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Toby Newell
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Were those floorboards 1980s?
Toby Newell
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Ah, I see... reverese photos 
those boards look more like 1580s, dont throw them, they can be saved, I can send photos of both similar elm, oak and pine floors I did recently. The only issue is they look like they have been tarmaced... I just hope they aren't pine because the bitumen would of dissolved the latewood rings and turned it into pinene flavoured toffee.
those boards look more like 1580s, dont throw them, they can be saved, I can send photos of both similar elm, oak and pine floors I did recently. The only issue is they look like they have been tarmaced... I just hope they aren't pine because the bitumen would of dissolved the latewood rings and turned it into pinene flavoured toffee.Throw them????! Wash your mouth out Mr Newell!Ah, I see... reverese photos
They are in ok shape for their age, which is indeed somewhere either side of the turn of the 17c. They’re oak, consistent 14 inch wide lapped boards. They’re actually untouched, the lighting is misleading, but many have surface moisture damage - at some stage the roof covering has probably been off for a while, as a couple of the truss bridle joints have rotted away from the bottom.
At this stage we’re unsure whether they went in when it was converted to a dwelling around 1600 or so, or whether a high level storage area was in place while it was still a 3 storey wool barn… mystery for another day!
Toby Newell
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They look 1600 are they steamrollered with ashphalt? Looks like they are caked in bitumin.
Toby Newell
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considering they appear to be 25% air and 25% bitumin I would say the lighting, arty as it is is (great photo) isn't that misleading to me! I have seen better 1600s boards but then if you have no replacements, that's pretty rare. I would presume oak as elm or pine would have evaporated even more with no roof.
Toby Newell
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Maybe the shorter ones on the left are infills? the longer on the right being the top mezzanine? Easier to move bales than via a small ladderway? 14" width they would of had longer spans available, but then they might of been recycled, you never know.
Lacan07
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Thats a fair amount of work there, but seeing those floorboards must be worth it.
They are oak. They’ve had some abuse. The matching ones a level down are in nice condition. Albeit all have obviously shrunk and exposed the laps.
It’s a trick of your eyes - no bitumen here. Doesn’t appear that any treatment has ever gone on these.
Think they just made do, but there have been repairs and amendments particularly when the roof and commons were replaced 100+ years ago… the ones below are full width, where they haven’t been cut through.
This has always been a full width floor, I think it was added as a garret room at the same time as the floor beneath and the massive chimney stack was inserted - all match, and consideration was made to not pocket joists in the ties where the stack is. Could have been an access hatch possibly, but large.
Previously there must have been some kind of platform up high when it was a barn, it’s just too high to be useful without…
Toby Newell
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Oh really? Fantastic, they can be saved, I can write you a schedule lol. Materials will be around £500 to £1,000 alone but the boards will look stunning.
And it's good entertainment for you, like a proper Greek play, tragedy and comedy. You will cry how hard they are to sand and at the same time laugh at how incredibly hard they are. It's quite rare to have lapped boards they were mostly straight edged but I have seen it.
The main issue is to fix properly so they don't move, moving is what kills them (once the worm is dead) then you need to fill them to stabilise the friable areas, then sand.
The lightest touch would be to fix them down then simply fill the fixing holes and leave.
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They do look black though...
Gothichome
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Am I seeing saw marks just off the perpendicular, pit saw cut? Or just my imagination.
Toby Newell
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Possibly, but only if they had been flipped, the faces would have been drawn smooth and or worn smooth.
Toby Newell
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Well... they are, a little! Just luckily not caked in tar. And congrats to gothichome, you win the eyesight prize...
Interesting to see if they are smotth on the obverse.
Just the tip of the ice berg… all systems go now on this project. Next 6 mths we’ll break the back of it, then move back in and carry on forevermore….
You are indeed. Both sides in fact. Top faces are slightly cupped, but not excessively so.
Nope, this is the top face, slight cupping, but not dramatic. Underside are lime washed, but still show saw marks.
Unfinished in the attic I could understand, however, those below in the main heated parlour are just the same, except a bit of coating over time…
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The look in fairly good condition. Odd, they normally scrape the top face, Im guessing not so much fir aesthetics but for ease of cleaning.