Scaffolding removed!

[malcolm]

The scaffolding was removed today and I can see the house now. Previously rotting wood, leaky roof, brick, stone and render painted in waterproof magnolia paint, ugly 1950s flat roof extension. Now the paint has been removed from the brick and stonework, bricks repointed with lime, the softwood at the front that wasn't replaced stripped and repainted in linseed paint, white stuff limewashed, brand new oak gable which will be lurking behind hessian until spring. Just the ground floor to finish next year - I don't need scaffolding for that.

Apart from ridding the house of magnolia paint it doesn't look a lot different in photos. Folk will wonder what I've been doing hidden behind a screen of plastic sheeting for the last 6 months. I'm pleased as punch. Thanks everyone - it would have been another waterproof disaster area without advice from you.

This is what is hiding behind the hessian on the gable. I think it will look great, but I do like my mock tudor.

 

[noj]

What a great feeling that must be!

Enjoy

 

[plasticpigeon]

That looks super. I like mock tudor too.

 

[mims&pip]

Looking really good, Malcolm!

Mims (another fan of mock Tudor :wink: ) x

 

[malcolm]

The mock tudor on the gable was real tudor in good condition before they invented cement render 100 years ago. The front timber is structural set on carved stone with some fine detail in the windows.

The odd design seems to be to do with making minimal changes to the existing structure behind when they nailed it on in 1910.

 

[Andys]

Looking good, that's loads of work you've done. It must be a real boost to get the covers off!

 

[Andys]

Soz, double-post foolishness....

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Well done Malcolm---I know your village fairly well, and recall your house over the years. It looks really good now, and I too like mock tudor often seen around some of your neighbouring villages.

Do enjoy!

 

[Zebra]

 

[88v8]

Something to be proud of.

Ivor

 

[malcolm]

It came down just in time - I wouldn't want to be up there in this weather. A little snow settled this morning and the forecast for Saturday night is -3 degrees C. Today is the strongest northerly wind I remember here, but the hessian is still in place. Hope nobody else was doing lime render up until the end of October. :shock:

 

[TheRoost]

Well done, it looks superb.

Andy

 

[Flyfisher]

Good looking job - you should be pleased.

Removing scaffolding may not mark the end of a project but it's usually a very significant milestone.

 

[malcolm]

I removed the hessian sheeting this morning. The half timber set into the gable looks a little incongruous but makes the building easy to 'read'. The history is fun. The original timber frame was full height. The brick chimney was added later (with English bond brickwork) and the timber frame studs repositioned at the same time, then the house was extended backwards by Georgians retaining the original ridge line, then upwards by Edwardians with a new ridge line. The bottom of the timber frame was replaced with brick in modern times, and the rest of it replaced last year.

This is how it looked before I started messing around with it:

I am wondering whether it doesn't quite work - looks a little too fussy.

 

[plasticpigeon]

I really like it, your plans are coming together very well. I hope the local community appreciate all your hard work.

 

[MatthewC]

I am wondering whether it doesn't quite work - looks a little too fussy.

Looks fine to me. If I had been fortunate enough to find a similar house, I would like to think I would have done the same thing.

 

[malcolm]

It's probably just that it looks different and will take a little getting used to. It might settle down a bit with some weathering and become less fussy when I sort out the lower part of the wall. The local community seem to like it - they sent me a text to say so.

 

[Feltwell]

A vast improvement in my (not very!) humble opinion. Looks good, clearly the result of a lot of hard work.

I know you have plans for the single storey section on t'other end of the building - is that modern velux on the front roof elevation on the hit list too? It would look a lot better with a conservation type roof light there.

 

[malcolm]

It still doesn't feel quite right. I'll do my normal thing and photoshop a few ideas - I'm planning to eventually replace the modern common bricks under the new timber frame but haven't yet decided what to replace them with. Possibly darker bricks to match the front or continue the timber frame down to the plinth.

I think the Velux will stay for now. It isn't as pretty as it could be, but it is functional so not high up on the list. I must get on with finishing off the change of use this year. I was a bit distracted fixing water ingress and resultant structural problems last year.

 

[Zebra]

I like it. I reckon it'll grow on you, I reckon you've just got used to the hessian.