Cloudscape
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Mended. Hmmm. There I was thinking I'd have the window copied exactly, but it would be a shame to lose something that's trying not to be lost.
- Thread starter Cloudscape
- Start date
It may well be easier, quicker and cheaper to get a copy made - Depends on how rotten it is, which you can't tell properly from the photo. I'd bet that a lot of joinery firms would see it that way too.
One of your sashes looks OK, the other looks to be half a sash. Maybe you will be able to save most of the frame and at least one sash? Impossible to tell from here.
New sections of seasoned, matching timber can be moulded and jointed in to replace the rotten or missing bits, and a new sill could be put into the frame if the old one's rotted away.
With my cellar window, it had been neglected for decades and was covered in damp debris that had piled up in the light well. The frame had rotted away at the bottom and most of the way up each side. One of the sashes had lost its bottom rail to rot.
Unfortunately I couldn't save any of the frame - it crumbled and fell to pieces as soon as I touched it, and there wasn't much left to fix new wood to. So I had to make a replica for that, copying the simple bevelled moulding. I managed to cut out the rotten rail and part of the sash stile and joint in new pieces.
I'm not a professional joiner, so it took me ages and ages, using basic hand tools. Not an option for anyone but the truly obsessive, I admit. And it's not perfect either - some of the original mouldings are worn and damaged, although there's no rot and it works - a restoration not a replica.
Which is possibly why a professional firm would recommend complete renewal, beyond a certain level of rot/damage, which is understandable.
Looking on the bright side - at least you've got something left to either mend or copy (and a fantastic building too)!!
Not sure what this chap is meant to represent?
:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Green with envy would do in this case :lol:
One of your sashes looks OK, the other looks to be half a sash. Maybe you will be able to save most of the frame and at least one sash? Impossible to tell from here.
New sections of seasoned, matching timber can be moulded and jointed in to replace the rotten or missing bits, and a new sill could be put into the frame if the old one's rotted away.
With my cellar window, it had been neglected for decades and was covered in damp debris that had piled up in the light well. The frame had rotted away at the bottom and most of the way up each side. One of the sashes had lost its bottom rail to rot.
Unfortunately I couldn't save any of the frame - it crumbled and fell to pieces as soon as I touched it, and there wasn't much left to fix new wood to. So I had to make a replica for that, copying the simple bevelled moulding. I managed to cut out the rotten rail and part of the sash stile and joint in new pieces.
I'm not a professional joiner, so it took me ages and ages, using basic hand tools. Not an option for anyone but the truly obsessive, I admit. And it's not perfect either - some of the original mouldings are worn and damaged, although there's no rot and it works - a restoration not a replica.
Which is possibly why a professional firm would recommend complete renewal, beyond a certain level of rot/damage, which is understandable.
Looking on the bright side - at least you've got something left to either mend or copy (and a fantastic building too)!!
Not sure what this chap is meant to represent?
:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Green with envy would do in this case :lol:
Penners
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In which case I withdraw my reservation.Nemesis said:
Cloudscape
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The building is pretty wonderful - thanks, Ian. The last time it had any serious attention was the 1970s. A solid wooden wall was removed and used to make gates, the pammet floor from the dining room ended up outside, some relief-patterned pammets went from the kitchen to the garden, and the frost has broken them up, most of the cobbled courtyard was covered in one way or another, the bread oven fell down and was removed, but generally, a lot of work was done to save the building. It's amazing what you can find out by talking to a previous owner - in this case, the one who did most of the work.
The most recent owner didn't do much except run the place down and overload the hayloft. The cellar has an upper level (a stillage). It was reached by a stone staircase. It was one step short (we've been told) and quite 'organic'. Now it only has two steps of the original seven - the rest removed in favour of an mdf staircase. Go figure. The stillage and one downstairs bedroom were gypsum plastered and plasterboarded to cover anything 'rustic'. They are the rooms that most people seem to like. :? Now I know the full story, I'm sad about the loss of the stairs and other things I can't undo.
