Built in 1845, the 8,200-square-foot St. Alphonsus Church was in need of renovation to improve the safety of its establishment and its parishioners. Located on 114 W. Saratoga St. in Baltimore, Md., the historic church was originally given the nickname "the German cathedral" due to its Southern German, neo-Gothic style of architecture and unique façade. The structure underwent a major renovation that included installation of 20 new architectural spires on top of the pilaster caps. Although these slender, pointed spires appear as ornamentation that complement the architectural vision of the historic building, they also double as a lightning arrestor system with an internal stainless steel skeleton and copper lightening rod to protect the building from a potentially dangerous strike during a lightning storm.
SPS was hired as the specialty contractor to make the repairs and replace the spires. The spires needed to match the original style yet be durable enough to handle pollution, volatile chemical usage and natural wear-and-tear. SPS brush-applied an additional coat of paint on top of the spray finish to ensure that any soiling of the project would occur at a slower rate, enabling the spires to be easily cleaned by a non-specialized maintenance staff.
To prepare for the installation, SPS filled any cracks within the caps where the spires would be placed. Installation of the spires was completed using a waterless drilling mechanism to avoid staining of the historic brick. After the holes were drilled, SPS inserted a custom-designed specialty anchor system into the hole. Because of the unique design of the church, SPS chose to carve the spires out of Polyvinyl Chloride plastic. This reduced the cost of the manufactured products and it also allowed for exceptional durability against the weather and pollution. These carved pieces were made individually by skilled craftsmen, similar to how the original ornaments would have been made. SPS also was cognizant of the fact that the piers were not supported in a vertical fashion. Since the piers are slightly crooked, the spires may appear to be out-of-line when placed vertically into the holes. In order to compensate for this condition, a nonshrink grout bed was incorporated under the reciever plate to make them plumb. A thick PVC base molding was placed around the spires, which added visible bulk and making the spires appear to stand in a much prouder fashion.
The new slate and copper roof resulted in very slippery conditions. A tie-back line was placed around the entire roof perimeter. Throughout the entire construction process, every worker was tied to the roof, thereby increasing fall protection measures. Additionally, the public and surrounding property was kept safe by obtaining occupancy permits for all the parking meters and the parking lane on an adjoining street. As such, all passing vehicles or foot traffic could not interfere with the crew nor endanger themselves by keeping a reasonable distance away form the overhead work.
The total project time from delivery of the spires to completion was approximately one month. SPS was able to maintain the unique distinction of the historic church, while staying on track with timing and budget.