Upon my return to the parish, I took these pictures on the 8th of September.  The floor is progressing well.  The second concrete screed was poured this week, completed on Friday, the 10th of September.  These pictures show it midway through.  I would hope to have pictures next week showing the drying surface. 

In these pictures you will see the various components of the under-floor heating system that was being surrounded by the concrete.  A layer of insulation was laid on the main concrete floor.  This is to prevent our precious heat going downward.  On top of this insulation the tubing for the under-floor heating was laid.  A photo of the central nave will show you this.  A close-up makes it very clear. By Wednesday morning the side aisles were being poured.  See the All Soul's side here.  Notice the metal square halfway up the right hand side of the picture.  That is one of the ducts access covers.  Concrete has been placed on top.  Eventually the oak tiles will be placed on top of that concrete layer.  Only the metal rim will be seen when the floor is completed.  A close-up of the layer's edge shows clearly the tubes being covered by the concrete.  Incidentally, within the concrete mix is a chemical that will expedite the drying of this layer and also increase the heat conductivity of the concrete making the heating system that bit more efficient.  Action pictures of one of the workers working on the duct access cover by the English Martyrs' Altar can be seen here and here.

As I wrote earlier, on Friday this layer of the floor was completed.  Only the final layer is left: the oak floor.  You will see that the whole area of the nave will now be our heating system.  It will always be on.  It will provide the major source of the heating.  Only during cold snaps will we turn on the radiators which are all along the side walls. This will allow the nave being fee of radiators and a two stage system that should reduce significantly our heating cost and thus our carbon footprint.

The oak floor should begin to be laid during the final few days of this month.  We are hoping to return to the church sometime in early or mid-November.  There are some logistics still to be worked out.  We need to juggle the completion of the floor, the return of the organ (which will require significant scaffolding being installed for a week or so) and also the return of the fully restored pews.  The details of how all this comes together still needs to be worked out.  But I hope all of us are growing in anticipation of seeing the restored church in two months time or so.  Despite the pleasant use of the upper hall I know being able to celebrate Advent and Christmas within our physically renewed church will add to the special joys of these seasons.  A reminder: just because the organ will have been returned in November, its re-installation will take a couple of months.  In all likelihood it will be completed in early February, 2011.

To find the whole series of pictures of the restoration go here.