Every part of a sanctuary should enhance a church’s fundamental mission. Of prime importance within the sanctuary is the construction and arrangement of its pews.
Here are five tips on how to choose and install the right pews for your church by selecting the right pew manufacturer.
1. Choose an expert.
Can you make a pew comfortable? What woods will last the longest? How far apart should they be spaced? Experts know best.
"You need to have someone you can go to who has experience and knows what they’re doing," says Larry Linman, building finance chairman of the American Lutheran Church in Bourbonnais, Ill. Linman recently helped oversee the construction of his church’s new building. After consulting with the church’s builder and further investigation, they decided on a company specializing in the manufacture and installation of pews.
This company was able to help American Lutheran Church solve several problems, including the need for flexibility. Linaman says its first several rows are chairs, which can be moved when they stage a larger event or a play. The same company manufactured the chairs as well as the pews to better coordinate the seating's design and function.
2. Choose a company that understands the science of pew design.
According to experts, pew design begins with structural integrity. For example, the back of the pew is constructed and pitched to fully support both the person seated in it and the worshipers behind the pew who use it for support when standing.
When it comes to wood, pew manufacturers have learned that traditional solid woods have drawbacks. Their chief concern is that solid wood expands and contracts because of heat, cold and humidity, causing it to crack, split and warp. More modern advances include pew ends that are manufactured of plywood and medium-density fiberboard, with veneers of hardwood. This combination brings the beauty of hardwood to sanctuary pew design with far better stability, and allows the manufacturer to guarantee the pews for the life of the building.
These pew ends are virtually indistinguishable from solid wood. Santa Cruz Catholic Church of Buda, Texas, discovered just how indistinguishable when they built a new sanctuary.
"We wanted solid wood pews, like our old church, only with the addition of upholstered seats for improved comfort and sound control," says Paul Curtin, building committee chairman for the church. However, the pew manufacturer’s representative, who had supplied the pews in the old building, told them they had never had solid wood. "They were veneered wood," Curtin says.
Curtin and his committee found this as acceptable as it had been in the old building. Not only was the design and structure of high quality, the price fit the budget better than a solid wood pew. "If you do go with solid wood, you’ve got to pay more money," Curtin says. With a veneer, the church could still afford the look of a beautiful wood grain pew.
Comfort is also important in pew design. Far from the hard bench seats of old, modern pews are designed with comfort in mind.
"The pews we installed were very comfortable," Linaman says. "They have a cushioned back and cushioned seat, with foam and springs so there is back support." These are the same type of spring cushion seats found in cars.
3. Choose a manufacturer who will work directly with the builder and architect.
It is crucial that your pew manufacturer and building contractor work together. Some building codes and issues involved in church design are only familiar to someone who works with pew manufacturers on a regular basis. "You have to have someone who works with the builder," Linman says.
4. Choose a pew manufacturer that is flexible.
American Lutheran Church leaders wanted wider aisles in their new building. Instead, they got a plan designed with narrower aisles. "Our architect didn’t listen to us as well as he should have," Linman says.
But the church was able to resolve the problem with the help of their pew manufacturer, who cut the pews' size and relocated them.
Santa Cruz Catholic Church also wanted more room in the seating layout of their new sanctuary. "The pew manufacturer had to re-lay it out again," Curtin says, "and they were very cooperative on that point."
5. Choose a manufacturer who can deliver the exact pews you ordered, and on time.
Choose a company that is reliable and that can deliver the exact items you ordered on time, so that the crucial first service goes on as scheduled.
"If we’d hired a regular carpenter, the job would have taken a lot longer," Linman says. With a specialized pew manufacturer, Linman says American Lutheran Church received a timetable with their order. The pews were delivered and installed accordingly. He also says the specialized manufacturer provided uniformity and a high level of detail: "They delivered the exact product we chose."
Find companies such as Imperial Woodworks, AdirondackDirect, and others you can work with to supply your pews and other church furnishing needs with the Church Central Online Supply Directory.
