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CaseStudy:TheCeilingThatBroughttheParishTogether

AllphotosbyTerryTheissexceptasnoted.GRATON,CA,2020-07-21–Renovatingachurchcanbeahugeundertaking,butchurchcommunitieshaveamajorresource,beyondmoney,thattheycanbringtobear:thecongregation.FatherPrenticeDean,thepastorofTheChurchofSt.MarytheVirgininArlington,TX,selectedaninnovativeceilingmaterialandfoundthatitbroughthiscongregationtogether.Heandhisparishionersinstalledtheceilingthemselves,replacingstainedandyellowedmineralfiberpanelswiththermoformedceilingpanelsthatlooklikecarvedwoodandcreateawelcomingwarmthinthesanctuary.

St.MarytheVirginwasbuiltaround1990asanEpiscopalianchurch.In1994,theentirecongregationconvertedtoRomanCatholicism,buttheywereallowedtokeepthebuilding.Itwasacongregationofmodestmeansthathadlimitedthedécorofthechurch’sinteriortoanalmostspartansimplicity,andthewhite,22-foothighceilinggavethesanctuaryacavernousfeeling.

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Recently,aftermanyyearsofsavingandwithagenerousbequestfromadevotedparishioner,thechurchwasinapositiontoundertakeamuch-neededrenovationoftheinterior.ThiswaswhereFr.Deansteppedup.Earlierinhislife,hehadbeenintheconstructionindustry.“Iknowwhichendofthehammertohold,”heexplains.Infact,thiswasnotthefirstchurchthathehadrenovated.Heknewhowtoworkwithengineersandcontractors,andunderstoodtheissuesinvolvedinrenovationandconstruction.

Improvementsandadditionsincludedanewpulpit,sixnewsidealtars,anewbaptismalarea,newfurniturewherethepriestsits,andnewfloorsofblueslateandmarble.Mostsignificantly,thereiswhatFr.Deandescribesas“averysubstantialcarvedcrucifix”thatwasgiventothechurchin2016.“It’saten-foothighcrucifix–lifesize–carvedfromonepieceofwalnutinMexicoabout50or60yearsago,”recountsFr.Dean.“It’saverydramaticandrealisticcorpusofJesusonthecross.Thereareonlysomanyplacesyoucanonlyputthat,butIhave22-footceilings.It’sano-brainer.”Tosupportitinthecenterofthechurch,aroodbeamwaserectedacrossthechancel.Themassivelaminatedwoodbeamis17inchesdeep.OnitarestatuesofSt.MaryandtheapostleMichael,withthecrucifixatthecenter.Thefaceofthebeamisadornedwitheighthand-paintedplaques,eachbearingasymbolcloselyassociatedwithSt.Mary,joinedtogetherbyagreenvinethatleadstothefootofthecross.Fr.Deanworkedwithavarietyofdesigners,craftsman,engineersandcontractorsforayearontherenovationproject,andfurtherimprovementsarestillintheworks.

Therewasgeneralagreementamongthecongregationthattheyneededtoreplacetheoldrecessedcanlightsinthesuspendedceilinggrid,22feetoverhead.Instead,theychosehangingpendantlightswithaGothicwroughtironlook.Toaccomplishthischange,theelectricianhadtocompletelyre-wireabovetheceiling.“Whilewewereupthere,”Fr.Deanchuckles,“everyonewantedtodosomethingabouttheceiling,too.”Thesanctuaryhadasuspendedceilingofmineralfiberpanels,similartotheceilingsinmillionsofofficesandsupermarkets.“Itreallylookedfairlyhideous,”recallsFr.Dean.“Theroofmembranewasnotthebestqualityatthetime,”leadingtoroofleaks.“Thewhitepanelshadbeenhorriblywater-stained,aswellasdiscoloredbytheincenseusedintheworship,whichstainseverythingyellow.”

Fr.DeanhadseenpicturesoftheCistercianAbbeyChurchinDallas,withitswarmwoodceiling.“Isaid,‘HowdowewarmuptheceilingifIkeepthedropceiling?Ican’tputrealwoodupthere…?”Hestartedscoutingtheinternet,anddiscoveredlightweightthermoformedvinylceilingpanelsmadebyCeilume,designedtoreplacemineralfiberpanelsinasuspendedgrid,aproducthedescribesas“thebestkeptsecret.”Therewasalight-tonedfauxwoodfinish,CaramelWood,that“hadtheperfectcolor.”Fr.DeanselectedCeilume’sStratfordpattern,asquare,three-dimensionaldesignsimilarinappearancetoacofferedceiling.Thethermoformedpanelsareimpervioustowater,stainresistant,andwashable,sotheywillnotbevulnerabletothesamediscolorationthatthemineralfiberpanelssuffered.

