electrical circuits and then add new temporary circuits for the teams equipment and tools. We also removed the water heater from the bathroom closet.

And our sanitation engineer continues to do a great job several times a week collecting the trash and recycle materials.

Like I say every week your volunteer work is incredibly important and valued beyond what words can express. Thanks for often stepping out of your comfort zone and taking on tasks that are new and challenging. The real fun begins in the upcoming weeks as the exterior construction begins.

Thanks
Steve

Update 8/8

8/10/2021

This week we finished removing the Narthex ceiling and then the flat hallway ceiling. Very tuff job but you guys took it in stride. Cleanup is always the fun part! We took 2 trucks to the dump with most of the debris. More to be hauled away next week.

Then we started removing the steel door frames from all of the existing classrooms and offices. This was not part of our original demo list but in order to save money we took on the difficult task. Steel frames were filled with cement and metal walls ties into the block were difficult to cut out. Needless to say even the frames cut into pieces are very heavy. We spent 2 days working on this task.

And today we took on another demo task that wasn’t on our original demo list. We removed the low hanging double solid block header that spanned across the hallway into the fellowship hall, which also had cinder block all the way to the ceiling. You guys literally knocked it out of the park. Smashing down the header was a challenge and not sure who enjoyed it the most. Again cleanup is always our least favorite job!

Thanks for your continued support.

Steve