Renovating early 1700's timber framed farmhouse

[vicky whitworth]

Hello, it's great to hear you have changed your direction after hearing what others with great expertise on here have to say. I have always found their advice hugely helpful, and has often made me pause to reflect. Might I add another challenge. Why remove stud walls upstairs especially if they are old walls? Presumably you bought the house because you loved it. Reconfiguring rooms changes the whole flavour and tone of a place. Lots of pokey little rooms add character, are easy to heat and kids love them. Also if they are old they are part of the history of the place. Why not try living with it a while and seeing if you like it?
The people at the mill cottage in my village bought a place with pokey rooms. It was charming. They fell in love. They took out the old, timber framed 18th century partitions, they opened it all up to make big bedrooms and en suites and now they have - a Barratt Home. And they get upset when people tell them they don't like what they have done (not me I hasten to add. I'm too much of a wimp!).
Lots to think about, eh? Vicky

 

[dans]

Hi Vicky,

I know what you're saying, and I agree! These are not original stud walls but a much later addition. May of the rooms are odd shapes (long and thin) and the hallway starts off 4ft wide and ends 2ft wide! It's changing the configuration or never invite your 'heavier' friends round!!!

I don't want to change the character of the place. Luckily, all the rooms are very large with tall ceilings, which seems to suit modern tastes anyway...

Will post some pics soon...

Thanks,
Dan

 

[robgil]

I am in much the same situation. Cement plaster inside (now removed) and a mixture of cement, lime and daub render outside.
Inside was much the same with 50's fireplaces and a partition upstairs made from a softwood frame and whiteboard infills. We also have a clay lump lean-to with cement on both sides that was very badly water damaged to the point where it was verging on collapse.

 

[Zebra]

from reading posts on this forum, it is common to insulate the building externally within stud between render and original timber?

What is in between your timbers? Wattle and daub? Mine are empty in between. For what it's worth I'm having a detailed spec created right now for doing external wall insulation applied to the outside of the frame, which I hope to carry out next year. I've found I've had to virtually create my own system, because with the types of external wall insulation I'm looking at, it's common to have the sheathing board on the inside of the frame. If you want to reveal the timbers internally, then you have to have the sheathing board on the outside, which seems to be an unusual way of doing it, but I've found a make of sheathing board which is breathable.
Just saying in case any of this is relevant to you. There will be others on here who know a lot more than me, but I've owned my place a year and have done a lot of research into external wall insulation, and am happy to share if of any interest to you.

 

[Zebra]

Also if you update your profile with whereabouts in the country you are - just helps when people are recommending suppliers, or to understand the conditions/traditions where you are. Go to User Control Panel, Profile....