Suspendedceilingsinofficesorstoresareusuallylowenoughtoservicefromaladder.Withthechurch’s22-footceilingheight,somethingelsewasrequired.Fr.Deannegotiatedanarrangement

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withtheelectricalcontractorsothattheparishionerscouldusetheelectrician’shydrauliclift.Duringtheday,thecontractorre-wiredtheceiling.Atnight,thecongregationcameinandworkedfromthelift.Astheyremovedtheoldceilingpanels,theydiscoveredtherehadbeennumerouspanelreplacementsovertheyears.Oldmineralfiberpanelshadbeenleftstackedontopofnewerpanels,fiveandsixdeepandtheweightwasmakingthegridsagandbuckle.

Beforeinstallingthenewpanels,theyrefinishedthesteelgrid.“Thethingis,”Fr.Deanexplains,“thatwoodgrainwouldnotworkwithawhitegrid.”Hedecidedtopaintthegridinflatblack,tocomplementthewrought-ironpendantlights.“Ifiguredwe’djustputalittlespraypaintupthere.Ididn’tknow.Wewentthroughacoupleofcasesofspraycans.”

Whilepaintingthegridturnedouttobeamajortask,installingthepanelswasveryeasy,evenforamateurs.“Weactuallygotprettyadept.Whatyoudoisyoujustkindofpunchitstraightup,andthenyouflopitback.”Fr.Deancutsomeofthepanelshimselfforplacesthatrequiredtrimmedshapes.“They’reeasytocutwithautilityknifeorscissors.Ididmostofthecuttinginthealtararea,becausethewallsareangled.”

“Weultimatelyhad20or30peopleinvolved,”herelates.“Someofmymainworkerswere85-year-oldmen.They’reupthereonthelift,withdust-masks,etc...”Theyworkeduntilmidnightforthreeweeks.“Iwasthereeverynight.I’veneverseenaparishturnoutsoconsistentlyandsteadilyforsolong.”

Duringthisphaseoftheproject,masswasmovedintotheparishhall.ThenewlightsandceilingwerecompletedinDecember2018,andtheywereabletoholdmassinthesanctuaryforChristmas.

“Everyonehasbeenthrilledtodeathwiththelook,”Fr.Deanreports.“Peoplewhohadvisitedbeforehandandcomeinandseeitnowarejustabsolutelyastounded.Anotherbenefithasbeenourmusicprogram.Thevinylhashadtheeffectofimprovingthesoundtransmissionofthehumanvoicefromthechoirloft.”

Otherworkiscontinuing,suchastheside-aislesthat,fortunately,onlyhave10-footceilings.

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AboutCeilume:Ceilumeistheleadingmanufacturerofthermoformedceilingandwalltilesandpanels.Thecompany’srootsgobacktowhen“Mid-CenturywasModern”andthepioneersofmodularceilings.Thefamily-ownedbusinessislocatedinCalifornia’swinecountryandoccupiesahistoricapple-packingwarehouse.Withaneyeonthefuture,Ceilume’sresearchanddevelopmentcontinuestoimproveinteriorfinishsystemstomeetchangingenvironmental,performance,andaestheticneeds.Formoreinformation,seewww.ceilume.com/pro.Photos:www.ceilume.com/pro/press.cfm

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Therenovatedsanctuary,withthenewcrucifix,roodbeam,reredos,andpulpit.(Croppedfrompostedimage.)

Left:Abovethenewbaptismalfont,aborderoftheoriginal,water-damagedmineralfiberceilinghadnotyetbeenreplacedwhenthisphotoofthenewbaptismalfontwastaken.Right:Parishionerscameinatnightforthreeweekstoremovetheold,stainedmineralfiberceiling,paintthegridblack,andinstallthenewwood-grainthermoformedceiling.(PhotocourtesyoftheChurchofSt.MaryTheVirgin)

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Left:Theoldceilinghadsagging,mineralfiberpanelsthathadbeenbadlystainedbywaterfromroofleaksandbyincenseusedintheworship.(PhotocourtesyoftheChurchofSt.MarytheVirgin)Right:Thenew,thermoformedceilingisstainresistant,washable,andimpervioustowater.(Croppedfrompostedimage.)

Ceilume’sStratfordceilingpanelswithCaramelWoodfauxfinishwereselectedfortheceiling.The24x48inchpanelsfitaconventionalceilingsuspensiongrid,arelightweight,andeasytoinstall.(PhotocourtesyofCeilume)

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[Pressreleaseversion–650words]GRATON,CA,YEAR-MO-DY–Renovatingachurchcanbeahugeundertaking,butchurchcommunitieshavearesourcebeyondmoneythattheycanbringtobear:thecongregation.Fr.PrenticeDean,thepastorofTheChurchofSt.MarytheVirgininArlington,TX,foundthataninnovativeceilingmaterialbroughthiscongregationtogether.Heandhisparishionersinstalleditthemselves,replacingastainedandyellowedmineralfiberceilingwiththermoformedCeilumeceilingpanelsthatlooklikecarvedwoodandbringawelcomingwarmthtothesanctuary.St.MarytheVirginwasbuiltaround1990asanEpiscopalianchurch,butconvertedtoRomanCatholicismin1994.Acongregationofmodestmeans,thechurch’sinteriorhadanalmostspartansimplicity,andthewhite,22-foothighceilinggavethesanctuaryacavernousfeeling.

Recently,withagenerousbequestfromadevotedparishioner,thechurchundertookarenovationoftheinterior.Fr.Deanhad,earlierinhislife,beenintheconstructionindustryand“knewwhichendofthehammertohold.”Improvementsandadditionsincludedanewpulpit,sixnewsidealtars,anewbaptismalarea,newfurniturewherethepriestsits,andnewfloorsofblueslateandmarble.Mostsignificantly,thereiswhatFr.Deandescribesas“averysubstantialcarvedcrucifix.It’saten-foothighcrucifix–lifesize–carvedfromonepieceofwalnutinMexicoabout50or60yearsago.”Itisnowplacedoverthecenterofthechurch,supportedonamassive,17-inchdeeproodbeamthatspansthechancel.OnitarealsostatuesofSt.MaryandtheapostleMichael.

Fr.Deanworkedwithavarietyofdesigners,craftsman,engineersandcontractorsforayear.Herecallsgeneralagreementamongthecongregationthattheyneededtoreplacetherecessedcanlightsand“dosomething”aboutthesuspendedmineralfiberceiling.“Itreallylookedfairlyhideous,”relatesFr.Dean.“Thewhitepanelshadbeenhorriblywater-stained,aswellasdiscoloredbytheincenseusedintheworship,whichstainseverythingyellow.”

Fr.DeanhadseenpicturesoftheCistercianAbbeyChurchinDallas,withitswarmwoodceiling.“Isaid,‘Howdowewarmupthisceiling?’”Ontheinternet,hediscoveredlightweightthermoformedceilingpanelsmadebyCeilume,designedtoreplacemineralfiberspanelsinaceilinggrid,aproducthedescribesas“thebestkeptsecret.”Ceilume’slight-tonedfauxwoodfinish,CaramelWood,“hadtheperfectcolor,”andFr.DeanselectedtheStratfordpattern,asquarethree-dimensionaldesignsimilarinappearancetoacofferedceiling.Thethermoformedpanelsareimpervioustowater,stainresistant,andwashable,sotheywillnotbevulnerabletothesamediscolorationthatthemineralfiberpanelssuffered.

Fr.Deannegotiatedtousetheelectrician’shydraulicliftatnight.Forthreeweeks,membersofthecongregationcameineveningsandworkeduntilmidnight,removingtheoldceilingpanels,paintingthegridinflatblacktocomplementthenewwrought-ironpendantlights,andinstallingthethermoformedpanels.

“Wehadultimately20or30peopleinvolved,”herelates.“Someofmymainworkerswere85-year-oldmen.They’reupthereonthelift...Iwasthereeverynight.I’veneverseenaparishturnoutsoconsistentlyandsteadilyforsolong.”

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Duringthisphaseoftheproject,masswasmovedintotheparishhall.ThelightsandceilingwerecompletedinDecember2018,andtheywereabletoholdmassinthesanctuaryforChristmas.

“Everyonehasbeenthrilledtodeathwiththelook,”Fr.Deanreports.“Peoplewhovisitedbeforehandandcomeinandseeitarejustabsolutelyastounded.Anotherbenefithasbeenourmusicprogram.Thevinylhashadtheeffectofimprovingthesoundtransmissionofthehumanvoicefromthechoirloft.”

Otherworkiscontinuing,suchastheside-aislesthat,fortunately,onlyhave10-footceilings.

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Thenewcofferedceilingcomplementsthepanelingandwoodtonesofthealtarandreredos.(PhotocourtesyoftheChurchofSt.MarytheVirgin)