Church Pew and Altar Restoration at The Mariners Church Detroit, MI

In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed

In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral

The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times

For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald"

- Gordon Lightfoot

1976

The Mariners Church in Detroit is an exceptional "sacred space." Built in 1840 - ya 1840! - its' craft is that of old hand hewn wooden boats. It's scale is massive for its' time but its stature now is greatly dimished by a misguided 1950's adjacent tower and the now dead monument to the raise and fall of the automakers Renaissance Center (the "RenCen") across the street.

Ouch! 

So the meaning of the word "sanctuary" becomes nearly perfect when you enter the ancient confines beyond the heavy original solid wood front doors and close them snuggly behind you. It's incandescent tonality and quietness embraces you. You feel safe, warm and protected.

The simplicity of the church interior is what makes it historically special. It's telling of its' original creed:

"A House of Prayer for All People"

Thus, even the "hobo" mariners were welcome to attend services despite the distain of the local pious newspaper editors during a time when seating placement in a church was the measure of your social status.

Its' example said, "Money should be spent on the mission not embellishment of the edifice."

But, along the way, the well intentioned past stewards "updated" the interior floor level wood finishes with the trend of the 1950's (or so) - a "limed" or "blonded" lacquer surface finish.

So prior to our work there this is how it looked:









Some of  the existing architectural wood elements - ceiling beams, doors and frames, balcony half wall- had only been cleaned in the past. So they still held the original 174 year old patina. They not only looked old- they actually were old. Those were the hard to reach remnants of character that had managed to survive all that time. They were what you'd expect to see in a building that was that old.

Over time the aged updating hadn't fared as well. The dichotomy between the old and out-of-date recent was stark. Cold. Wrong. It had become a lesson that taught the importance of always keeping the original architecture and culture of an old building as a priority. Opps.

The current stewards understood this and set about making things correct.

As part of our proposal we created an AI/photoshop pic to help others see what fixing that would look like:





Then we spent 4 months this past summer working to achieve that.

In the course of it all we destroyed our lame misconceptions of the City of Detroit and couldn't help becoming Lions fans.

What we found was just amazing!




Detroit pizza!

To start. 

Then the determined resurrection of a vibrant community. 

The wood turned out to be Mahogany. We had seen similar in the Illinois State Supreme Court and the St Paul City Hall/County Courthouse. So we already knew where this was going to go. How it would look and the dynamic impact it would have on the worship space.

The pews were "pegged" INTO the wood floor and the wood "dividers" down the middle of each pew section weren't anchored. They were just sitting on the floor and each wood piece was random in its' size.

All had to be tagged/numbered and gently dismantled. There were thousands of nails that were a lesson on the history of nail evolution from 1840 to now.

Dismantlement:

The demo always reveals pristine original well protected hidden finishes that then become the undebatable basis for what the finish should be had it not been tampered with:

We also found an untouched interior door with existing original finish in the sacristy:





Then we created our sample using a pew end.

Notice the "pegs". Our "rinse" removal of the limed lacquer didn't raise the grain or harm the patina. That's our thing. It provides a deep, rich basis for an aged wood asthetic.

It was a lot of work but my son and I just loved every minute of it.

Actual after:



We also brought all the sanctuary furnishings and the altar back.

Just getting started with a hand dry brush process:

After:




How fortunate we are to have been able to participate in this project!

I'm tempted to retire now.

Can we help your church?

Email or give us a call.


Scott Beddome
Woodwork Restoration, LLC
Naples, FL 34113


(262) 527-8969


woodworkrestoration@hotmail.com



Best to all!

The Past Year. AF Cadet Academy Chapel & 1st Pres Church

 OK I can die now.

Not to be morbid but geez we have really outdone ourselves over this past year.

First we made great progress on our Air Force Cadet Academy Chapel project in Colorado Springs, CO.

Yea. Woah!!!

Inside.

Is this heaven?

The 2000' of "aero-designed" church pews are a bespoke, one-off design.

They had been sprayed with an opaque lacquer to hide water damage.

We were able to remove only the soiled old orange existing finish and expose the hidden natural patina of the mostly walnut wood beneath.

