Hello Newbie here

[kirstickle]

Hi all. Hope you don't mind me joining your forum. We have just bought a large detached 20's house (waiting for sale to complete) and I have loads of questions! It still has all of its original features (fireplaces, high skirting boards, fancy cornices, doors etc) but there are a few features that I'm not sure about - they could have been added much later. I'm pretty clueless about the 20's style, having lived in a Victorian terrace, a 30's terrace and now a new build (ugggh!). Hoping to upload some pics and try and get some advice from you guys if that's OK? Do I need to uplaod pics to say Photobucket and then provide a link? Thanks :wink:

 

[Jon Maine]

Welcome, I hope you enjoy the advice from here.

You can upload a few pictures to the post but photobucket or picassa web albums are a good idea if you have lots with some nice captions.

 

[Moo]

Hope you don't mind me joining your forum.

Far from it! The more the merrier.

But be warned - you will be badgered to provide more and more pictures, and you are likely to be overwhelmed with advice (some of it from real experts). And please don't be offended if one of your threads wanders off topic; there are some warped senses of humour round here.

 

[Penners]

Kirstickle - pictures, pictures, pictures....! We love 'em! (Well, Moo did warn you!).

Hope you don't mind me joining your forum

Mind? We're always delighted to see new members who have a real interest in their (and other people's) period property.

Yes, you can create a Photobucket or Picasa (or other) web album, and provide us with a link. Or you can upload pictures directly into your post. If you want more information about this technique, please post back.

Anyway, welcome to the forum.

 

[Penners]

there are some warped senses of humour round here.

Hmmm - I wonder who you're talking about. Thank goodness it can't possibly be me.

 

[Moo]

there are some warped senses of humour round here.

No he/she didn't. Be more careful next time, Penners.

 

[kirstickle]

Thanks for the warm welcome everybody! I have been lurking for a few days and gathered you were a friendly lot! Go on then, how do I upload pics directly to a post? I have only got a few at the moment but there will be lots more to come! Thanks!

 

[Penners]

there are some warped senses of humour round here.

No he/she didn't. Be more careful next time, Penners.

Mea culpa - careless deletion, I confess. . Even so, I'm sure you couldn't have meant me. Warped? Moi?

Kirstickle - to upload a picture from your own computer into a post, here's what you do.

1. If you look down below the posting narrative box, you'll see two tabs, marked "Options" and "Upload attachment". Click on the latter.
2. In the box headed "If you wish to attach... etc." click on the "Browse" button, on the "Filename" line.
3. In the window that opens, browse to the picture file on your computer, click on it, then click "Open".
4. The name of the file will appear in the "Filename" box. Click "Add the file".
5. Wait while the file uploads. Once it's completed, its name will appear below a box titled "File comments". You can add some comments in this box if you want to.
6. Make sure that, in the posting narrative box, the cursor is placed where you want the photo to appear. Then click "Place inline".

I hope that helps. Go for it!

 

[kirstickle]

OK here goes - here is a pic of the front of the house. Shame about the UPVC windows but they will be replaced if we ever win the lottery. I have some of the interior that I haven't transferred to my computer yet - will get that done today at some point. So what do you reckon? I think it's rather handsome!! Can't wait o get the keys!!

 

[Nigel Watts]

Welcome to the forum! The pic is a great help.

My initial reaction is that more has been altered than just the windows. Where are the chimney stacks - at the back? The courses of blue engineering brick look odd - echoed in the gate pillars, which must be recent (originally there might have been a straight drive to the garage but the rest would almost certainly have been a front garden, probably with a footpath leading to the front door). Are there similar houses nearby? These could give more clues as to what might be original and what is not.

The brickwork is in stretcher bond. Is this a cavity wall structure or has been a more recent refacing? Some friends of ours recently bought a 1930s house in Pinner Middlesex which has been almost completely refaced in brick. The tell-tale sign is that the bricks in the chimney stack are different.

 

[kirstickle]

Hi. There are chimney stacks at the side and the back - will post pics later on. From memory they are in the same brick as the house - really must get those pics off my camera. I never noticed those bricks at the foot of the house before - strange that - for what reason would they be different do you think? The street that the house is on is quite odd - there are a couple of big old detached houses on either side but they are a completely different style. Other than that they are mostly 20's semis. Thanks for your replies. I am looking forward to (hopefully) uncovering some more information about the house with the help of you lot! Cheers.

