Restoration Man

[LadyArowana]

Oh, so his hand was there just to measure you for a makeover, eh?

I had been considering having some work done, but everyone here has convinced me that plastic is such an undesirable material, and there are times when wood is not an acceptable alternative. After his hands on inspection he recommended some extra insulation applied in a few strategic places, assured me that it would improve performance considerably.

 

[Penners]

he recommended some extra insulation applied in a few strategic places

Judging by the state of (un)dress of many of your gender, in our local town on recent sub-zero Friday nights, his advice should be circulated more widely.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

At last a pic of you on here.

That pic reminds me... I've left my bike somewhere...

 

[Penners]

Like the vicar, when he got to the 7th commandment.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Remind me which is the 7th? As a radical atheist I get lost after the one about your neighbour's cow or something :wink:

 

[LadyArowana]

Remind me which is the 7th? As a radical atheist I get lost after the one about your neighbour's cow or something :wink:

It's the most important one if you have a listed building, refers to not putting cement in your lime..... I think that's what the word means.

 

[Penners]

Remind me which is the 7th?

Adultery. It's an old joke.

A vicar comes out of his house one day and finds his bike missing. He's furious, and tells his friend, the verger, that he will base his Sunday sermon on the ten commandments. When he reaches the 8th commandment - thou shalt not steal - he will scrutinise the congregation to see if anyone looks guilty.

After the Sunday service, the verger takes the vicar aside. "What happened?" he asks. "You finished your sermon before you even got to the 8th commandment."

The vicar looks embarrassed. "I know," he says. "It was all going fine until I got to the seventh commandment - thou shalt not commit adultery - and I suddenly remembered where I'd left my bike."

 

[FamilyWiggs]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[ilona73]

did anyone see the episode this week base din Ormskirk?
I have to admit to being fascinated as its on our doorstep but found the CO a complete idiot!

 

[robgil]

was that the old folly? i thought that was more of a renovation than a restoration.

 

[Pford75]

Although it was refreshing to hear him comment that you don't 'own' a listed building...merely take care of it for future generations. He also persuaded the owner that plastic rooflights were a bad idea. He did seem genuinely concerned about maintaining the character of the building.

Personally, I though the windows didn't look quite right in the building...not sure why.

As to whether it was a renovation or a restoration...it seems that originally it was not a house...in which case restoration would have been unlikely (who would spend the cash if they weren't able to live in it?) I happened to think that the CO seemed to strike a sensible balance between maintaining the character of the building, but also recognising that it had remained unsold and derelict (on the buildings at risk register) for years.....without some leeway, it would have simply crumbled. That would have been a disaster.

 

[ilona73]

Although it was refreshing to hear him comment that you don't 'own' a listed building...merely take care of it for future generations. He also persuaded the owner that plastic rooflights were a bad idea. He did seem genuinely concerned about maintaining the character of the building.

Personally, I though the windows didn't look quite right in the building...not sure why.

As to whether it was a renovation or a restoration...it seems that originally it was not a house...in which case restoration would have been unlikely (who would spend the cash if they weren't able to live in it?) I happened to think that the CO seemed to strike a sensible balance between maintaining the character of the building, but also recognising that it had remained unsold and derelict (on the buildings at risk register) for years.....without some leeway, it would have simply crumbled. That would have been a disaster.

I agree to a point but it was the CO fascination with glass panels that got me .. I mean why? If the building was on the "at risk register" wouldn't you have thought that he would have been pleased someone was actually taking it on nevermind, the fact that they were in dispute over a piece of glass for over 6 months. To not keep an eye on the project then turn up and demand things be changed when he couldnt be bothered to keep an eye on it in the first place seemed a bit much to me. . The fact that the person doing the work wanted both part to marry and blend together and keep it all similar seemed the right thing to do to me but the CO insisted on a glass panel to differentiate between the two. It just didn't make sense to me. Not just aesthetically but to do the original folly justice.
For me the glass panels spoilt the facade but i know not everyone shares the same opinion.

 

[benmc]

ilona73

To not keep an eye on the project then turn up and demand things be changed when he couldnt be bothered to keep an eye on it in the first place seemed a bit much to me. .

This seems to be normal. I have Listed Building Consent for extensive work and for 12 months never seen the CO and as far as I know there is no formal checking that you have complied.

