Steeple Guidelines

Wind Loading: Different areas of the country have different wind loading requirements. Coastal areas usually have requirements that steeples meet 155mph+ wind loading requirements. It is the churches responsibility to determine the local requirements.

Our standard ASB steeples meet 120mph wind loading

Standard FUN Model steeples are rated at 105 mph

Our STEEPLE IN A BOX steeples are designed to meet 90mph wind loading and are not suitable for coastal areas.

If you require 140 or 155+ please email us before ordering for a quote. TO make your steeple meet 155+ requirements usually involves engineering reports and additional bracing).

How tall should our steeple be? We generally recommend that you order a steeple that is the same height as your building (roof top to ground). Base width is typically about 1/10 of the building width, but if these ratios don't work with your particular building, you should usually use the height of the roof as more of a guide than the base width.

What steeple accessories should we consider? All most all of our steeples and cupolas can be customized with a variety of options including:

• Lightning protection
• false louvers
• real louvers which accommodate bells and chimes
• windows featuring colored glass or Krinkle glass
• interior lighting
• moldings
• and of course we offer spire crosses and balls

What details do we need to provide when ordering? We need to know:

• Roof pitch
• Roofing material (shingle, metal with standing seems, etc.)
• Type of roof (ridge, hip, gable, etc.)
• Number of ridges
• What's underneath the roof? (Only needed if we are quoting installation. We need to know if there is attic access and the type of ceiling and suports- i.e. attic with rafters, cathedral ceiling, etc.)

Who does the installation? We offer factory installation on many of our AS and FUN model steeple units, although most of them are easy to install yourself, using basic basic carpentry skills. With the smaller steeples, we recommend you install them yourself. If your church is blessed to have a few "handy-men" in the membership, a typical small steeple installation is a great Saturday project. (Installation is available in Southeastern States, for other locations we will gladly the ship the steeple to you and you can arrange local installation with a general contractor or in many cases a roofing contractor.

Factory installation is not available on our FSI units, these will be shipped to your church, usually on a factory truck, for self installation.

We also work with independent installation contractors and will be happy to discuss the options available to you for installation.

Many churches choose to work with a local roofing company, as they typically have the skills and equipment access to do the job properly.

Do you have installation instructions? Yes, we are happy to email you comprehensive instruction sheets and directions to help you install your steeple.

How do you deal with the standing seams on metal roofs? We need to know the height so that any bracing in the steeple will be above the seams. The installer will (yours or ours) will cut out the slots for the seams when he does the install.

How do we get the steeple on the roof? The small 10-12 ft. models can sometimes be hoisted from the back of a truck, if the roof is low enough. You will want to have plenty of manpower and take precautions to protect the steeple as you slide it up and over the roof edge. MEDIUM size steeples from 14-25 ft can usually be lifted with a cherry picker or bucket truck. Be sure to follow safety procedures and adhere to weight limitations of the boom arm. LARGE steepls typically require the use of a crane. Depending on the specifics of your installation, factory cranes may be provided or the services of a local rental crane may be more efficient. Do NOT hoist a steeple from the tip of the spire as this is usually the weakest point and is not built to serve as a hoist point.

To hoist the steeple you would put a strap around the base under the eave/overhang then do a “half hitch” half way up the spire.

What color should we order our steeple?

White and bone are the two standard choices, with white being the overwhelming favorite. For an additional charge, we can produce your steeple in a custom color of your choice. Since our gel-coat finishes are permanently molded into the surface of the fiberglass laminate, we recommend that any special colors be ordered when ordering the steeple, rather than attempting to change the color after you've received it.

What maintenance is required on our steeple? Several months after installation, you may want to recheck the fit around the roof edge to make sure everything is tight. If an installation mistake when you installed the steeple, it may not show until the steeple has gone thru a variety of weather and temperature cycles. If dirt, pollen, mildew, etc. start to build up on your steeple, you can power wash the exterior. It's a good idea to apply a fiberglass wax to the steeple after washing, in order to extend the life of the finish. Some areas may call for more frequent waxing and washing than others so it's hard to give you a specific schedule.