 

[middi]

Hi and welcome.

That is a lovely house of the period, the real advantage of owning such a property is that apart from the odd lick of paint no major repairs will need to be done for at least 150 years ( I am livid !!!!!).

As to warped sense of humour on this site you have nothing to fear, warped buildings and warped people make a good combination, it must do, normal ( unwarped) people buy straight houses :wink:

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Hi Kirstickle

Welcome! Your house looks lovely, let it speak for itself, keep what is part of that period, 'make it your own' with lovely colours, and ENJOY it!
We are a good natured crowd with a wealth of varied experiences, talents, and a wicked sense of humour!
Joss

 

[philmac1944]

Welcome to the forum. Ref bricks - are they painted blue or are they blue engineering bricks.
If the latter they are sometimes used in the foundations up to damp course level and maybe for
the gate pillars in your case when the builder found he had ordered too many... :wink:

 

[Penners]

We are a good natured crowd

Speak for yourself. I'm a grumpy old sod - or so the love of my life would have me believe. :evil:

 

[Feltwell]

Welcome to the forum! Looks like a nice place you've found.

Re.the post above about brick bond - 1920's houses can be either cavity or solid wall, it was about the time that cavity construction was coming in. A previous house of mine in Hampshire, built in 1928, had cavity walls - but still built with lime mortar, lath & plaster ceilings etc. My friend's 1935 house in Bristol has solid 9" walls with no cavity, the same as most Victorian and Edwardian houses. If your brickwork is original, being stretcher bond it should have a cavity.

Nigel, I've never heard of a house so new needing to be refaced! I wonder if there was some specific problem with the original bricks used on your friend's house? All the houses in my street in Hampshire were rendered from 3' upwards, whereas identical houses in surrounding streets were not. We were told that there was a shortage of bricks at the time our street was built - all that was available was a softer brick which needed to be rendered over. How true that is I don't know!

I've also seen blue engineering brick used up to damp proof course before, they're more resistant to frost damage than "ordinary" bricks.

Bit difficult to tell from the angle of the picture but the roof tiles look very clean, possibly it's had a new roof? After 90 years, the first 50 or so with coal fires going, I'd expect them to look grubbier - our ones that were 20 years older than yours certainly did! If the original tiles were starting to "shale" (break up through frost damage) then a previous owner may have made the decision to replace the lot. I certainly wouldn't worry about it though, it looks neat enough, except for what may be a loose ridge tile on the front "half-timbered" section (or it could be something else - just looks like 1 ridge is jutting up - it may even be a vent tile if it has had a new roof).

 

[Nigel Watts]

I've never heard of a house so new needing to be refaced! I wonder if there was some specific problem with the original bricks used on your friend's house?

Our friends' house in Pinner had been the subject of a massive makeover, inside and out, by a hedge fund manager who had to sell at rather short notice last year. The refacing I suspect was done to improve the appearance more than for functional purposes.

I can't tell from the picture whether the bricks or the half timbering stick out further. If the bricks stick out further it might indicate that they are a later facing. While driving in the northern outskirts of London this afternoon I noticed that most of the 1920s/1930s houses with exposed brickwork seemed to be in flemish bond, indicating solid brickwork rather than cavity wall.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Welcome to the forum Kirstickle.

Hope you don't mind me joining your forum.

As a poster, it's now yours as much as it is ours!

Lovely house. I must admit I know little about early C20th architecture - so look forward to learning a lot about it from you and to appreciate all the things I miss when I look at less old houses.

Joce will be along shortly advising you to turn that front driveway into a chicken run for rare breed bantams!

 

[Tom]

A big welcome to the forum

Your house looks lovely, very handsome. I can't wait to see pics of the inside!

Jaqy

 

[judrop]

Hi there and welcome from one to another "newbie"! Delightful looking house, will be interesting to see what joys it has in store for you, hidden fireplaces and heaven knows what, I MUST put some pics on too , now I have read what Penners told you , I will have a go.
Look forward to hearing more! Ju