Beams....

[Duchess]

Hi, new to the forum and new to old buildings..gulp... Ok so I have just moved into my 1450 built timber framed cottage, the beams seem to have been stained with something, what do I do to them now? Also the sole plate was replaced and I can see holes appearing do I just slap on some woodworm killer? Thanks for any help

 

[middi]

Hi and welcome.

Removing stains from oak beams ( presumably oak ?) can be a very slow and tedious process. Depending on what kind of stains,paints or other coatings that have been previously applied will determine the degree of success in bringing the beams as close as possible to their original colour.
It will also determine if you need the "chemical" removal approach or, " elbow grease" approach or combination of the two.

Google " Paint strippers of Sudbury" this will give you a starting point and ideas.

You mention sole plates being replaced and woodworm holes. Presumably the new sole beams are oak and the " holes" are in these beams, if not are the holes on the older beams of the cottage. either way there is no great need to panic, woodworm in oak beams are not as destructive as in softwood ans in the majority of cases they can be left alone. Usually, and after a number of years, they "munch" their way through the first 5 or 10 mm of sapwood and then they disappear ( seasoned oak heartwood is too tough for them).

Middi

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Hi, new to the forum and new to old buildings..gulp... Ok so I have just moved into my 1450 built timber framed cottage, the beams seem to have been stained with something, what do I do to them now? Also the sole plate was replaced and I can see holes appearing do I just slap on some woodworm killer? Thanks for any help

Welcome to the forum Duchess - it will be nice to have a little more aristocratic class around the place 8)

In terms of

new to old buildings..gulp... Ok so I have just moved into my 1450 built timber framed cottage,

the best advice is not to rush into anything. Live in the house a while, get to know it. You will be surprised at how your thoughts will change over the first few months and more.

Woodworm; the general advice is to ensure the timber isn't damp (wormy things like moist timber), keep an eye on it but find something else more serious to worry about. You're unlikely to find many old timbers in old houses without evidence of munching. Once they've has a go at the outside and hit the harder heartwood, they'll give up. We have some really muched about timber - but the inside of them is as hard and strong as iron.

 

[Duchess]

Thanks for your quick replies! Yes the holes are in the new oak sole plate, the original beams have had there share of beetles and I have been assured by two surveyors...yes two... That in beams this old it is accepted and not going to affect them. Can I just leave the new oak beam untreated? And with regards to the original beams I have no interest in stripping them but am just worried about there preservation, I have no idea if I am supposed to do something with them to keep them as beautiful as they are yes I am still in love with my cottage...but it has only been two weeks :?

 

[middi]

It is highly unlikely that you will be able to eradicate woodworm from the sole plates of your cottage by just spraying or brushing w/worm killer on them. Due to the thickness and density of oak the fluid will not penetrate into the wood as it would in softer woods and therefore less effective. Personally I would not be concerned about woodworm holes in oak .
Just make sure that there is no damp affecting the beam, leave the worms to keep feeding the spiders and let someone else worry about them in about 600 years

Middi

 

[MatthewC]

Welcome, Your Grace. Any chance of any aristocratic photos of the stately pile? (It doesn't seem right to call photos "period porn" in such exalted circles.)

 

[piper]

No-one seems to have read Duchess's question carefully enough

Also the sole plate was replaced and I can see holes appearing...

and

Yes the holes are in the new oak sole plate, the original beams have had there share of beetles and I have been assured by two surveyors...yes two... That in beams this old it is accepted and not going to affect them.

This suggests new holes "appearing" in new oak. This is something we all find hard to believe. Is it perhaps new wood which has had some slight insect infestation while it was growing, and a few holes are now visible on the cut surfaces?
This would be nothing to worry about. - Or are these new holes appearing (overnight?), the result of a vicious predator which feeds on new oak?? That would be something to worry about!

Can you explain further please? I certainly don't know the answer, I'm just asking for a more precise understanding of the OP's English!

 

[MdB]

Pictures of the holes would be of use to somebody like Matt Green if he is about....

 

[robgil]

I dont think there is anythin g out there that can munch through an oak beam over night, I wouldnt worry about it. As Middi said, worms and such dont go into the heartwood and even the oak sap wood isnt ideal for them, they will soon go.

As for the staining, do you have any photos? I stripped some brown staining from my oak and elm beams, it was messy but worth the effort. If you do decide to strip them there are plenty of people out there who can do this for you properly without using sand blasting. If not then a quick whipe with a soft damp cloth is all that is required every now and then however photos really would help.

Where abouts in the country are you?

 

[Duchess]

Hi all, the husband is quite sure the holes in the new sole plate were not there a week ago, can only check on there progress, the sole plate was replaced as it was damp and rotted, but the damp has "apparently" been fixed with a wider French drain along the front of the house. I would love to share photos but I haven't figured out how to post them....yet.... I also have a very strange looking fireplace that I would love to share, I am in Essex, a few miles out of Chelmsford, and me and my tiny old cottage are about as far removed from majestic-ness as could possibly be... But one can dream :wink:

 

[JoceAndChris]

Good morning Your Grace. That sounds a bit stressful, we do indeed need photos.

One way you could upload pics is to join a free site like Photobucket. ( http://www.photobucket.com) You can upload your photos from your computer onto there, and once they've uploaded you click on your image. To the right, or just under, you'll see a series of boxes with codes inside. One says IMG code. You click copy, and then as you're tying your reply here you just click paste. You'll see that same line of code appear, but when you click submit and review your post your image will appear. Hope that helps.

Frass -munched wood that appears as fine dust - is the sign of a live infestation. As others have said it isn't something to panic about but we do have an expert insect scientist on here who can give very good advice - we can keep bumping the thread to the top and hope Matt turns up.

Would love to see your fireplace.

 

[Duchess]

Did that work? Should be my weird fireplace?

 

[Duchess]

Did that work? Should be my weird fireplace?

 

[Duchess]

And my stained beams??

 

[Duchess]

Ha ha! Thanks joceandchris, learnt something new today old dogs and all that.....

 

[JoceAndChris]

That's it! Well done, good clear images. No need to make separate posts with your different photos - you can join as many as you like into one reply.

Your beams have been treated a bit unsympathetically from the point of view of looks, ( varnish?) but seem OK? I wouldn't bother to do anything with them except the occasional dust. Any chance of any pics of the fresh woodworm close up?

The fireplace looks very sweet, evidence of a former use as some type of gadget that's been pulled out. What are the dimensions? It looks a bit small for a copper for clothes washing but possibly could be?

 

[Gareth Hughes]

It's had a very small hob grate taken out of it, one of this general form:

But it is an authentic fireplace of c.1800, not unlike this one, which is missing part of the grate:

 

[JoceAndChris]

Lovely pics G. I really want that top one for the Belvedere!

Duchess, Mr Hughes is one of our leading lights, a proper expert. I've never known him to be wrong. It would be so lovely if you could put a hob grate back, but I've spent many many hours looking and have never found one that would fit the little openings here. It seems that the halls and rectories often had theirs sold on, and can be found in places like britainsheritage.co.uk but the little cottage ones are a pig to find.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Duchess, Mr Hughes is one of our leading lights, a proper expert. I've never known him to be wrong.

Duchess, JoceandChris sometimes lets hyperbole take over . Not that I want her to stop

 

[JoceAndChris]

Duchess, Mr Hughes is prone to hiding his light under a bushel, and rarely lets on that he has in fact designed apartments for Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace, not to mention preserving the built heritage of Norwich and environs as Conservation Officer, and lecturing and publishing on windmills.