Yucky existing on the right. A miracle on the left.

And THEN we discovered this:

The pew ends had 3 different kinds of wood laminated together- Walnut, Ash and Mahogany.

Amazing!

From that painted orange to this. Makes me woozy!

The AF Cadet Academy Chapel is a work in progress that unfortunately you won't be able to see for quite a while. But if the balance of the work there is as strikingly spectacular as our part - it will be well worth the wait!

Our other project from last year- First Presbyterian Church also in Colorado Springs, CO. - was quite a transformation.

The wide shot "before:"

"After" 

The pew "before."

After.

The 1st Pres community is really vibrant and strong and we are so grateful to have worked with everyone there.

So yes, times are tough. All of our costs have skyrocketed.

But we still love what we do, the towns we get to inhabit and the people we meet.

Best to all!

Scott Beddome

Woodwork Restoration, LLC

woodworkrestoration@hotmail.com

(262) 527-8969

http://churchpewrestoration.com

http://woodworkrestoration.com

Church Pews: Restore or Replace? Cost.

Church seating is a very important part of every liturgical interior decorative project. The budget, modern function and design aesthetics make for a complex mix of considerations. Thus, the disposition of your existing church pews can be a formidable task. Are they worth keeping or should you purchase new? How much would each option cost?

How do we determine the value of our existing pews?

First, take a look at the pew structure and architecture.

How have they been built? How much is solid wood? What components are veneer (if any)? How are the seats attached to the ends? Are they routed into a groove in the end or merely butt up to it sitting on a "cleat"? Are the seats curved or flat? Are they comfortable? What is the thickness of the seats? (Greater than 3/4 of an inch?) Is there a stretcher on the underside of the seat that runs the length of the seat as a means of shoring it up? In general, how have the pews structure fared over time? Are there places where a common problem has failed and been repaired repeatedly over many years?



The more solid wood the greater the value. All solid wood church pews are nearly always worth restoration or refinishing. Pews of similar structure purchased new would cost over $300 per lineal foot (and up). Many pews have all solid wood with exception to the seat backs that are often veneer. These backs -in particular on curved pews- can split horizontally and pinch clothing. Most can be repaired in a cost efficient manner.

The architecture of your existing pews may have significant value. If they are original, then their shapes may be echoed in other places in the sanctuary and thus they are complimentary to the design and era of the building. Removing them would be to lose what is considered a "contributing" historic or architectural element. Many churches have had pews originally custom designed and may be one of a kind or unique. Look at the pew ends- then look around the nave. Do they fit?

Now take a look at the finish.

Most old church pews have multiple coats if finish. These "re-coats" have been applied over soiled, greasy existing finish. As such, they don't adhere properly to the finish beneath and scratch easily and stick to our bodies on hot humid days. (That's why re-coating or "refinishing" as some call it should never be anything but a stop gap option). They also visually exaggerate even minor scratches and can make many think the only solution is pew replacement. It's important to know that these topcoats can be rinsed off easily with a docile rinse material and the balance of original finish has been protecting the solid wood beneath to your benefit for all these years. Don't let scratches scare you if you have solid wood pews.

But even with solid wood pews an overly aggressive restoration process can do more damage than good. Thick chemical paste strippers and harsh high pressure water blasting can be permanently damaging to solid wood. Moisture retained in the solid wood and then stained and finished will cause surface finishes to cloud and/or lift as the buildings interior humidity's change with the seasons. Water rinsing is just plain toxic to veneers as adhesives will delaminate and lift in the dry winter forced air heat. This is a common problem found with production style church pew refinishers who rely primarily on quickness of process as opposed to quality.

Determine whether or not church pews have a place in the modern liturgy.

While some very prominent projects have replaced their church pews with new chairs- the majority of renovation projects have yet to embrace the idea. Budgets, practicality and in some cases just plain romance cause most churches to re-use most of their good quality existing pews. But with a nod toward the future- they are adding individual flexible seating in the areas where there is a multi-function purpose such as around the Baptismal Font, in or adjacent to newly created gathering areas and in choral areas. Many times existing church pews are shortened in length as part of a restoration project to provide wheelchair or handicap spaces. In short, your existing pews are still a viable option without inhibiting liturgical function.



