Grade 2 Listed White Weatherboard

[Toolmaker25]

Hi,

I’m a prospective buyer of a grade 2 white weatherboard cottage in Kent.

It’s roughly from 1750, it was 2 cottages knocked on to one in the 80’s I believe. Tile roof with 2 inglenooks.

I’m viewing the property in the coming weeks.

This will be my first endeavour and thus I’m totally green on the subject.

If anyone could answer any of my questions or share any resources to start my research prior to viewing, I am most grateful.

1) How can I get a rough understanding of the weatherboard condition? knowing what rot looks like, etc. what are the tell tale signs of neglect?

2) The cottage is a mix of brick round the inglenooks and timber frame the rest, what are the walls that aren’t brick likely to be made from? How can I check the rough condition?

3) what else should be I looking for?

4) If we like the house and we progress further, I will commission the relevant surveys, but what level survey will I need to commission and is that done by most chartered surveyors?

I probably sound rather vague but I’m just trying to get a feel for the obvious signs of problems. I have asked the estate agent of any known problems to which he knew of none.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[a twig]

Weatherboarding I can help with, look at the typical weak points (corners, around nails, horizontal joins between boards and at the base) for signs of rot or bubbling paint.

Gently poke those areas with a screwdriver (or a finger if you aren’t prone to violence) any softness is a sign of potential bad things.

Very fresh paint can be a sign of covering up sins, or evidence of large amounts of filler applied can also be a bad sign.

I’ll leave the timber frame masochists of this parish to provide their thoughts on the rest

 

[Toolmaker25]

Hi, thanks for that. Should I be walking away from a weather board house that hasn’t been painted every 5-7 years?

I’m curious how robust the wood really is.

The left elevation and rear are partially covered by a tall tree line and may not get much sun. Does this mean I’m more prone to rot or fungus type issues in these areas? As opposed to the side that gets direct rain but also wind and sun to in effect wash and dry the face?

 

[aockenden]

Should I be walking away from a weather board house that hasn’t been painted every 5-7 years?

How are you going to actually know this was done or not? And even if you do know it’s been done every 5-7 years, if the previous owners have made the usual mistakes they could very well have slathered the weatherboard with plastic non-breathable “exterior grade weatherproofing” paints, which would likely cause more harm than good (trapping moisture into the wood and causing it to rot).

I think you have to just inspect the current condition of the boards and go from there.

 

[Toolmaker25]

That’s very true. In the ideal world, I would ask for the invoices of the work being done. But that’s pretty unlikely to happen.

Is there a way to tell the difference between a plastic based paint/ breathable? Like a certain sheen?

 

[aockenden]

That’s very true. In the ideal world, I would ask for the invoices of the work being done. But that’s pretty unlikely to happen.

Is there a way to tell the difference between a plastic based paint/ breathable? Like a certain sheen?

Yes, super shiny glossy finishes, bubbling, peeling, and even heavy flaking can all be signs of highly impervious paints. Basically, breathable paints like lime washes, clay paints, silicate(?) paints, linseed oil paints (possibly all oil paints depending who you ask) don’t peel, chronically flake or delaminate. This is precisely because they are breathable. That sort of peeling / flaking is happening because water is getting trapped between the substrate and the layer of paint which provides no way for the water to get back out. Then freeze / thaw cycles cause expansion and contraction cycles of that trapped water which pushes the paint off the substrate, leading to those conditions.

 

[Toolmaker25]

Thanks for that. Makes perfect sense to me.

Can this weatherboard last indefinitely with the right maintenance? Or will it likely need replacing roughly every 50/100 years?

I’m under 30 now so if my wife will let me live, I’ll still be there in 50 years…

 

[jamest]

I would say that the weatherboarding itself isn't a big issue. My parents lived in a large weather-boarded barn conversion near Cranbrook in their failing years and DIY replacement of weatherboard is fairly easy and inexpensive by period property standards (I had to do a bit of it for them). Like for like repair and replacement doesn't require listed building consent. It's what's beneath the weatherboard you need to be careful with - it's likely to be oak timber framing with wattle and daub infill (unless replaced by brick at some point). If the weatherboard is compromised, especially at or near eves level, and water has been getting to the frame beneath over a long period, then there could be some expensive and/or invasive repair work to do that may not be DIY-able. Otherwise you'll probably be fine - weatherboard even in very bad condition is much better than cement render.

 

[Cubist]

I’m under 30 now so if my wife will let me live, I’ll still be there in 50 years…

That's a moot point - the 50 years I mean.

When the First Lady and I took on the stewardship of this old place I was 3 stone/ 18 kilos overweight and heading for a coronary at a rate of knots equivalent to that of my typical silver tube transport. Within 18 months I had shed the excess baggage and trimmed down to my callow youths 32 inch waist and had rightly begun claiming this place had very probably saved my life. Fifteen years later, and entropy being what it is, that conclusion sometimes feels a little premature and, perhaps, diametrically incorrect.... but, I suppose, that could be the efforts of the First Lady rather than the needs and demands of the property.

Can this weatherboard last indefinitely with the right maintenance? Or will it likely need replacing roughly every 50/100 years?

Theres an old oak framed barn not far away from us reputed to be circa 300 years old. Sadly some parts of the frame have succumbed and large sections of the structure have partially collapsed so its in a bit of a sorry state. However, the equally aged waney-edged oak weatherboards it is clad with are even now holding much of the structure together and are in excellent condition.