July 2017 | E&M Services

In 2016 we worked with a prominent local fundraiser, along with St. Mary’s Church, to assist them to raise funds for the refurbishment of this beautiful building which occupies a prominent location on Hall Lane in Walsgrave, Coventry. The building had required extensive internal repairs including a large amount of re-plastering works. In early 2017, after the plastering works were completed, E&M Services commenced a large redecorating project for the main church area. This involved carefully covering and protecting many of the stunning original features of the church as well as the organ which occupies a commanding position on the mezzanine floor to the rear of the church. Scaffolds were carefully installed to allow access to the more difficult areas to access, including around the fantastic stained glass windows. This allowed our decorators to bring in the masonry located throughout the windows. As we decorated the church, we repaired areas of damage as we went and we have restored this fantastic building to its former glory. The difference to the atmosphere and ambiance of the church brought about by the decoration has been substantial. It really does look stunning. After the decorating project was completed, the church pushed on with their fundraising activities as they were keen to replace the flooring which had been down for some 30 years! In July 2017, E&M Services, returned to St. Mary’s to carry out the flooring installation. The client had chosen a heavy contract carpet made from natural goat hair called ‘Tretford.’ This was in keeping with the design of the church and offered a floor covering that could last for many more years to come. Our due diligence process had identified a number of significant sub-floor issues prior to uplifting the flooring but our experienced team were ready to deal with this. Having been in business since 1988 means there are few flooring projects that we have not been involved with previously. We have a wealth of technical expertise and experience. There were timber gullies around the perimeter of the church which needed replacing and repairing and the steps leading up to the alter needed to be significantly repaired. As you can imagine the church is old so there was plenty for our skilled and experienced team to be getting on with. As with all projects, good planning and preparation was key. Our detailed due diligence process meant that we prepared for all eventualities enabling our works to be complete within five days as arranged. After all, the church had a wedding practice and a christening at the end of the week! At E&M Services we pride ourselves on completing our projects on time and as normal, we did. It was necessary to carry out extensive subfloor repairs prior to the installation of the new flooring and then to apply two coats of moisture resistant, specialist smoothing compound. The investment in the subfloor has been really worthwhile as the finished project looks exceptional. After the subfloor repairs and preparation were completed our team carefully installed the carpets and the stair nosings. It is worth noting that the nosings leading up the alter were all bespoke manufactured as they were large with complex curves. The finished nosings look great, providing safe stair edgings which help the visually impaired to clearly see them and anyone who is unsteady on their feet to be confident when tackling the steps. If you need any advice or assistance with stair nosings please do not hesitate to get in touch. We can assist with all aspects of flooring and ancillary products and advise clients with technical matters relating to disability access issues and dementia friendly product selection. As always, once our team had completed the project at St. Mary’s, they cleared site, cleaned up and replaced the chairs and furniture for the church. We always remove waste and rubbish and dispose of it in accordance with local considerations. We always go that bit further to look after our clients! The feedback from the church has been really positive with both the clergy and congregation saying how delighted they are with how the church now looks. Another job, well done! Anna-Marie, the fundraiser and project manager for this refurbishment, commented: "I work as a specialist fundraiser and project manager for a variety of charities including community centres and Churches across Coventry. My role is to raise capital to help improve charity facilities and then to act as a project manager to get the development work either refurbished and/or repaired. This requires me to bring in contractors to do the work. I first came across E&M services from a recommendation. E&M Services have been involved in a number of projects that I have been working on including the complete redecoration of St. Mary’s Church in Walsgrave, Coventry and the design and development of a bespoke accessible kitchen for St. Peter’s Centre in Coventry. St Marys in Walsgrave is a listed, 14th century Church and warranted faculty permission from the Diocese of Coventry office and a very specialist approach for such a significantly historical building. E&M Services provided all the details I needed to get faculty and delivered a very professional service. They worked diligently on the project from concept to the completion and everyone involved has really worked hard to get this project done. We really are very pleased with the final outcome. Working with E&M Services has enabled me to manage projects efficiently, getting complicated jobs done on time and staying within budget. They have a high regard for health and safety management and their team are DBS checked to ensure safeguarding. I will be working with E&M service again when the opportunity arises and I am happy to recommend them for works." It is always great to be recommended! Thank you Anna-Marie and everyone at St. Mary’s Church who has trusted us to carry out this amazing project on such a special and well-loved building which is of such great importance to the local community and Coventry City. So many people drive-by this building every day and it is great to know that it is as beautiful inside as it is outside. We are really pleased that we will be starting our next project shortly for Walsgrave Church of England Academy, which is located just around the corner from St. Mary’s. That involves a substantial flooring replacement project that we are really looking forward to doing. Throughout the summer period our fitters and decorators will be working across Coventry and the West Midlands installing miles of floor coverings and decorating vast areas primarily for schools and colleges. In addition to this we are working for local hospitals and for the police. We work hard to continue to build our reputation. If you are a church or indeed a school, education provider or business and are interested in our services, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. We can assist with a variety of interior developments from flooring services to decorating, electrical works to education and office furniture, to reception refurbishments, electrical works and bespoke counters, desks and reception facilities. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

St. Mary’s Walsgrave, Church of England Church, Coventry: Refurbishment Project Spring/Summer 2017

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