How much will church pew restoration or refinishing cost? 



The refinishing of good quality existing church pews, in general, is about one third the cost of purchasing similarly structured new pews. On a per lineal foot basis church pew restoration and/or refinishing cost starts at $150 per foot and can range up to $230 per foot. The variables are project specific. How much of the site work will church volunteers or a local general contractor perform? Must the pews be taken off site to provide for other trades to gain access to the floors, ceiling, etc? Can the church provide a space for the work? How much in church pew repairs are needed?

With photos and the total lineal feet of pews emailed to us we can provide a solid bid for your fundraising and/or budgeting purposes. 



Comparing the cost of pew restoration or refinishing to purchasing new pews is an apples to oranges proposition. Most new pew budgets end up having to make severe compromises in quality. New pews offer mostly chipboard substructures with razor thin veneers. Fabrics and upholstery have replaced solid wood. And yet prices start at $100-$200 per foot.

Other Things to Consider



Is the existing row spacing too close?

How many rows or seats will be lost if spacing is increased? Generally, a 28'' distance from top rail to top rail is considered too close. 31" is a minimum. 34" is common and 36" is considered a maximum.



What about the bookracks?

Should they be replaced with carts in the entry or gathering area for each parishioner to pick up the hymnals as they enter and return as they leave? Can they be simply touched-up to save cost? Should hat clips and pencil holders be abandoned?



The kneelers? Old wood to restore?

Many committees have an affinity for the old wood kneelers. Repairing them, adding new cushions/pads and touching them up will cost the same as replacement with new aluminum types. But would the new metal kneelers clash? 



Should cushions be added to your existing seats?

Cushions cost about 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of church pew restoration and refinishing average about $25 per foot). Padding pews can negatively affect the acoustics of the room. But if this is necessary, consider removable pads. Seat pads can be made to match the form of curved seat pews. Be sure the pad foam is compressed with the fabric prior to attaching the fabric to the curved lauan (plywood) bottom. Avoid permanently attaching foam and fabric directly to pews- future pew restoration will much be easier.

As a priority, the church pews and wood architectural elements can be placed low in the order of importance. Committees will spend many hours discussing the church decorative color scheme or new carpet style. Given the mass and volume of the pews and their visual impact, it is important to be sure the overall design of the pew finish and other architectural wood elements be complimentary and harmonious with the balance of your project.



And of course- we'd like to help! Please feel free to call or email us at 

woodworkrestoration@hotmail.com.

​

V. Scott Beddome 
262-527-8969

http://churchpewrestoration.com

http://woodworkrestoration.com

(Originally published in Environment & Art, Liturgical Training Publications, 1996. Revised 2001, 2012, 2015, 2022)

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Church Pew Refinishing, Restoration and Refurbishing Articles

If you've been assigned the task of finding out about church pew refinishing and restoration the best place to start is with this all inclusive description of what to consider. "Church Pews: Replace Or Restore?" is a comprehensive listing of all the details that likely haven't yet crossed your mind.

The process of finding a good company to do your church pew refinishing project is confusing at first. Church Pew Refinishing is a Specialty Trade explains why your natural inclination to find a local furniture refinishing shop isn't the best idea.

"Church Pew Refinishing Rescue"chronicles the saga of a church who hired painters to (attempt) to do the work.

"A Rep of a Rep of a Rep: Who's Reppin' Who?" sheds some light on the many companies who sell the work for others and "About Church Decoration/Renovation/Restoration Companies" provides insight into their "jack of all trades" format.

We all tend to gravitate toward the lowest price. It's our nature. But learning the difference in how the work is done helps you to understand why prices differ and the real value of doing the work well. Read Church Pew Restoration: What's the Difference?" for help on that important decision.

There are a lot of church pew refurbishing processes out there that appeal to the budget conscious that merely glaze over soiled finish with more finish.  "Church Pew Refinishing: The Money Shot" shows you the most important element to a long lasting finish. The somewhat blurry short :51 second video comes into focus nicely at the end and reveals the difference between glossing over the pew seats and scrubbing out years of ground in grease.

"Church Pew Refinishing: What NOT to do" is a very biased commentary on a shortened refinishing process that throws good money over bad.

"Pew Refinishing: The Most Cost Efficient Way" shows how the church can save thousands of dollars using volunteers to execute the on-site aspects of a full restoration project.

Father Jerry Kopel describes his church pew refinishing project experience at Sacred Heart Church In Gettysburg, South Dakota.  

The information you will need to gather in order to receive a firm bid/proposal is laid out quickly in "Church Pew Refinishing Bid/Estimate: What We Will Need."

"Re-configuring the Church Pew Layout" will help churches adapt their traditionally structured arrangements to meet contemporary liturgical needs.

For historic church wood restoration projects a greater knowledge of preservation guidelines is needed. The Preservation Resume of V Scott Beddome details his 30 years of experience.

If you are in the market for church pew restoration and/or refinishing see Church Pew Restoration .com or call Scott directly at (262) 527-8969.

See our other website featuring our work on large scale public projects at Woodwork Restoration .com.

Email us directly at woodworkrestoration@hotmail.com .

Good luck in your efforts!

Still Crazy After All These Years

UPDATE 4/15/21:

Many churches are considering pew refinishing after having spent the past year wiping the pews down with anti viral liquid mixes. Many have damage to the pew finishes.

To save time we can say that it is only the solid wood pews that make sense to restore. Why? The cost of restoration of more recent, originally upholstered pews is the same or sometimes more than the cost of buying new. We snobilly refer to the pressboard, foam and veneer construction as "disposable."

But if you have all solid wood pews (with removable seat pads or not) the value proposition is much better. Similarly constructed new pews would cost $300 - $400 per lineal foot. Restoration is less than half that. 

If you are wondering whether or not YOUR pews are worthy of restoration feel free to email us photos with a count of how many- how long.

Thanks.

Scott

5/20/20

Hello. Yeah. It's been a while. Not much. How 'bout you?

OK I must be feeling nostalgic in this new Covid-19 world. 

We're still here.

It needed to be said because a lot of other pew refinishing companies aren't.

Our model is to keep our overhead very small and come to YOUR town. That's been helpful as we traverse thru this alternate reality of Covid isolation and a diminishing pew restoration market.

Nowadays we get a lot of calls asking us to restore pews that we consider to be "disposable."

Starting in the 1970's and beyond new pew products took a decided turn for the worst. Pew ends disappeared. Super thin veneers and upholstery replaced solid wood. Chairs replaced benches.

And as they began to deteriorate most hoped they could just shore them up for a few bucks.

Nope. The value proposition just doesn't work out.

Churches with original solid wood pews are now few and far between. But very lucky.

And while the cost to fully restore solid wood church pews has risen- the long term savings are exponential.

They aren't stuck in a cycle of full replacement of all their seating every 15 to 20 years.

ie. St Joes Catholic Church in Andale, KS (just West of Wichita). As part of a winter 2019 full church interior project that followed a fire we went there, rented a nearby warehouse and started with this:

Just a few scratches:

And brought them to this:

In the church they looked like this:

We're still here.

Call or email us if you want your work done well and your pews to stay in the neighborhood.

God bless and good health!

Scott Beddome

(262) 527-8969

woodworkrestoration@hotmail.com

 

Church Pew Restoration/Refinishing in Akron, Ohio

We go everywhere and Spring of '18 took us to St Sebastian Church in Akron, Ohio. The existing blondish pew finish was circa 1960 original with multiple coats of varnish that was worn and just plain dirty.

These seats show many coats of paint-like opaque finish coated over previous greasy layers that were easy to scratch. It's exemplary of what happens when you coat new finish over soiled existing earlier finishes. The substrate just can't hold on to the top coat. Clearly painters have been here! :)

Nonetheless if it's solid wood beneath all that muck we can find a deep rich golden patina hiding underneath it all. It takes just old fashioned elbow grease to get there.

In that the balcony organ pipe housing in the back of the church was original pristine aged finish the best pew color solution was to match the pews to that. We call it "aged blond." 

Turns out that that color just happened to bring the beautiful altar mosaic into harmony as well. Who'd a thunk?

The church placed great value on their original wood kneelers so we disassembled them and sanded each...

... then stained all the parts to match and provided new pads. (That's a church volunteer putting them back together).

In this photo you can also see sanctuary doors in the background. We refinished 50 doors and 4 confessionals and 30 pieces of sanctuary furnishings also.

We're truly grateful to have spent time getting to know the folks at St Sebastian Church and the Akron community. We love that our work takes us to places we might otherwise not think of going to.

Special thanks to all!

Need your church pews refinished or restored?

Call us (262) 527-8969 or email woodworkrestoration@hotmail.com .


Scott Beddome

Church Pew Restoration at Bethlehem Lutheran Church Kalispell, MT

"Yes we are happy and satisfied with the results of our pew refinishing. You and your crew were timely and efficient."

-Mike Galvin 

Building Committee Chair

What a completely enjoyable experience to take the road show to Kalispell, MT and the beautiful Bethlehem Lutheran Church. It was summer and the Glacier National Park area was breathtaking.

The church project scope included refinishing of the hardwood floors (by others) and pew refinishing. We removed all the pews to a nearby warehouse for the work.

This is how the church looked before our work:

The faded washed out color of the pews was noticeably orphaned from the balance of the Tudor style church's old wood.

A close up of the pew condition:

The solid wood nature of the existing pews made restoration affordable and worthwhile. Scratches of this nature are mostly surface oriented and disappeared with our full refinishing. 

* Notice how we've retained the original patina and then matched the pews to the balance of the old wood in the church. The result is harmony. All the wood looks old and well maintained. Not newly stripped and refinished.

My son and daughter and I worked together. Here are the kids staining pews. Isn't that color rich?!!!

And you can see that we don't waste any time. We completed this work in 14 days. 

No matter where you are we are interested in helping.

Feel free to call us and tell us your church project story. The conestoga is loaded and ready to roll!

Scott Beddome

Woodwork Restoration, LLC

woodworkrestoration@hotmail.com

http://churchpewrestoration.com

(262) 527-8969

Solid Wood Church Pews Are Very, Very Rare!

Out if the dozen or so church pew refinishing and restoration inquiries I receive each week about ONE of them is a worthy project. Why? Well that's going to take a couple paragraphs to explain.

Church pews generally have an original finish life of about 40 years. After that the ground in grease, worn pew top rails and general appearance begs improvement. So then comes the question, "Should we buy new or refinish/restore?"

40 years ago was the mid 1960's. That's when the quality of manufactured church pews began to drop off precipitously (ok... fast). Solid wood materials and trade labor started to become scarce and/or expensive. Not only that but technologies also began to find ways to more efficiently use the dwindling wood resources. The answer? Veneer. Very thin veneer. Another answer? Foam and fabric. Upholstering church pews began to replace solid wood formats. OR- thin veneers (1/32") over plywood began to simulate solid wood. The point is that now many of the church pews folks are considering refinishing aren't projects that can be done well and last another 40+ years. Take a look at other articles on this blog to get the details but suffice it to say- if you have all solid wood church pews you are VERY lucky. New pews of exactly similar structure would run $200-$300 per lineal foot. It's not complicated math that shows the value of what you have. Church pew refinishing and restoration runs from $60 per foot to $100 per foot (depending on the amount of site work the church can self preform). Now that IS the same price as cheaply made new church pews. Let's call them "disposable" church pews. They aren't likely to have pews ends. They lack solid wood other than a top rail piece or a seat front rail. They are fabric and foam. They are IMHO- bleck!

Before you consider throwing away great church pews or if there's any consideration of doing such on the planning committee/etc- send us some photos. We'll be happy to help you discern good from bad. The bleck from the choice. Here are links to other articles that will help:

Church Pews: Restore or Replace:

http://churchpewrefinishing.blogspot.com/2012/11/church-pews-restore-or-replace-cost.html

Bid Estimate/What We Will Need:

http://churchpewrefinishing.blogspot.com/2013/03/church-pew-refinishing-bidestimate-what.html

Of course I'm always willing to talk with you. Feel free to call us at 262-527-8969 .

