Kauhajoki church to receive new copper roof with 130-year lifespan by June

The 67-year-old Kauhajoki church in western Finland will get a new copper roof by mid-June after storm damage last December, public broadcaster Yle reports. The renovation, costing an estimated €106,000, will extend the roof’s lifespan to at least 130 years.

Preparations for the roof replacement will begin next week, with scaffolding erected on both sides of the church. Workers will then install new copper sheets and replace the underlying roof boarding. The project follows damage caused by Storm Hannes in December, which tore parts of the existing copper roof.

Insurance will cover most of the €106,000 cost, though the parish will pay a €10,000 deductible and an additional €20,000 for the new boarding. “The new underlay will improve the roof’s quality,” said acting vicar Jouni Niemi. Seppo Kivelä, head of the parish’s property and burial services, noted that copper roofing requires no special maintenance and darkens naturally over time.

The renovation is scheduled for completion by June 14, with scaffolding removed and the site cleared by that date. The church, designed by architect Veikko Larkas and consecrated in 1958, stands in Kauhajoki’s town center, replacing an earlier structure lost to fire.