Certainly the concept of borrowing money has been abused. Many have become slaves to debt (defined as excessive borrowing) rather than making debt (defined as reasonable borrowing, better identified as loans) serve them. I believe the church project can be partially funded through borrowing without violating biblical principals governing interest and payment of loans. Borrowing…

If your PraiseBuilding is an older structure, there is a very good chance that the windows and doors will need to be replaced. If the decision is to salvage the existing windows, the congregation may be trading one problem for another. Windows, doors and other trim prior to 1978, were normally painted with lead-based paints,…

Or a pipe organ? Maybe it is something that does not fit into the building plan without major additional costs because the plans would have to be drastically altered. Or the labor cost for the stained glass installation is prohibitive due to the limited project budget. We could cite many examples. But the primary question…

Certainly it is true that Elevators or Lifts of some variety are required by all local and state codes to accommodate the handicapped and it is a very important that our facility is a welcoming place for those with special needs. However, there are some other practical reasons that you should consider when you install…

Plaster walls show an older building is of substantial character. Plaster walls are constructed using a four-part system. First, strips of woods called lath are nailed horizontally to the upright structural members of the wall’s framing. This lath is spaced approximately ¼” apart. When the first coat of plaster called the scratch coat is coated…

One important thing to remember when looking at a department store or warehouse for adaptive re-use is the need to work around column spacing. The small columns that occur in orderly rows spaced every 30 – 50 feet, probably cannot be disturbed without great expense since they support the roof. Most architects or build-to-suit contractors…

Before beginning any interior improvements, it is important that the building be as water tight as possible. For most masonry buildings, this means re-pointing exterior mortar joints and re-securing any loose or missing bricks or cement blocks. In some cases, it may mean coating the exterior surface with a moisture barrier to prevent moisture from…

Here are some of the situations that create a demand for a larger church site: a. Many communities have incorporated a very low ratio for impervious development of the church site. The term “impervious” refers to the site development that limits storm water penetration, creating more runoff from the site. Building footprint and roof, sidewalks,…