Can we paint the steeple?

After the steeple has been up for a few years, the constant exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays may dull the finish, or cause the color to fade or change. Polishing the surface with automotive compound followed by paste wax can bring back the shine and luster. If a new color is desired, the steeple can be painted in much the same way a fiberglass car body would be painted, by lightly sanding the finish and applying paint with a professional quality spray gun.

How do we choose the right steeple for our church?

1. The first step is to determine the height of your church's roof from the ridge line (where the steeple will sit) to the ground. Use this number as a guide and look at steeple models whose height are within a few feet of your roof height.
2. Next, consider the style and design elements you want in a steeple. If cost is your primary concern, then staying with steeple models that don't have a lot of different elements to them will keep your costs lower without sacrificing quality. Steeples with cupolas, louvers, windows and other design elements add to the beauty of a steeple, but also add to the cost. I generally recommend that if you have a simple church design, try to stay with a simple steeple. If your church is larger and more elaborate, then try to pick a unit that visually matches the building.
3. Choose a color. White and bone are standard, with white being the most popular, however other steeple colors are available for an upcharge.
4. Request a quote. The cost of your steeple is comprised of the steeple unit cost, any options desired, a delivery charge and installation cost (see Steeple Installation). If you would like a general ballpark, quote for planning or budget purposes, please contact us, we will gladly email you a no obligation quote.If you need an exact quote with installation, please contact us for an INSTALLATION QUOTE FORM that you will fill out and submit back to us with a few pictures of your church.
5. Compare our quote against the other quotes you receive from steeple dealers and manufacturers. Because of our commitment to helping churches save money on furnishings (so it can be put to other uses within the church) we are often told that our pricing is lower than even what the church was quoted directly from the factory.
6. Confirm a few details. Please provide us the following when actually placing your order: roofing material (if metal roof-provide height of the standing seams) roof type (gable, hip, etc. and number of ridges) roof slope. See below for more information on determing roof slope and type.
7. Call us to place your order. We will collect the above information as well as delivery address, contact name and phone number. We will email you a copy of your order which you will need to review and acknowledge via email that it is correct. A 50% deposit is due before production can be started with the balance due at installation or before shipping if you are doing the installation. We accept checks or credit cards.

Roof Types

Roof Pitch

To determine the pitch of your roof, place a level against the roof as shown below. From the point where the level touches the roof, measure out 12 inches. From this point, measure the distance, in inches, down to the roof. This number will be the first number in the roof pitch. The second number will always be 12. For example, the roof pitch pictured here would be expressed as 5" on 12" or 5/12

Steeple Installation Tips: All of our standard steeple models are installed in a similar method. The images below show how to fasten the steeple to your roof but in general there are 4 bolt holes thru which you attach the included threaded rods using the included washers and nuts.

• The 4 rods go thru your roof decking and bolt down to a support brace which you provide.
• Make sure the brace is beefy enough to handle the wind loads on your steeple at your location (consult a qualified contractor or engineer if necessary).
• The brace should tie into your exiting roofing structure, rafters, etc.
• DO NOT ATTACH the rods to YOUR DECKING. Roof decking is not going to hold the steeple in a wind. You must distribute the wind loading forces down to the support structure of your roof.
• Is is generally recommended NOT to flash or caulk underneath the steeple. You want to allow space for condensation or moisture to escape if necessary.
• You SHOULD CAULK the roof penetrations (holes where rods go) so any water that gets under the steeple doesn't find its way in to your attic.
• If you have a shingle roof er recommend a SHINGLE SAVER which is a membrane that the steeple sits on instead of directly on your shingles. This helps protect your shingles.
• Make sure the steeple is tightly secured and we recommend checking it 30-60 days after installation to make sure it has not shifted or loosened.
• WE recommend checking at annually and after after significant wind storms to make sure it hasn't shifted or loosened.