Old house, new thatch

[Ushy M]

Just an update really (and a chance to share worriting!)

The thatchers arrived yesterday to replace the ridge and front face of our thatch. While the roof is off, we're taking the opportunity to get a structural engineer to have a look at our front wall (stone, rubble filled, 1670's). It is very bowed/bulging, much of this due to historic movement. There's been no obvious sign of movement in the 2 years we've been here - some of the pointing is cracking though this may be because it's cement (we didn't do it!!). We're hoping that either no work is required or for a remedy such as hydraulic lime grouting being prescribed, but bracing ourselves for the worst case scenario of rebuilding the wall. :shock: :?

Mr M is saying mournfully that this comes of living in a house made of sticks and stones, while I assert that it's made of oak and rock! Fingers are tightly crossed................

 

[Nemesis]

Well, I strongly suggest you ensure that you get someone, engineer or surveyor, with genuine expertise in historic buildings, not someone who will prescribe rebuilding (which is rarely required) or inappropriate repair. (You possibly aren't too far from Stephen Boniface?)

Old houses move all the time - mine sure does. Cracks will happen in cement because of it.

Monitoring is required, but not neccessarily panic.

It's been there a long time and unless something really daft has been done to houses (cement render on cob ...) they tend not in the main to fall down.

We have a pretty major lean on the front elevation our two storey gig house, with cracks in the wall. They haven't moved in years (fingers crossed). I did panic when we first moved here, but lack of cash meant we didn't do much and the problem hasn't got any worse, A bit of stone stitching and lime mortar is the answer I think. May try a tie bar, but certainly not rebuilding.

( I now await a loud crash...)

 

[Ushy M]

Thanks Evelyn! We found our structural engineer through the links from this site, and he is a specialist in historic and listed buildings, so I'm sure won't recommend anything drastic for the sake of it. I suspect we won't have to do anything as major as rebuilding, but you know what those 4 in the morning panic attacks are like! Will keep posting.