From the crypt to the spire: Restoring religious buildings

Churches are more than simply buildings. They are sacred beacons, standing tall as a place for people to come together at the important stages of life. They are rich with history, memories and life. As such, they are deserving of protection from harsh environmental elements and the wearing effects of time – a protection that Polygon happily provides.

Indeed, Polygon has received many assignments involving historical buildings, such as churches, over many years. Working within sacred walls, all the way from the crypt up to the spire, comes with a responsibility to strive for perfection, with a view to honoring and preserving the life and memory contained in the structure. Drawing on decades of experience in property restoration, Polygon takes on these important tasks with care and empathy. Our aim is to deliver the best possible outcomes, based on a mindset of restoring rather than replacing.

Polygon to the rescue

In one project, the flooring of a chapel, which extended to a funeral hall and a farewell room, had been infiltrated with moisture, compromising the integrity of the structure. Polygon Germany was assigned to combat the problem and aimed to make the process of restoring the building as smooth and uncomplicated as possible considering the spiritual significance of the area involved. 

A particular issue regarding the flooring led Polygon to outsource the additional skills of a restoration partner specializing in decorative ways of restoring damaged floor space. Since the moisture had infiltrated the space to a deep level, making burr holes in the stone flooring was essential to the drying process. The partner company was then able to fill these holes with decorative concrete, ensuring the finished pattern was consistent with its existing surroundings. This innovative way of solving the issue saved the entire stone floor of the chapel from being replaced, which would have been very expensive, but also would have damaged the building’s historical integrity. 

Knowing what can be saved

Sometimes, however, it’s not possible to save a religious structure. In those situations, Polygon can be there to safely and carefully manage the demolition process and restore what can be saved. Illustrated below is a project where Polygon Germany helped a parish in dismantling a church structure to make room for a new one. In the philosophy of prioritizing repair wherever possible, our team was able to successfully restore the bell tower, which would go on to be integrated into the new structure. Thanks to their efforts, the soul of the church lives on for the parishioners.  

These examples highlight how Polygon can provide a full range of restoration and damage management services, even in complicated situations involving spiritual buildings. Perhaps not all buildings carry such spiritual significance, but they do all have a certain spirit within their walls. With Polygon’s expert restoration skills, there is every chance that spirit can be saved when damage occurs.