Churches have always been centres of culture, where man could rediscover himself; to this day, churches are symbols of the higher aspirations of man, their architecture being the first one that indicates their function. Many churches have become historic monument nowadays, most being at least 100 years old. To preserve them as they are, church conservation is needed.
There are many aspects of church conservation, because specialists need to take care of many problems. The older the edifice is the more difficult and delicate their job becomes, simply because the knowledge of how some churches were built has partly been lost, while the structures themselves are very delicate and thus proper techniques and materials need to be used. Apart from this, there are also the legal issues – any alteration of a historic monument can only be done with specific authorizations and with the complete fulfilment of the obligations stated by law. Thus, in church conservation, many thoughts need to be given to both repairing damage, by using appropriate materials, technology and technique, but also to prevention. One such solution, for example, is mounting a lightning protection systemto prevent damage to the roof and structure of the building, but also to the electric systems and appliances used in the church.
Everyone knows how lightning occurs: the discharge of electricity happens very quickly either in a cloud, between more of them or, in our case; the electricity hits the ground, with destructive effects. A lightning protection system works as a shield, protecting a certain area from the destructive force of lightning by redirecting the discharge towards the ground. Some of the older systems are lightning rods, which have been used for almost 200 years. We can’t prevent lightning from happening, but we can use a lightning protection system that can transfer that destructive energy where it can produce no harm. In general, these systems include a dissipater collector, which reduces potential damage to a structure by using a low resistance path which transfers that energy somewhere else. The key word is control, and in that sense a lightning protection system can help any structure overcome problems during lightning storms.
Off course, when deciding upon such a system, there are a few factors which need to be taken into consideration, and one of the most important is the state of the building and the materials used in construction, for the structure itself and especially for the roof. Heavy metals, wiring can attract lighting, and since churches have crosses on top, generally made of metals, they’re a direct target for lightning. Thus, specialists recommend installing a lightning protection system on any edifice which is prone to sustaining damage during harsh weather conditions. Efficient solutions can be found rapidly if choosing the right specialists – experience is the key factor in looking for the right team to restore a historic monument and especially ecclesial ones, where details and aesthetics are as vital as the protection systems themselves.
Church conservation http://www.rodell-ltd.com/church-conservation advice from specialists: install a lightning protection system http://www.rodell-ltd.com/lightning-protection-system to prevent damage and keep an ecclesial monuments in good condition for future generations.