In the sanctuary area of a local church, mold colonized the wood surfaces due to an HVAC issue that created elevated humidity over time.
Unfortunately, the inside of the sanctuary is 58’ tall, and normal lifts would not fit in the building due to the front steps and the size of the doorways.
A special atrium lift had to be ordered since it is designed to compress like a transformer toy to fit through doorways and handle a slightly sloped floor.
The beautiful altar area at a local church.
Mold colonized on the beam at the apex of the altar.
Steps were an issue to move a lift into the building.
Addressing the inaccessible entrance
With accessibility being a concern, a flat-bed tow truck was used to bypass the steps and deliver the lift to the upper level. Plywood was used to protect the concrete and to spread the weight over a larger area. The general contractor took on safety measures to shore the floor from below to prevent damage from the 6,600 lb atrium lift traveling across the 2nd floor at a slow speed.
This is how compact this 70′ atrium lift folds down to; it can squeeze into any side-by-side door.
Our team walked the lift into the sanctuary with barely just enough clearance.
Photo shows the lift traveling through the reception area of the church.
Protecting a place of worship
Scaffolding was erected in the choir loft area of the church. Our team supplied protection for the pews, handrails, and organ pipes.
Positioning the lift
Once the protection was in place, it was time for our team to get the lift in position. Photos below are looking down from the stairwell and shows the protection of the pews and the lift position.
The atrium lift has outrigger pedestals that lift the body of the equipment off the ground and stabilize the lift for reaching the high places. Below are photos of the atrium lift with the outriggers extended.
With only three moves of the lift, our crew checks the position of the lift to determine all access points in the sanctuary.
A technician checks the vertical access to the upper part of the center of the church.
The basket soon disappeared behind the beams after this photo was taken.
Mold removal & beautification
The 70’ atrium lift extends to some of the highest points in the sanctuary and got our crew all the way up to the ceiling when fully extended.
Two men in the basket cleaning the mold from the wood.
Lights were cleaned while we were up in the lift.
After we finished the mold related work, painters re-stained all the wood.
Are you faced with a tough cleaning project you need to do? Contact Wellington Environmental today to get started!
