Back to a Period Property

[Carol]

After selling my beloved, but coffer draining medieval hall house and skulking in a (whisper it low) modern town house for a year, I have just begun to buy a lovely 1883 farmworkers cottage. So excited and looking forward to the highs and lows of ownership!
Any ideas for improving appearance of cement-repointing, it so should have been lime but I will have to live with it? Looks very different to next door.

 

[88v8]

Cement, in or out?

PO here carefully painted all the internal cement pointing with lime-coloured Sandtex. Visually, one wouldn' t have known.

Outside, I suppose, could be done if one has the patience. Make it even less 'breathable' though.

Ivor

 

[a twig]

Identical situation here - expert advice from various masons was as follows:

If the cement pointing is coming away (i.e. will come off with the help of a churn brush or similar) then re-point.

If it is stuck fast then leave it as cutting/chiselling it out will just damage the surrounding stone. It will eventually get to the above stage where one can then re-point.

As you effectively want it to fall off asap I wouldn't advise painting it.

 

[MatthewC]

Carol

Do you know how deep the cement pointing is? One popular habit around here seems to have been to smear a (completely pointless) thin layer of cement over lime pointing; if so, this is usually easily removed just by levering, as it doesn't bond to the lime underneath. There are even houses around here with a sort of cement ribbon pointing which is built out from the line of the stone, but again they tend not to have gone very deep, so it's often easily removeable.

On the other hand, if they did a "good" job by raking out well, then you are effectively stuck with it.

Matthew

 

[Carol]

Haven't had a proper poke about yet, but surveyor who also thought it should have been lime, (nice man) thought we would have to live with it rather than risk damaging the bricks. Can't face thought of painting, but rest of house will be done properly. Next thoughts are heating of which there is none! Any one got experience of bio- fuel in small houses, we are in a rural area but work full time and could not face log splitting daily. No gas so oil may be another option.

 

[Carol]

Finally completed just before Christmas. So many new issues to deal with but think this cottage is more structurally solid than last place. Am now looking for suitable book titles to help decorate a farmworkers cottage (1883), no period detail left sadly.
The1980's dado rails have already been removed, they were only glued on!

And does anyone know if I can Freecycle Night storage heaters? Decided to go for LPG in the end.

 

[Zebra]

And does anyone know if I can Freecycle Night storage heaters? Decided to go for LPG in the end.

Don't see why not, although you may have to cast the net quite wide. They are still installed from time to time, as replacements for existing ones which have gone kaput.

 

[JanJonWestWales]

post a picture...we all love a project !!