Contractor recommendations - North Devon / Ilfracombe area

[steveb]

Hi good people

We are (fingers cross that there are no further delays) exchanging on a 1900s mid terrace property in North Devon near Ilfracombe tomorrow.

It does however need rather a lot of TLC - roofing, leadwork, plumbing/heating, electrical, general building, windows, plastering, rendering, new kicthen and bathroom etc... and of course has an active woodworm infection that probably needs sorting first.

Does anyone here have any recommendations for any of the above? A lot of this work is not period specifically but good tradesmen tend to be good tradesmen

Windows, probably will be plastic sash replacements since every other house in the street has the same. Much as it pains me it would look odd to put in wood... (windows currently are brown uPVC horrors, not the original sashes)

Any help appreciated

Thanks

Steve

 

[TheForge]

You're not too far from Mike Wye there, may be worth speaking to them.

https://www.mikewye.co.uk

 

[Abi Cott]

Read up on woodworm. There's a lot of posts on this site worth reading. Apparently the buggies like damp wood and buggie off when the wood is dry. So solve the damp first and worry about the bugs after seems to be the perceived wisdom. I'm no expert but if you stick woodworm in the search box on this forum and start reading you will soon work out who is.

 

[steveb]

Thanks. Yes, we're trying to get someone from Mike Wye to come round on a consultancy basis which will should be money well spent.

With regards to the woodworm and damp, yes, the previous posts from Matt Green who seems to on first name terms with the wormies are quite clear - let it dry and they will disappear. What is not clear at the moment is if or how quickly we can get it dry - and the neighbours all say that "these houses have a lot of damp in them". Do nothing would be my preferred option, although it may be that we apply chemical warfare to any infected area as a belt and braces.

Someone is due to come round to look at the woodworm and quote for chemical war, I suspect he will also comment on the damp and suggest we inject and hack off and re-render. Of all of the things that is not going to happen, this is one of them...

What we do need is a good roofer as the roof is on it's last legs, it seems fixing that properly is no.1 priority. We have assumed to be original 1900s asbestos slates plus lots of parapet gutters, all need an overhaul and all generating water on the wrong side of the roof covering which is keeping the worms in business.

-Steve

 

[Zebra]

Moving to Devon, Steve? How do you feel about leaving the house that you've put so much work into?

 

[steveb]

Live in Essex
Live by the beach
Live in Essex
Live by the beach
Live in Essex
Live by the beach

It's a tough one.. But this is a long term project and myself and Marie are likely to be Brexit-ed out of out of our jobs, so it could all line up nicely, fingers crossed