When working with Building Control there are regular checks

Ben

 

[ilona73]

ilona73

To not keep an eye on the project then turn up and demand things be changed when he couldnt be bothered to keep an eye on it in the first place seemed a bit much to me. .

This seems to be normal. I have Listed Building Consent for extensive work and for 12 months never seen the CO and as far as I know there is no formal checking that you have complied.

When working with Building Control there are regular checks

Ben

I know all about that... we had ours out last year when we moved in and haven't clapped eyes since. I just think its a little bit of a poor show for such a major project. Thankfully ours isn't . I think they can come back at anytime within a reasonable timeframe to check work is completed as instructed . If there wasn't there would be no use for them.

 

[Penners]

I just think its a little bit of a poor show for such a major project.

There seems to be no formal requirement for a CO to inspect or check up on work that has received LBC, although I suspect that - if a CO was suspicious about a project - he/she would "pop in for a visit".

You can argue the pros and cons of this, but the fact is that CO's are so incredibly busy that there's little chance of such inspections becoming the norm.

As Ben has said above, Building Control has a formal programme of inspections, culminating in a "sign-off" certification.

 

[ilona73]

I just think its a little bit of a poor show for such a major project.

There seems to be no formal requirement for a CO to inspect or check up on work that has received LBC, although I suspect that - if a CO was suspicious about a project - he/she would "pop in for a visit".

You can argue the pros and cons of this, but the fact is that CO's are so incredibly busy that there's little chance of such inspections becoming the norm.

As Ben has said above, Building Control has a formal programme of inspections, culminating in a "sign-off" certification.

I appreciate what you say and i know they are busy but for a major project such as that was, i thought that if he was that bothered about things he should have checked up on it at the time rather than 6 months of negotiations after the event had happened. There was obviously no agreement in place to begin with so why make things more difficult for the poor owner with something that looked far superior than making him rip part of it out to put in a glass panel just because they wanted to differentiate between the two areas instead of marrying it in. which to me doesn't look anywhere near as nice.
Very odd. but there ya go!! haha

 

[Juju]

I was really looking forward to the show as I'm rather partial to George Clarke (my Geordie partner is not impressed) and I thought it sounded like it would include people who understood period properties and wanted to do them up sympathetically. The plastic roof light was hideous in my opinion and I can't believe he thought it would be acceptable.. I didn't like the extension at all and hated the olde worlde interior in part of the house. Oh well, each to their own!

 

[JoceAndChris]

I agree with you Juju. I hated it. To take such a countrified piece of silliness and turn it into urban trendy fake posh shouldn't have been allowed. It wasn't a nice looking folly even in the 18th C and now in the 21st it looks a damn sight worse.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

I didn't like the end result - which after all was just the original 4 external walls with a new build inside and a new build extension. I was amazed that the CO signed off the windows including rippled glass) and the skylight.

I thought he spoke common sense on maintaining a distinction between the original and the new and the glass panels would have achieved this.

Overall I was left with the impression of what a modern builder can do to an 18th C folly - and that the CO seemed relatively powerless to prevent it - either by their continued absence from the project, or because it was clear the builder had no intention of complying with the "agreement in principle" to replace the plastic skylight or install the glass panels. This was evident because by the end of the programme neither had been done or looked likely, since the family had moved in.

I appreciate how busy COs are, but given the derelict history of the building and its "at risk" status - I have thought he'd have popped in moer than 6 monthly, just out of interest....

I'd also have liked less "telly makeover" and more traditional/conservation insight from George. Supping tea with the local oracle was all very well - but a bit more rigour wouldn't have been missed.

Maybe I'm just grumpy tonight!

 

[JoceAndChris]

I might be grumpy as well, but I go along with pretty much everything you said there Robin. But who knows what other pressures the CO was put under by colleagues and bosses? He might have wanted to get more involved but have been dissuaded from it because of the glamour lent to the project by televising. Being a Conservation Officer looks like such a hard job, pulled this way and that by a thousand conflicts- and so often the muddy case of there being no definitive right and wrong, only opinion.

Aren't modern extensions in cement a fraught issue anyway - as old materials and new move and flex differently? What impact would that have on glass panels?

I wonder if he used any lime anywhere. I wonder if he'll be on here talking about damp in the next 6 months! :lol: