A Light on the Hill

Maintaining the building

This page is intended as a record of how things are done and what needs to be done with regards to maintenance of the building (but excluding lighting and electrical).

Outstanding jobs

  • Remove all non- compliant door hardware (locks/padbolts) – Required Exit doors shall be openable from inside the building at all times by single action lever handle or push pad/bar only. Consult with appropriate heritage authority in the first instance. (Synod 2.4)
  • Adjacent carparking area – Reinstate the missing section of the balustrade. (Synod 2.5)
    • Quote sent to property committee (9 Nov 2022)
  • Ensure steps/treads are secured and any gaps filled to minimize the risk of a trip or fall. (Synod 2.6)
    • Needs a survey and understanding of what is required (9 Nov 2022)
  • Ensure gaps along this fence (on the northern boundary) are filled and or repaired. (Synod 2.7)
    • Direction from synod possibly needed as to the nature of the issue. Do the gaps need to be filled which is mainly aesthetic or braces applied across the gaps (structural). (9 Nov 2022)
  • Meeting Area on the ground floor – Dry rot was noted in this timber window frame and further investigation into the cause and extent of the damage is recommended. (Synod 2.8)
    • Is on the Northern side, probably check all (9 Nov 2022)
  • Letterbox rear door could be made straighter after bending (twice)(26 April 2022)
  • Trouble opening the wooden cupboard (Western end of low cupboards in Flower room) to access communion items. These cupboards use ordinary cabinet keys. There are also multiple keyholes, maybe they could be filled? Can get the key in but then has trouble turning it to open the door. (4 April 2022)
  • Surface of wooden cupboard (low cupboards in Flower room) is loose. Either glue down or replace top (November 2023)
  • Basement area by stairs, the step into this area is not easily visible. Provide nosing to stair to make it obvious. Probably the same as the stairs next door, metal with black trim. (3 May 2022)
    • Width is 795mm, existing nosing on adjacent stairs are 82mm width aluminium with 62mm black (9 Nov 2022)
    • Consider doing steps to music room adjacent at same time, two steps 825mm and 815mm. (9 Nov 2022)
  • Base of meter box is rusted. Box needs replacing or cut out affected areas and replace. If the box is replaced with require SAPN to remove power at street as the service fuses are in the meter box as well as an electrician to do the actual work. Probably more expedient to replace the bottom part of the box with stainless steel, which can be done by a metalworker (17 Jun 2022)
  • Add film to tank room window, privacy slots are acceptable (18 May 2022)
    • Window is 800 wide by 1150 high with a curved top, four equal panes (9 Nov 2022)
    • Lower, Eastern pane is blanked out with wood and glass cracked. Consider whether to repair (9 Nov 2022)
  • Make hand washing taps in toilets easy to operate with limited wrist/grip (28 Oct 2022)
  • Western Mother’s Window casement window opened itself, close and inspect (28 Oct 2022)
  • Garden Tap in car park west of office entrance adjacent tank room is leaking, replace (9 Nov 2022)
    • is a 25mm diameter male outlet, with a plastic garden tap connector. Also needs a 90 angle bend. No isolation valve (9 Nov 2022)
    • Deferred pending foundation works (23 Mar 2023)
  • Consider an “emergency info portfolio” outside office giving location of isolation valves for gas, water etc etc. (9 Nov 2022)
  • Consider a stair rail on the Southern steps to the organ console. Put a wooden post and rail on the Eastern side of the steps in a sympathetic style to the ramp to the puplit/communion table area. (14 Apr 2023)
  • The choir robes cupboard sliding portion does not slide well. Consider a combination of strengthening the doors and changing the slides top and bottom (14 April 2023)
  • Door squeaks – Office to Kindergarten room (30 Aug 2023)
  • Lock hard to operate – Parkin Hall to “no-mans land” (30 Aug 2023)
  • Door slams despite door closer (Hall Outside door) (15 Nov 2023)
  • Manse Items
    • Middle chimney – needs weatherproofing (18 May 2022)
    • Measure external and internal dimensions for cap
    • Bedroom chimney close off entirely, need access from neighbours (18 May 2022)
      • Measure external and internal dimensions for cap
    • Consider energy implications of chimneys with closure at bottom end (18 May 2022)
    • Eastern gutter detached, temporarily secured with clouts – 27 Oct 2022
    • Check design capacity of Eastern gutter. Probably needs a second downpipe (27 Oct 2022)
    • Gable end near Northern end of Eastern gutter water damaged (27 Oct 2022)
    • Pit for stormwater not draining well, check heights etc (27 Oct 2022)
    • Four Bricks near tap on Western side damaged, remove, replace and fix gap (27 Oct 2022)
  • reassess after removal of pavers (16 Nov 2022)
  • Mothers Window, Western pane, make a trapezoidal wedge for the Eastern rail with the following angle, 93wmm bottom edge (south), 298mm straight edge (east), 153mm top edge (north), angled edge roughly 305mm (west). Finished object need not be 298mm high, 15cm is fine, rough edges for a press fit. Thickness about 9mm minimum.
  • Calvert Window, Western pane, make a trapezoidal wedge for the Western rail with the following angle, 92mm bottom edge (south), 298mm straight edge (west), 161mm top edge (north), angled edge roughly 305mm (west). Finished object need not be 298mm high, 150mm is fine, rough edges for a press fit. Thickness about 9mm minimum. Provide a 1cm cutout on the straight edge 147mm to 177mm from bottom.
  • Women’s toilet – soap dispenser leaks. Current one is a Marplast Lineacqualba 562 Transparent 0.8L. Spare parts don’t seem available. Buy a replacement and fit to wall. (31 Dec 2024)
  • Women’s toilet – basin hot tape dripping. Plumber replaced washer (20 Jun 2025)
  • Install dishwasher – needs documentation (20 Jun 2025)

Periodical Jobs

  • Check the fastening of banners attached to the northern fence
  • Maintain 2.2m clearance over public footpath from tree by driveway/letterbox
  • Shallow gutter of North Side of No-mans land – keep clear
  • Drain at bottom of ramp, keep clear of plant growth
  • Inspect gutters and rain boxes on roof annually

Fastening banners

Research has shown that putting holes in banners does not reduce the wind load significantly. If the fastener breaks, then use a stronger one, e.g. plastic cable tie first, then a piece of wire is stronger.

Organ Pump

The pump uses two oil bath bearings. These are maintained by the Organ maintainer along with the rest of the organ. These are “throw” oil bath bearings for steel and brass. Note that as they are a throw type bearing that the oil level is actually quite low and any excess leaks out on the fan-side of the bearing.

Dimensions and Plans

In the sanctuary (upstairs space) the ceiling looks flat but probably is not. At the Eastern end the ceiling height is up to 9418mm and the Western end 8448mm.

The Stanley Street door will allow passage of an object up to 2501mm high by 1294mm wide. The door from the entrance to the sanctuary is bigger at 2813mm high by 1400mm wide but has thickness of the building wall.

Gas Heaters

There are three models. For the newer model in Parkin hall the following should be checked if the heater turns on but will not turn off

  • The string at the top is too long and blocking the hinged metal plate from “jumping up”, trim the top of the string.
  • The rear read button is stiff, try lubricating it.
  • The spring metal that is attached to the hinged metal plate is distorted. Try manipulating it.