The utility room didn't get much attention so is largely as shabby as you'd expect. The stable bit is the least interfered with. I think that's why I like these areas so much - you don't have to undo previous work and effectively go backwards (removing gypsum mostly) before going forwards.
The hayloft ceiling is a big statement - it's a big ceiling. The last thing I want to do is anything too smart, and I couldn't do what's shown in Penners' pic. No offence to anyone who likes the look, but the orange matchboarding doesn't do it for me. I'd be happy with some truely badly-done limewashing. Especially if I could find a way to get it to fall off in patches. I don't mean pastiche - but I suppose that's a danger too.
The most recent owner didn't do much except run the place down and overload the hayloft. The cellar has an upper level (a stillage). It was reached by a stone staircase. It was one step short (we've been told) and quite 'organic'. Now it only has two steps of the original seven - the rest removed in favour of an mdf staircase. Go figure. The stillage and one downstairs bedroom were gypsum plastered and plasterboarded to cover anything 'rustic'. They are the rooms that most people seem to like. :? Now I know the full story, I'm sad about the loss of the stairs and other things I can't undo.
The utility room didn't get much attention so is largely as shabby as you'd expect. The stable bit is the least interfered with. I think that's why I like these areas so much - you don't have to undo previous work and effectively go backwards (removing gypsum mostly) before going forwards.
The hayloft ceiling is a big statement - it's a big ceiling. The last thing I want to do is anything too smart, and I couldn't do what's shown in Penners' pic. No offence to anyone who likes the look, but the orange matchboarding doesn't do it for me. I'd be happy with some truely badly-done limewashing. Especially if I could find a way to get it to fall off in patches. I don't mean pastiche - but I suppose that's a danger too.
Nemesis
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A very rapid and possibly slightly blurred shot of my study ceiling:
Study sounds very grand - it's a small room above the pantry, which is my bolt hole. It had no ceiling at all when we came here, just open to the slate.
The roof has now been fixed and no longer leaks, just haven't quite got round to painting yet. The timber has shrunk but I don't mind the gaps (which as it's T and G really are OK).
The bothy outside has a plank ceiling, painted white. It's quite traditional.
Study sounds very grand - it's a small room above the pantry, which is my bolt hole. It had no ceiling at all when we came here, just open to the slate.
The roof has now been fixed and no longer leaks, just haven't quite got round to painting yet. The timber has shrunk but I don't mind the gaps (which as it's T and G really are OK).
The bothy outside has a plank ceiling, painted white. It's quite traditional.
Cloudscape
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That's what I needed to see, Nemesis. Thank you. It looks great.
Jon Maine
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For timber ceilings please bear in mind that the fire spread rate on these would be immense unless coated with an intumescent paint or varnish.
Nemesis
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I suspect by the time it reached that far it may be too late to worry, so much else timber around.
Jon Maine
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Of course oak chars well before igniting so I will be ok 
But then Windsor just went off like a rocket.
I am a great believer of a good hardwired fire alarm system and fire resistant paints/varnishes. They both work very well and intumescent coatings can easily keep a fire in check at its origin long enough for the fire service to put out just that fire and not the whole house.
But then Windsor just went off like a rocket.
I am a great believer of a good hardwired fire alarm system and fire resistant paints/varnishes. They both work very well and intumescent coatings can easily keep a fire in check at its origin long enough for the fire service to put out just that fire and not the whole house.
Nemesis
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Well, we have a bucket and the adjacent burn for water ... not sure a fire appliance could actually reach us, so we just won't tempt fate thinking about it.
Jon Maine
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After all that Pimms perhaps you could extinguish yourself :wink:
Gareth Hughes
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Jon Maine said:Of course oak chars well before igniting so I will be ok
But then Windsor just went off like a rocket.
well, Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother both had drinks cabinets there at the time...
:twisted: