Is consent needed to strip paint from beams?

[noj]

I want to strip the horrible black paint off my interior beams, studs, soleplate, etc (Grade II listed timber framed cottage) but not sure if I need to seek consent first?

I guess it would change the character of the property (for the better, IMHO) but searching on here and elsewhere on the interweb I can find lots about how to do it, but nothing about its acceptability from a conservation point of view...

 

[88v8]

Bump.

Unless you're GII*, no, carry on.
Just don't sandblast it.

There was a good Toby Newell post a while ago on stripping. Didn't save it as I have no paint to strip, but someone else may have done so.

Ivor

 

[noj]

Thanks for the response!

I assumed by the amount of stripping info out there (and companies touting blasting techniques) it wasn't a major issue. It'll be the klingstrip method for me over a long period of time for the downstairs at least.

Deciding what to do with the beams in the main bedroom that seem to have had an extra rustic remodelling of their profile in places with horsehair and lime plaster and a then a few layers of black paint, will be a matter for later carefull probing and pondering...

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Unless you're GII*, no, carry on.
Ivor

Um. No. Consent is required for any work to any listed building, inside or out, whatever the grade, if the work would affect the character of the building as a building of special architectural or historic interest.
Note the wording is " affect the character" - not improve, or detract.
So it is, I'm afraid, impossible to come to a view on whether consent is needed in this particular case without knowing the building.

 

[88v8]

Hello OP.

In case you're not aware, Gareth is a Conservation Officer, so I defer to his superior knowledge.
If he had a Tardis, he could go back and prevent your beams being painted in the first place :?

Ivor

 

[LadyArowana]

Hello OP.

In case you're not aware, Gareth is a Conservation Officer, so I defer to his superior knowledge.
If he had a Tardis, he could go back and prevent your beams being painted in the first place :?

Ivor

True, but this is exactly the sort of meddling that us members of "The Campaign for Real Time" have been warning against. People think there is no harm in going back and sorting out a few beams, but before you know it the great Cathedral of Chalesm is never even built and a lot of history is gone forever.

 

[noj]

Thanks for the advice - I guess an email to our CO is my first action then.

Naturally the justification being breathability rather than the aestheic of the result.

In the area I'd like to do first, the panel infill between the studs is nice period chipboard covered in white emulsion, over a plinth badly rendered in cement, on top of a poured concrete floor and injected dpc - all post listing I'm certain and surely without any consent - so don't know if that'll open a whole different can of worms.

Jon

 

[El Greyo]

Consent is required for any work to any listed building, inside or out, whatever the grade, if the work would affect the character of the building as a building of special architectural or historic interest.
Note the wording is " affect the character" - not improve, or detract.
So it is, I'm afraid, impossible to come to a view on whether consent is needed in this particular case without knowing the building.

Does that mean that a simple redecoration, such as repainting an internal wall, requires listed building consent? That would create a massive workload for COs, if everyone followed it to the letter.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Consent is required for any work to any listed building, inside or out, whatever the grade, if the work would affect the character of the building as a building of special architectural or historic interest.
Note the wording is " affect the character" - not improve, or detract.
So it is, I'm afraid, impossible to come to a view on whether consent is needed in this particular case without knowing the building.

Does that mean that a simple redecoration, such as repainting an internal wall, requires listed building consent? That would create a massive workload for COs, if everyone followed it to the letter.

It depends whether the work would affect the character of the building. There are at least three (slightly out of the ordinary, but still private) houses in my district which have mediaeval wallpaintings - painting over them would certainly need consent (and wouldn't get it). But a much-redecorated Georgian drawing room probably wouldn't.