A to Z of Period Properties

[Gareth Hughes]

CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE - the architectural language of ancient Greece and Rome, and, by extension, an architectural style derived from this, and characteristic of POLITE architecture in the British Isles from c.1620 to c.1820, with further revivals up to the present day.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

CORINTHIAN - an ORDER of CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE, originating in Greece in the 5th Century BC, and said to have originated in one of the most sentimental legends. VITRUVIUS tells that Kallimachos, a sculptor, was approaching the town of Corinth when he noticed a grave at the roadside. The grave was that of a young girl, and was surmounted by a basket containing her favourite toys. To protect it from rain, a roof tile had been placed on top of the basket. An acanthus plant had grown up from the grave, around the basket, and its tendrils were curved downwards where they met the corner of the tile.
View attachment 1
This struck the sculptor as such an exquisite form, that he reproduced it as a column capital

 

[JoceAndChris]

8)

CAT, utterly obligatory creature for the period property, or you will be overrun with MICE.

 

[JoceAndChris]

CANOE: this is what you must now shout when people start banging on about how your beams are probably made from old ships' timbers. It refers to the Committee of Applying Naval Origins to Everything, and is a witty, pithy way to let the ships' timber believers know they're numpties.

 

[JoceAndChris]

COTTAGE: A smallish, cute rural dwelling where your bedroom is likely to be amongst the roof timbers; and where the little windows will create an ambiance of cosy dimness which will be exacerbated by your concussion as you bang your head frequently against said beams. In the Middle Ages, a cottage, a term denoting "hut" from the Old English "cot", was lived in by a cotter - a peasant who farmed a parcel of his master's land. It would have been extraordinarily free of clutter. Today, a cottage is lived in by middle class people who must squeeze in their AGAS, LAURA and CATH, and scatter about plenty of SHABBY CHIC furniture.

 

[JoceAndChris]

CHRISTMAS: This is when you really get to have fun with your cottage. Modern houses never look right at Christmas. But in an old property it's all mistletoe kisses under the PURLINS, holly on the ARCHITRAVE, stockings on the FIRE SURROUND, and illuminated wicker reindeer grazing merrily under the HA-HA. Only 65 days to go - who's excited?

 

[Moo]

Is it too late to mention ARTEX?

 

[Flyfisher]

It's too late to ask.

 

[MdB]

Is it too late to mention ARTEX?

See Page 1 - I even managed a picture

 

[Moo]

OOPS !

 

[DaveBrigg]

CORBEL - A stone jutting out from a wall to support the weight of another item, such as a beam. Rows of corbels were commonly used to support projecting turrets or battlements in castles, or Corbel tables. When made of wood they are known as 'tassels'.
Some medieval buildings have carved corbels, such as this one from Kilpeck church, Herefordshire

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Spoilsport, you chose a clean one.

In the spirit of robgil's recent post about 60 foot willies on the roof (see "teenagers have no respect"), here's a link to some of the other Kilpeck corbels
http://www.sheelanagig.org/index.html#http://www.sheelanagig.org/sheelakilpeck.htm

 

[DaveBrigg]

CEMENT - If your period property is too dry inside (paint and plaster remaining attached to walls, no musty smell etc), and your bricks have not started to crumble and spall, you may consider wrapping it in cement. You may need to wait several months for it to crack and let in the rain, but with a little patience (and maybe a coat or two of Sandtex) you need never be worried by a having a dry house again. If you have timber touching your walls, trapping damp behind a layer of cement will ensure that the woodworms are well-watered, and safe from any risk of fire.

If cement render is too expensive, repointing in cement is an option. This is less effective at trapping moisture, but is well-suited to damaging brickwork through its lack of movement.

 

[DaveBrigg]

CONSERVATION OFFICER - a listed building's best friend. Often shortened to CO, but not to be confused with Carbon Monoxide, which can inflict death or serious injury on property owners even if they have got listed building consent.

Which brings us on to 'D', and a big thank-you to everyone who has contributed so far; I've learnt a lot.

 

[JoceAndChris]

DAMP: Where to start on this one? SPAB have some useful information in the technical questions section of their website, e.g. http://www.spab.org.uk/advice/technical-qas/technical-qa-22-rain-penetration/ There are also large swathes of advice on this website.

Cement is bad, as are damp proof courses.
Ventilation is good.
Things must be checked over: rooves, gutters, drains, appliances, windows, floors, and repaired if causing damp.

People are very afraid of damp, they shouldn't be. I'm sure our ancestors lived in much damper conditions and were more relaxed about it than we are. I don't think an old house with a cellar is ever going to be as dry as a modern house.

 

[DaveBrigg]

DORIC COLUMNS
These are less ornate than the Corinthian style (see above) having in Greek times 20 sides and no base. They are topped with a square of stone, used to support the Architrave. The Parthenon has Doric columns.

 

[DaveBrigg]

DEHUMIDIFIER
Handy for removing damp, but only if you have first located and removed the cause of the damp. Not recommended for drying out new lime plaster, which should be given time to harden first. In summer, a similar effect can be achieved by opening doors and windows.

D seems to be an under-used letter, even considering the deep depression which descends when digesting the difference between jobs to do and disposable income. Anyone got any E's?

 

[Nigel Watts]

ERECHTHEUM: One of the most exquistite works of Greek architecture, featuring the famous Caryatids.

Chunks of it, including one Caryatid and a beautiful Ionic capital, were given by Lord ELGIN to the British Museum, together with a few bits and pieces of an adjacent building, which will have to wait until we get to P.

 

[ian]

Elm - an underrated wood, often mis identified as oak.

See Wiki:

Elm wood was valued for its interlocking grain, and consequent resistance to splitting, with significant uses in wheels, chair seats and coffins. The density of the wood varies due to differences between species, but averages around 560kg per cubic meter[11]. The wood is also resistant to decay when permanently wet, and hollowed trunks were widely used as water pipes during the medieval period in Europe. However this resistance to decay in water does not extend to ground contact[12]. Elms also have a long history of cultivation for fodder, with the leafy branches cut for livestock. Elm bark, cut into strips and boiled, sustained much of the rural population of Norway during the great famine of 1812.

 

[Jon Maine]

Embrasures,

The gap (B) between Merlons (A) in Crenelations/Battlements for discharging weapons through.