Restoration Project Lowdown

Among the more interesting projects that either have been completed or are underway by volunteers:

Repair of shorted and otherwise damaged electric circuits. Only about 30% of the branch circuits worked when we began in the Loew's. This was an extreme example of a problem many people face in renovation work. We were fortunate in that all of the original wiring in the Theatre is in black pipe conduit. That meant the wiring was safe and reusable if the shorts could be cleared. Volunteers spent months tracing circuits, removing fixtures to look for shorts and replacing damaged sections of wire. Today, over 95% of the Theatre's original circuits are operational.

Tracing and repairing the Theatre's complicated network of steam pipes and radiators. Steam systems are rarely installed new any more, but replacing one with a modern hydronic system as part of a renovation/restoration is often prohibitively expensive. That means a renovator not only has to install modern and efficient boilers and condensate pumps, which was done in the Theatre by contractors, but also deal with a variety of unique steam system problems -- such as sticking traps, corroded condensate pipe and bad pitch on pipes that can cause them to bang. In the Loew's, a couple dozen traps were replaced, as were numerous fittings and pipe lengths, and several sections of badly pitched pipe were adjusted by our in-house crew.

Demolition of non-original partition walls that were built in 1974, which divided the auditorium into three cinemas. Like many a homeowner restoring his house, our volunteers faced the task of undoing poorly conceived alterations. In the case of the Theatre, these alterations included 30-foot-high walls made of six layers of sheet rock and double metal studs, and filled with fiberglass insulation. The debris from this demolition filled eight large dumpsters. One contractor estimated the job would cost over $100,000. Volunteers did it for the cost of Sawzall blades and soda. (more info soon)

Cutting and partial removal of a non-original, five-inch-thick poured concrete slab and supporting steel and brickwork. This non-original slab blocked the center entrance to the Theatre's auditorium. Volunteers wielded 14-inch cut-off saws and demolition hammers to do the job. (more info soon)

Rebuilding the original poured concrete risers/footing for seats. These had been jack-hammered out as part of the 1974 triplexing of the auditorium. Volunteers recreated the original shapes in new form work, and mixed and poured new concrete.

Complete restoration of the original projection booth. The room had been stripped of all equipment and left open to the elements and pigeons. It was a complete disaster, a true renovation nightmare. A volunteer filled missing voids in the plaster walls and ceiling, repaired cracks, skim-coated chipped surfaces, primed and repainted. Another volunteer completely rebuilt the room's technical capabilities, installing a rebuilt sound system, two modern projectors plus a vintage Vitaphone projector -- the first form of "talking" projection equipment and identical to the projectors the Theatre was equipped with when it opened. The room is now one of the best-equipped projection booths in New Jersey. (more info soon)

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