Or email to woodworkrestoration@hotmail.com .

Thanks!

Scott Beddome

http://churchpewrefinishing.com

http://churchpewrestoration.com

http://woodworkrestoration.com

   

Church Pew Refinishing: What NOT to do!

Is it "refinishing" or actually  "re-coating"?

Over the years church pews get very greasy. You can see it in particular on the top rails and seats. Hand oils are very pungent. They can rub off every type of finish known to man. Once that has been done then those same hands grind black, dirty grease deep into the wood grain. That’s not a substrate that more top coats of finish will properly adhere to. A light sanding doesn’t remove it. It takes just plain good old elbow grease to get it out using mild solvents to assist. A new top coat sitting on greasy soiled finish is more likely to stick to YOU than the finish below. That explains why pews will feel sticky on hot humid summer days. 

Minwax stain has wax in it. It always has. (Thus the name.) Even with the addition of Japan Dryers it takes at least a full day in air conditioned spaces and sometimes two or three days to dry in humid air. There are pew refinishing companies who use Minwax as a top coat over existing soiled finish. Worse yet they are spraying it INSIDE the church. 

Over time hand wear will destroy this weak finish easily. You’ll be lucky to get 5 years out of it. I’ve seen it, stripped it off (it rinses off like water on a duck’s back), and listened to the stories about how the budget was tight etc.

It’s best to wait until the church can afford to do the church pew refinishing in a durable manner than to do this deeply flawed compromise. In my humble opinion, it’s simply 100% wasted money.

And, of course, we’d love to help you do your project well.Email or call us today. (Don’t worry. I promise! I’m not always this grumpy!)

V Scott Beddome

262-527-8969 cell

woodworkrestoration@hotmail.com

http://churchpewrestoration.com

Church Pew Refinishing/Restoration: The Money Shot.

Every profession has it's "money shot." The money shot is the simple essence of what makes it special or different. It's the core of the profession. The sole of the work. It's what everything else revolves around- without which- it just wouldn't matter. It's what makes this particular work worthy of attention. Valuable.

I've been over-thinking church pew refinishing for more than 30 years and the one thing that differentiates our way of doing things- the thing that gives it value- is in this video. It's the hard work of scrubbing out the grain without raising the grain. It's the tonality of the wood that still remains after that. It's the fact that we even do this. Most will soak in paste strippers and then blast with water- stripping out the aged patina. Or some companies don't even take the soiled finish off and yet they still call it "refinishing."

This is our idea of cool. Good old grunt work that results in deep rich finishes. This is the church pew refinishing money shot. Our heart. Our soul.

Blah blah blah.  :)

For YOUR project- call us. We're proud wood scrubbers!

Scott

262-527-8969

woodworkrestoration@hotmail.com

http://churchpewrestoration.com

http://churchpewrefinishing.com   

Church Pew Restoration/Refinishing at Sacred Heart Church Gettysburg, SD

This past summer Sacred Heart Parish began a major remodel of our 60 year-old church.  The year before we had completed a new parish hall and spacious lobby to serve both the church and new hall.  As part of this remodel we wanted to refinish our oak pews which were showing signs of 60 years of wear-and-tear.  

We researched several companies and based on recommendations chose Woodwork Restoration of Wisconsin.  Scott was excellent to work with by phone, email and also on on-site visit prior to the work being done. 

The work was done in a timely fashion.  I and my parishioners are delighted with how good the pews look after being refinished.  He and his crew also finished a new pulpit, celebrant's chair and new baptistery to match the 42 pews and 7 sanctuary chairs and a credence table. Now all the church furnishings in the church have the same look.

Since the work was done in Gettysburg -- parishioners would stop by the work site to observe the progress.  Scott and his crew were always most cordial.  

I highly recommend Scott and Woodwork Restoration of Wisconsin for your next project.


Fr. Jerry Kopel, Pastor
Sacred Heart Church
Gettysburg, SD


Do you need church pew refinishing? 

Call or email!

Scott Beddome
262-527-8969

woodworkrestoration@hotmail.com

http://churchpewrestoration.com

http://churchpewrefinishing.com