BRYAN, TEXAS · LUDOWICI CLAY TILE AND COPPER
Saint Joseph Church and School Roof Restoration
Velco restored the roof and chapel of an active church and school in Bryan, Texas. The work included hand-blended Ludowici clay tile, custom copper gutters and fascia, and upgraded roof insulation.
- Restoration
- Over $1.4M
- Installation
- Four months
- Bell tower
- Seven stories
Working around an active campus
Velco erected scaffolding and protection around the church and school. Crews coordinated around school use and Sunday services during the four-month installation, with specialized access for the seven-story bell tower and vaulted chapel.
How the Ludowici clay tile was hand-blended
Before laying the roof, the crew spread out the Ludowici clay tiles and blended the individual pieces by hand. They distributed the light and dark tones across the roof so the color would read as a continuous blend from ground level, without patches of concentrated color.
The gutters and fascia were designed in copper specifically for this building. Beneath the tile, the roof assembly also had to accommodate an insulation upgrade. The finished roof brought those three decisions together: the color across the roof planes, the copper at the edges, and the insulation below.
Restoring the chapel beneath the roof
Water from the roof leaks had reached the chapel interior. Repainting the affected areas meant reaching the center of the vaulted ceiling above rows of antique pews. Velco brought in specialized access equipment to work over the pews and took particular care around the pipe organs.
The crew planned interior work around Sunday services. Outside, scaffolding and protective measures helped keep the church and school in use during the four-month installation, with separate access needs at the seven-story bell tower.
“I could not be happier with the completed project and have received many compliments.”