Previous Roof Committee Updates

Update: December, 2023

Replacement of the slate roof system is an urgent, high priority, stand-alone project for Grace, based upon comprehensive preservation-focused architectural and engineering condition assessments and historical research conducted by a consultant team with extensive historic preservation experience. The team is following guidelines in National Park Service Preservation Briefs #4 Roofing for Historic Buildings and #29 The Repair, Replacement, and Maintenance of Slate Roofs, as well as National Slate Association technical bulletins.

The roof system components include slate tiles; wood substrate and trusses; masonry; flashing; soffits and gutters. Over the past several decades approximately $78,000 in repairs have been incurred to replace slate tiles, with costs increasing with each repair cycle as the roof deterioration continues to accelerate. Water leakage to the wood substrate below the slate tiles is starting to occur, with potential damage to underlying, centuries-old wooden trusses and wood framing. Stone masonry and metal flashing need repair and restoration. Gutters also need to be replaced. The roof needs to be replaced as soon as feasible, with consultants recommending target dates of 2024 or 2025. Based on preliminary estimates developed by the project team in July 2023, the projected cost for the entire project is $1.5 million (based on 2024 dollars).

Grace is planning to replace the current slate roof tiles with high quality slate (ASTM S1 standard meaning the slate will last 75+ years). A life cycle cost analysis comparing composite shingle tiles, steel tiles and natural slate tiles showed that a natural slate tile roof is the most cost effective over 80 years because it does not need to be replaced. In addition, the roof is a significant character-defining feature of the architectural style and aesthetics of our church which is on the National Historic Register and a Madison City Landmark. Slate will maintain the authenticity and integrity of our historic property.

Update: September, 2023

Based on all work done to date, the Roof Committee voted on September 5, 2023, to recommend to the Vestry that the slate roof system on the Nave be replaced. Bachmann Construction has worked with all of the experts mentioned above, including Charlie Quagliana, a historic preservation architect also hired as a consultant, and the current estimate based on 2024 figures is that the cost of the project will be $1.5 million for a natural slate roof system projected to last 80+ years. The consultant team was also asked to do a life cycle cost analysis to compare three different roofing materials: natural slate, composite shingle and steel. Because we are on the National Register of Historic Places and a Madison City Landmark, either composite shingle or steel tiles would need to meet historic standards. This analysis (for materials and installation only) showed over a 90-year period that it is substantially more cost effective to put on a natural slate roof than either of the other two options. The reason is because a composite slate roof would need to be replaced twice over 90 years, and a steel roof would need to be replaced once. Natural slate would not need to be replaced. This results in substantial savings in labor costs. A copy of the full update is available here.

Update: July 12, 2023

The Roof Committee is busily working behind the scenes. We received word in June that the Fund for Sacred Places invited us to apply for the full grant, which is due on July 14. In preparation for that, Project Manager Fred Groth has put together a team of consultants that is preparing cost estimates for the project. We are also beginning to gather a fundraising team and interviewing marketing professionals to help us with campaign materials. One of the stipulations to receive the grant is that only funds raised after we are awarded the grant will be eligible for the full match so we won’t begin formal fundraising until after October 1, 2023.

Update May, 2023

The GRC has made substantial progress to date in 2023 toward the planning and pre-construction phase of replacement of the Nave slate roof and its component structures. The roof replacement is projected to be done in the summer of 2024 or 2025. The GRC is seeking a grant in the amount of $250,000 from the National Fund for Sacred Place and submitted phase I of our application In February 2023. Only 5% of several hundred applicants will be asked to submit full applications in July. We believe we have submitted a strong Letter Of Intent (available upon request) which falls squarely within the criteria for funding and are hopeful we will be invited to submit a full application. Prayers are welcome! We are also in the early stages of determining how to proceed with fundraising for additional funds.   

Regardless of whether Grace receives a grant from the Fund, the following steps are next in the planning and pre-construction phase: contract with professional consultants 1) to complete condition assessments and a summary of the assessments; 2) to develop a scope of work and proposed treatment summary; and 3) to develop an opinion of probably costs for all components parts of the roof project for the historic nave. In addition, the GRC will obtain a life cycle cost analysis comparing natural slate to synthetic slate. We have asked several highly qualified professionals experienced in work on historic buildings and Grace Church to submit proposals to complete this work by June 30.

This continues work already begun. In September 2022, GRAEF engineering (Fred Groth, principal engineer at GRAEF) completed a partial assessment of slate tiles and masonry around the perimeter of the slate roof as part of an overall assessment of the entire façade of Grace. The full report is available here. In March 2023, the centuries-old wooden trusses supporting the Nave roof were evaluated. We are pleased to report that due to well-ventilated space above the Nave, the wood trusses are in excellent condition; only minor repairs are needed. On April 19, 2023, the Vestry, acting on the recommendation of the GRC, passed a Resolution to approve the work outlined above and to ask the Grace Foundation for funds to complete this planning and pre-construction phase for the Nave roof.

If you have questions or comments, please feel free to contact Fr. Jonathan Grieser, Deb Anken-Dyer, Fred Groth or other members of the Grace Roof Committee: Joe Bartol; Barbara (Suzy) Buenger; Fr. Jonathan Grieser, Rector; Fred Groth, Grace General Manager for the Roof Project; Jane Hamblen, Senior Warden; David Lyon, and Deb Anken-Dyer, Chair of Grace Roof Committee

May 12, 2023