One of those great days - Uncovering things!

[benmc]

All

I had one of those amazing days working on the house. The house in question is a Grade 2 Listed converted Church that was I suppose badly converted at the end of the 70s. We have given ourselves 5 years to renovate it.

During our first viewing 3 years ago I saw a small loft above the master bedroom that was a vaulted ceiling that the owners had created to given them a flat ceiling in the master bedroom. Also the main arch in the Church from downstairs has been plasterboard in.

So yesterday morning we stared with this 70s room
DSC_0964 by ben_mccormack2000, on Flickr

DSC_0966 by ben_mccormack2000, on Flickr

DSC_0968 by ben_mccormack2000, on Flickr


The went via a messy room and lots of dust

DSC_1027 by ben_mccormack2000, on Flickr

And lots of wooden joists

DSC_1045 by ben_mccormack2000, on Flickr

Now starting to get somewhere

DSC_1021 by ben_mccormack2000, on Flickr

More to follow

 

[benmc]

Been waiting 3 years for this

DSC_1142 by ben_mccormack2000, on Flickr

DSC_1072 by ben_mccormack2000, on FlickrDSC_1060 by ben_mccormack2000, on Flickr

 

[MdB]

Well Wow! :shock:

(Mrs MdB is rather envious...)


Personally I mourn the loss of such 1970s wonderfulness. Such a shame to see it all ripped out. :twisted:

 

[benmc]

There are now 17 70s green doors in the skip!

 

[Gareth Hughes]

I'm always amazed by how much earlier conversions (of pretty much anything) were so monomaniacally concerned with covering up every last trace of whatever the building had been before.

 

[Moo]

Those joists look pretty hefty - will you be able to find a use for them?

 

[Flyfisher]

I'm always amazed by how much earlier conversions (of pretty much anything) were so monomaniacally concerned with covering up every last trace of whatever the building had been before.

Me too, though it doesn't seem to be a particularly modern phenomenon. I've mentioned before how our timber-frame house was given a 'Georgian' makeover in which the original oak-frame and wattle & daub walls were "dry-lined" (using lath and hair-lime plaster) and the frame itself was hacked about to insert totally inappropriate Georgian sash windows, all of which is now deemed worthy of a G2* listing.

Perhaps it's just human nature to want to change things; the 70s craze to hardboard-over panelled doors, the 80s craze to strip painted pine, ripping apart perfectly serviceable bathrooms to install 'victorian' fittings, etc. Change may be the only true constant in our lives.

 

[benmc]

Those joists look pretty hefty - will you be able to find a use for them?

Wood burning stove. To be honest they are just ceiling joists and nothing stronger

Ben

 

[Feltwell]

That must have been a very, very satisfying job indeed stripping that lot back to find what you did! Lets just hope that in the process of covering it all up they didn't do too much damage to the original features.

 

[benmc]

That must have been a very, very satisfying job indeed stripping that lot back to find what you did! Lets just hope that in the process of covering it all up they didn't do too much damage to the original features.

Some here and there. I will need some new decorative bricks made and the original stone window is lost but we have approval to replace in wood to match the rest of the house.

Ben

 

[Penners]

I'm always amazed by how much earlier conversions (of pretty much anything) were so monomaniacally concerned with covering up every last trace of whatever the building had been before.

Me too - particularly when what had been before was so absolutely beautiful, and the covering up was so utterly pedestrian.

There's nowt so queer as folk.

 

[middi]

Good capentry in the roof. More "goodies" to discover, a buried cellar maybe ?. The GRAIL !!!! ???. (well you never know)

 

[Penners]

The GRAIL !!!! ???.

We 'ave already got one. Eet's very nass.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V7zbWNznbs

 

[JoceAndChris]

Wonderful work, benmc! A really stunning part of the building's purpose and character - quite right to reveal it.

 

[robgil]

Holy god , i wasnt expecting that.
That last photo , is that plaster directly on the brick or did they have the gumption to protect it?

 

[benmc]

Holy god , i wasnt expecting that.
That last photo , is that plaster directly on the brick or did they have the gumption to protect it?

Plaster directly onto brick

 

[LadyArowana]

Plaster directly onto brick

what a nuisance, have you started trying to remove it yet?

 

[Toby Newell]

Lucky b*****d... That must have made you smile.

Now that's what I call proper 'changing rooms'.

Toby

 

[Feltwell]

Plaster directly onto brick

That's a pain. Still, all is not lost - it may not be that well stuck, especially if they didn't PVA it first (I presume it's been done in Gypsum).

I think my approach would be to try hand tools gently first, especially getting a thin bladed decorators knife behind the plaster if you can. On any stubborn bits try a steam wallpaper stripper once you've broken the trowelled surface of the plaster. On houses where the lime plaster has been skimmed over with gypsum, careless use of a steamer often causes the gypsum skim to pop off. Hopefully it might do the same thing for you!

Those bricks look to be fairly smooth faced, which will help a lot.

 

[benmc]

Yes we will need to remove the plaster. Also planning to replace the window with one that fills the whole of the original space.

Ben