Moisture issues that have been affecting St Mary’s Cathedral narthex and Baptismal areas will soon be addressed with renovation works beginning on Monday, 10 August 2015.
Work will involve the creation of a trench against the external Cathedral walls which will allow the walls to “breathe” and disperse the built up moisture that has caused evident undesired effects on the walls.
This trench will be covered in a slimline stainless steel cover of about 7 -8cm in width and will be placed in an inconspicuous position up against the external walls of the Cathedral.
Additionally, the cobblestones around the western end of the building will be re-laid so as to have them plane away from the Cathedral walls.
Drainage from the downpipes will also be examined to ensure the system works efficiently to take the water away from the walls.
Internally, the affected wall coverings will be stripped back to brick and various types of cladding put on the walls to dry out the bricks.
Once this is achieved the walls will be injected with a silicon moisture block and the lime wash re-applied. This will be done in the entire narthex and baptistery areas as well as the bell tower and the Cathedral Supervisor’s office which is behind the piety stall.
This process will take some time due to the length of drying period – the time of which is yet to be determined. Also, the skirting boards in the narthex will be replaced as they have been affected by water damage.
During the period of work near the baptismal font the full immersion pond will be boarded over to give access to the workers and to minimise dirt into the drainage system for the font.
This work will be noisy, dirty and will affect the aesthetics of the Cathedral.
It will also, at times, limit access to the Cathedral to one of the main (green) doors only.
The work is also extremely costly and the Cathedral has been fortunate to receive a substantial donation from one individual towards the cost for this project specifically.
However donations to help complete this work are still required.
Unfortunately, no end date for the project has been set as this is dependent on what is discovered after the outer layers are stripped
Individuals and groups planning events in the Cathedral are kindly advised to give as much notice as possible so that the builders can be advised in advance.
The Cathedral supervisors offer their apologies for the inconvenience these works will cause and feel that the changes will have a dramatic impact on the aesthetics, need for ongoing maintenance and general functionality of St Mary’s Cathedral.
If you are interested in donating to this please contact the Dean of the Cathedral, Monsignor Michael Keating, through the Church Office on 9223 1351.
For more information please contact Cathedral Supervisor Tony Meyrick on 9223 1344 or email tony.meyrick@perthcatholic.org.au.