Dust rains in our dinner

[Penners]

Penners - Didn't know you were from round those parts?

When we were looking for what is our current place, Bluebridge was one of the serious contenders. Sadly a couple were separating and it was very much an unfinished project. The proximity of the fairly major road was the killer....but it is a house of lovely proportions and the gardens were amazing.

Not far away, and used to be closer. Halstead was, at one time, our local shopping town.

You made a wise choice not to buy BB. I think you would have come to regret the noise from the road, mainly made by lorries climbing the hill. And you're right - cars come down the hill at a hell of a lick.

 

[Penners]

I start out thinking I will do one thing and end up feeling quite different and utterly ignorant for liking exposed brick.

Taste is no measure of ignorance - or of knowledge. It's a personal thing, over which 'there can be no argument'.

I do hope that nobody here has given you that feeling. I add myself to the ranks of those who love a nice brick wall, whether inside or out. I think the only qualifications that might be added, in relation to a period property, are:

1. If you're seeking authenticity, then it is unlikely that a high status Georgian house would have had bare brick walls in the living areas (cellars are a different matter).

2. People should be discouraged from destroying period fabric in order to achieve a bare brick wall.

Since neither of these applies to you, give yourself a cuddle and repeat after me: "There, there - stop worrying".

 

[Jon Maine]

Penners, you forgot to add item 3 to that list.

3/ Apply inappropriate gypsum or artex, sandtex ( the list goes on) finishes to period properties !!

I walked past one yesterday which had had the wonder plastic coating paint which is like putting your whole building in a sprayed on condom. cracks in the coating have appeared and burst bubbles where moisture has built up behind.

This is one of the worst treatments any old building can suffer.

Of course they offer a wonder guarantee and promptly go out of business after a profitable season of business leaving a wake of disaster behind.

 

[MdB]

3b) varnished brick!

 

[JoceAndChris]

Thank you all for generous reassurance that there is not something deeply dodgy about liking exposed brick. I do, however, notice the ominous silence of Mr Hughes on the matter.

There should be a law against wrapping buildings in plastic.

This is a curious house; it was high status as maybe a hunting lodge ot cottage orne (should be an accent on that e) but has sunk very very low poor thing. So now I have all sorts of ethical dilemnas about whether I keep it's rustic, humble 19th C additions (for example I am not fond of the scrappy architrave and skirtings, and yesterday I discovered the fingerplates were made of cheapo pine!) or whether I rip these things out and find pretty, Georgian fingerplates and fancy new mouldings- an action which would probably cause SPAB to burn me at the stake, but which I like to imagine would have suited Nathaniel, dashing Earl of H- of 1770 (who is unhealthily in my thoughts)

Until I came to live here I would have agreed with the view that a house should move with the times (provided this is sympathetic and does not damage the fabric of the building). But living here, and you will think me quite mad now, I believe the house has feelings too. Take my colour scheme. I imagined it would be duck egg, chalk pink, eau de nil, in short Laura Ashley 2008-2009. But recently, it seems the house must be green, it just feels right. I made a green room and it seems a very happy room. And what did I find yesterday, stripping layer upon layer of paint? Under the horrid pure brilliant white gloss that is throughout there is layer upon layer of green; lurid green, sludge green, sage green, grey green. And this green is under everything! So maybe it will have to be green again. :|

And maybe we should try to subdue our egos and not spend our money on our flimsy, passing wants, 'coz blue LEDS and stainless steel walkways and decking will left to crumble one day and people will search more and more for the more enduring elements of these pieces of our history and what if they have crumbled beyond repair or been ripped out because of whimsical modern fancies and misdirection of cash? And those of us who are lucky enough to live in houses that tell stories of a less destructive age should preserve a shrine to to the past and walk gently on the memories of the dead.

And now I have finished my rant and am off to look in the Screwfix catalogue for some nice, stainless steel, automated security lights.

 

[Penners]

a sprayed on condom. cracks in the coating have appeared and burst bubbles where moisture has built up behind.

:shock: :shock: :shock:

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Thank you all for generous reassurance that there is not something deeply dodgy about liking exposed brick. I do, however, notice the ominous silence of Mr Hughes on the matter.

Oh, don't worry about that, I'm just taking a deep breath before my next rant (and getting involved with one or two other things of which I may not speak, though some here know wot I wot of :wink. If your brick's already exposed (for whatever reason) and you like it like that, leave it - BUT - don't, if you can help it, do anything to it that will later prove to have been harmful, either during your custodianship of the building or many, many years later when someone else decides they's quite like to limewash it after all. I'd suggest, if it's to your taste, that a "Modern" kitchen might sit better in your (possibly not authentic) exposed brick undercroft than an attempt to do "Georgian" in the same setting. I can't imagine Lord Br****** would have stood for brick dust in his dinner, hunting lodge picnic or no hunting lodge picnic.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Joce,

Going back to your original dust question. I wonder whether a couple of coats of linseed oil on the bricks would prevent the dust falling, bring out the natural colour and texture, and also not destroy the fabric or prevent future generations doing something different.

Robin

 

[JoceAndChris]

I have yet to experience the joys of linseed oil, but in reading through old threads I am very happy to learn of its magical properties. I will buy some when I trip over the fields today with my basket on my arm and my eyes shut tight to avoid seeing Currys, and then I will try a test patch.

Mr Hughes, I know wot u wot of and She Who Must Not Be Named. I've loved reading her old threads.

 

[biffvernon]

Yes, the pictures are so much better:

More.

(I still think wallpaper paste will serve your purpose better than linseed oil, especially if bought from B&Q.)

 

[biffvernon]

I know wot u wot of

That should be I know 'wot u wote of''. Take care with spelling, please.

 

[Jon Maine]

know wot I wot of :wink..

Biff whilst I hate to be pedantic you missed the instigator of this one

 

[fjpdesigns]

If one is going to be pedantic shouldn't it be " wot u wote abaart" raver than 'of'?

 

[JoceAndChris]

If one is going to be pedantic shouldn't it be " wot u wote abaart" raver than 'of'?

No sweetie because that second "wot" referred to the Anglo-Saxon verb "witte" which means to know, to learn, to be aware. Other forms of the verb can be found in the spellings "wate" "woot" "wote", and we inherit the modern version of the word in "wit". And the prepositions "of" or "about" are interchangeable in the above context.

And I would now like the prize for pedantry, and I reserve the ryght to change my spellynge bi my wytte. (as I see fit)

 

[Penners]

Oh, I am aghast with admiration!

I yield my position as The Self-Appointed Forum Pedant to one whose syntax I am not worthy to edit.

 

[fjpdesigns]

Well, 'wot' witte was well worth waiting 4.

 

[Schoolmarm]

If one is going to be pedantic shouldn't it be " wot u wote abaart" raver than 'of'?

No sweetie because that second "wot" referred to the Anglo-Saxon verb "witte" which means to know, to learn, to be aware. Other forms of the verb can be found in the spellings "wate" "woot" "wote", and we inherit the modern version of the word in "wit". And the prepositions "of" or "about" are interchangeable in the above context.

:shock:

 

[Moo]

WOW !



and COR!!

 

[biffvernon]

What is that smiley meant to be, Schoolmarm. Looking up the url I find http://www.flatto.de/sml/scheisshaufen.gif and if my German serves me well...

 

[Schoolmarm]

What is that smiley meant to be, Schoolmarm. ..

8)