A wonderful example of a building with slate roofing is the Cathedral Church of the Catholic Diocese of Savannah, St. John the Baptist Cathedral. The Cathedral, located in downtown Savannah on the corner of one of Oglethorpe¿s squares, is going through a 100-year renovation. Inside and out. Roofing Contractor accepted an invitation to visit this fascinating retrofit job as it was underway this year.
The exterior portion of the renovation included removal and replacement of all the slate on the main buildings, along with all the copper trim, flashings, terra cotta fixtures and gargoyles. The stained glass windows were also removed and rehabilitated. To aid in the completion of the work, the general contractor, Rives E. Worrell Co., hired Brand Scaffolding to erect scaffolding around the entire work area, including the twin steeples that are the signature of this beautiful structure. The scaffolding, at a cost of around $1 million, was needed to accommodate the many trades working at the same time. It was also needed to deal with the building¿s very limited access due to its location on the square with narrow streets and close proximity to adjoining structures.