Illustrated Diary of Court Restoration at Derby Moor Community School
Here are a series of pictures from the development work at Derby Moor Community School.
Most recent information is at the top; scroll down for older words and pictures.
Click on the small images to get larger ones (about 130kB each), press 'Back' on your
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Tuesday September 9th. Over the last month, repair work has been carried out the paving outside the courts. In the last
couple of weeks all the rendering repairs in the courts have been done, so we now have complete walls including around the new
doors. The floor in the left court has been covered with levelling compound, suitably coloured, giving a much smoother surface
which seems to have the right level of grip but will make the balls (and our shoes!) last much longer. Bob is starting coaching
of the school children this week.
Tuesday June 10th. First games played tonight since the walls, roof, and lights have been done. Floors and walls are
quite rough and tend to grip the ball, otherwise they (and the new doors) play well. Lighting has come out even and bright -
I estimate 1200 lux at 1m above the floor. (The photos of play below were taken without flash). Visibility of the ball against the
grey walls is good. It's great to be back on 'real' courts!
Monday June 9th. Lighting was basically completed last Friday with only some finishing touches required. The courts -
especially the right hand one - are more or less playable. Some rendering repairs to the walls (both court back walls, the left
court's right wall near the floor, and below the board on the right court) and finishing around the door jambs are probably the
next most important improvements. We will also have to decide the best course of action for improving the floors - currently
fairly rough and pale coloured.
Thursday June 5th. Courts have been thoroughly cleaned out, removing all the dust from the sandblasting of the walls
and the building work. The electricians have now installed the light fittings in the right hand court and power
is connected!
Monday June 2nd. Main electrical cable to the courts and switch box installed on Friday last week. Today, all the
supports and almost all of the conduits installed in the left hand court.
Thursday May 29th. Electricians started installing the lighting yesterday. Supports are first being installed, running
front to back between the purlins, to allow the lighting to be suspended from the roof without having to
drill into the inner skin. Conduits are then being attached, carrying the wiring (from switches out of play on the side
walls beside the entrance doors). The right hand court has reached this stage, requiring only the light fittings to be added.
Tuesday May 20th. Roofers finished last Friday, installing the guttering downpipes. Sand blaster has been in yesterday
and today to remove all the old paint from the walls (and clean up the floors). The results are very good - all the white paint is
coming off, and the wall surface underneath is a fairly uniform dark grey - even before all the dust has been cleaned up.
Thursday May 15th. Roofers back today to finish off the trim sections along the middle wall, both sides. More painting of
the doors and boards. Plans are now in place to get the peeling white paint stripped from the walls (next week) and install the
lighting (the week after)
Saturday May 10th. Door catches and framing finished. First coats of black paint on doors and frames, and red on boards.
Friday May 9th. Pair of new court doors and boards delivered and fitted today. Drains cleared out.
Wednesday May 7th. Bargeboards finished both sides. Remainder of guttering (downpipes etc.) being worked on.
Tuesday May 6th. Guttering along lower edge of roof is finished, and flashing at top is installed. Bargeboards on sides well underway.
Thursday May 1st. Excellent progress over the last two days; all of the roofing panels are up (inner and outer skins)
with the insulation material between. Started on the guttering.
Tues April 29th. Quite a lot more of the inner steel skin of the roof is up now (all of the right hand court and
one third of the left). The recent (and ongoing) combination of wind and rain is slowing things down.
More photos soon.
Friday April 25th. The first roof panels up today (about half of the inner steel skin on the right hand court),
with the spacers on top for the second (outer) skin. Raining again all afternoon (but part of the right court floor is dry!).
Thursday April 24th. Steelwork to support rearwards overhang of roof is mostly in place. Heavy rain this afternoon.
Wednesday April 23rd. Purlins all bolted down in position. Steelwork arrived and
started to be installed to support the 1 metre extension to the roof at the rear of
the courts.
Tuesday April 22nd. Purlins all primed and placed back into pillars - most bolted down
in final position.
Easter Saturday, April 19th. Left wall completed.
All the pillars raised and created ready to receive the repositioned roof purlins.
Cleaning and repainting purlins is well underway.
Thursday April 17th. Centre wall complete.
Pillars raised and created (on the centre wall and inside the right hand wall skin) ready
to receive the repositioned roof purlins.
Wednesday April 16th. Right hand wall complete.
Brickwork well underway on centre wall. All the purlins are off (that are being reset;
the one on the rearmost pillar is staying exactly where it is).
Tuesday April 15th. Brickwork in old openings in right hand wall is basically done,
with new line for roof identified,
ready for additional courses of bricks to be laid on top of the old pillars.
Removal of purlins for painting is underway.
Monday April 14th. Start of school Easter break; builders begin on site today.
Removal of remnants of old bargeboards.
Preparation work for removing the existing purlins for cleaning and painting and to
allow the roof pillars to be raised (the rearmost one is staying at its existing height;
the one at the front wall is being raised by 5 courses of bricks).
Started process of filling in side openings with permanent waterproof (brick) skin.
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