Recent visitors to the Theatre can’t fail to have noticed the scaffold erected on the front of the building. The purpose of this is to allow access to the canopy above the entrance for inspection and repair.
The canopy is composed of strong steel joists which have corroded, requiring the corroded sections to be cut out and new sections welded into place.
This work is being undertaken by Theatre Maintenance, with the skills of our Maintenance Supervisor, John Steege, being required for the steel welding.
Luckily, John also has experience of welding and soldering of lead (a tricky task) – this will be necessary to repair the canopy lead gutter which has developed cracks, allowing water to seep onto the steel and make the corrosion even worse.
Once the new steel sections have been welded into place and the gutter also repaired, the steel will be treated with a rust-proofer before the whole canopy is painted, smartening up the important Theatre entrance.
Rob Robertson
