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Monday, July 27, 2015

YIKES, WE HAVE TO REMOVE OUR NEWLY INSTALLED ALTAR RAILING!

But don't panic over my sensational headline. I'm not being forced to do so by any liturgical terrorists in the diocese. We are a victim of circumstance and the altar railing will return as it is now.

LET ME EXPLAIN the sad, sad story!

Our altar railing was restored by having the first step to the sanctuary extended several feet so that the railing could be added with enough room on the nave side of the railing for people to kneel and enough room on the sanctuary side for the distribution of Holy Communion and for the restored gates to swing open properly without hitting the second step.

Herein lies the major, major problem. During construction, the floor extension was improperly installed. The joists below the two boards that support the new marble tiles are improperly spaced allowing too much give when the floor is walked upon causing numerous, and I mean numerous, hair line cracks in the new marble tiles behind the altar railing and for the entire length of the floor!!!!!

At first I couldn't believe what I was seeing with all these lines or cracks appearing. But our contractor removed some tiles to see what was going on and admitted that his subcontractor had botched the job! The entire length of the new step has to have all the tile removed, the joists properly spaced and new marble tiles reinstalled! I'm not sure if the altar railing will have to be removed or not. The marble under the kneeling pad and on which the altar railing itself rests is more solid and a single piece of marble (as opposed to marble tiles) and no cracks have appeared in it. So I am hoping the reconstruction of the joists can go under the railing rather than removing the railing and then reinstalling it. WHAT A MESS!

It will take several months for the new marble tiles to be fabricated and sent to us and a few weeks of dirty, dusty reconstruction. Just pray that the railing doesn't have to be removed and then reinstalled to shore up the mistake in construction!

The only positive note is that we don't have to pay a dime to correct the contractor's mistake!

8 comments:

gob said...

Bummer....When the contract for the work was awarded, I hope it didn't go to the lowest bidder.

You usually get what you pay for....pay for what you get.....

Anonymous said...

Marmore signum irae Dei rimas.

gob said...

Yeah....that too....and juventutem meam to all.....

rcg said...

It sounds like your contractor has stood up,to make it right. That is a good thing.

Anonymous said...

Glad it was caught before a catastrophe!

Is the work going to cost the parish?

Sheila

Anonymous said...

The altar rail has been removed,
The altar rail has been reinstalled,
Thr altar rail shall come again!!

Michael (Quicumque Vult) said...

lol, Anonymous @7:50, you should win an award for that comment! That particular acclamation you're referencing was the one I heard the most under the old translation.

George said...


The railing looked nice
'til came the interstice,
T'was installed, not so well,
and so rupture befell.

Some tiles now have split,
Leaving some with a rift,
Though tiles have 'come rended
It will all soon be mended.