Looking up

If you’ve stood outside St. Paul and looked up, you’ve seen it: the sanctuary tower, rising above the roofline, capped with a large cross. It’s easy to take for granted. It was designed that way.

But for years, water has been finding its way inside — slowly, stubbornly, despite every effort to stop it. This spring, that changes.

After extensive investigation, St. Paul has confirmed the source of the problem and approved a plan to fix it for good. The project will remove the tower’s exterior barrier system, replace the failed waterproofing system underneath, install new cement board siding, and replace all eight windows.

Miles Thompson, former operations director, has been living with this problem since his first day on the job.

“Since I started at St. Paul, there’s been an ongoing leak in the sanctuary tower. We spent a lot of time and effort figuring out what it was — resealing windows, replacing pieces of the roof, doing whatever we could to stop it from leaking.”

A team from Des Moines eventually conducted a detailed water test that confirmed what had long been suspected: the waterproofing system behind the tower’s exterior stucco-like finish had failed. The fix required removing the entire exterior surface to get to the problem underneath.

The good news is that the new materials are built to last. Cement board siding will replace the original exterior finish, and all eight tower windows will be new and sealed from the outside.

“This material is supposed to last a long time. It’s essentially a lifelong product. And the new windows will be properly sealed from the exterior. That tower should not leak.”

Scaffolding is expected to go up after Easter, with work beginning shortly after. How long the project takes depends on what crews find once the exterior is opened up. If the interior walls show no significant moisture damage or mold, the project could wrap up within a few months. If there are more serious issues inside, the timeline could stretch.

“We don’t know until it’s opened up and once you open it up, you have to address any issues right away. We’re hoping and praying that when the time comes, there aren’t significant issues.”

People walking by this summer may notice scaffolding on the exterior and, potentially, inside the building as well. Worship services are not expected to be disrupted unless more serious issues are found.

Budgeted at just under $267,000 with a contingency, the cost reflects the realities of the work: everything happens 60 feet in the air. Scaffolding, lifts, and a crane to remove and replace the large windows all add up. Money for the project will come from the Capital Improvement Fund, which safeguards the church’s daily ministry budget from large and sometimes unanticipated expenses of a capital nature.

The tower has always been more than a practical structure. Like the steeples and bell towers of older churches, it serves as a visible expression of faith — what Miles calls “a modern architect’s interpretation of a steeple.” When the work is done, it won’t look dramatically different. But it will be sound and it will be dry.

“Preventive maintenance will be key going forward — every 10 to 15 years, sending someone up on a lift to reseal everything. If we do that, this fix should hold for a very long time.”

For now, St. Paul people can look forward to a tower that is renewed, protected, and ready for decades to come — cross and all.