Tudor fireplace restoration...

[Kearn]

Thought I would upload some (ir)regular progress pics as we have finally got round to the most exciting part of the renovation - opening back up the original Tudor fireplace in the living room. After this, I may slow down a bit and have to go back to earning some money once this stage of the list is completed, so we can sit back and enjoy! Only of course once a wall is knocked down and the 3 inches of concrete have been removed form the brick floor in the room behind the stack!!

House is timber framed approx. late 1500s/early 1600s, fireplace was originally external on the end wall but later surrounded by an animal shelter which was then brought into the building. At this stage the right hand side of the fireplace was made about a foot narrower presumably for access, but with minimal disruption to the rest of the stack.

Large sections of our frame are missing with floorboard irregularities upstairs, which point towards an internal fire causing damage and rebuild probably 1940/50s (based on the facing). Unfortunately the right hand pier is long gone with the beam, but we hopefully shall be able to save the left pier.

This is what we started with.



Day1.
Left pier in reasonable shape and repairable, only a course or maybe two missing from the top from where the beam would've sat.


Around the rear, the original structure appears to be present and brick faces are in reasonable shape thanks to many coats of protective limewash. the right side though has been amended and not tied in very well.


I'll do my best to upload as we go in case any one is interested...

 

[Kearn]

Day2&3.

More investigation around the back shows historic movement towards where the RHS has been reduced in width.


And the very clear evidence of the cross beam being slowly burned (on the left of the spine beam - which also has its end shortened). Overall about a yard or so of the cross beam is missing.


the extra depth is already looking great and the internal LHS wall seems to be in great condition, so fingers cross for the rear also.


Also, early investigation it looks like the brick floor of the room behind is present and the saving grace is that more recent floors have enough plastic sheeting beneath to hopefully have prevented adhesion to the pavier surfaces. So just careful removal of 3+inches of screed and floor....

 

[plasticpigeon]

Interesting, looking forward to seeing the progress.

 

[Nannynags]

Wow is all I can say. Think you are a bravery man than me. Really interested to see how this turns out. I will look amazing when its all done.

 

[Kearn]

Day 8 and a bit more story is being seen. RHS wall is a single skin supporting the stack...! Added around the 50s too judging by the mortar,


Presumably for access to the room behind, this side was actually made about 2 feet narrower...in the photo below, the scaffold board is in the location where the RHS pier should be standing, which looks far more impressive!


Also, we haven't found many in our house, but behind the cross beam there is a nice clear carpenter's mark.

 

[Kearn]

Day 9 and the entrance hall cupboard is thankfully no more


in future you will walk in and be greeted by a beautiful old stack and walk straight ahead rather than turning right into the living room, which gives us almost a useable room - up to now our living room has been a puzzle, 4 doors, thoroughfare, 2 windows and a fireplace!!


and a bit of investigation around the rear shows the lovely corbeling that you will see sloping away from you

 

[Kearn]

Wow is all I can say. Think you are a bravery man than me. Really interested to see how this turns out. I will look amazing when its all done.

Thanks!! I must admit I had to enlist some very experienced help with this one - so much is missing/messed about with that the original details need to be carefully read then reinstated.

It is already starting to take shape and you're right, it will be stunning!! Just a few more weeks of dust everywhere....!

 

[88v8]

I admire your vision and boldery - is that a word - in entering upon this enterprise.
Most people would have been quite content with the existing arrangement.

Ivor

 

[Kearn]

Most people would have been quite content with the existing arrangement.

Ivor

Most people, As in my wife!!!! We've started now so....unfortunately as with all jobs, job 2,3,4 etc lurk behind....

 

[paulc]

Just a few more weeks of dust everywhere....!

Thats what I thought when starting with this house - In my second year, and dust is everywhere. Even when (if ?) I.m done, the dust that has settled on walls, ceilings, and furniture will still move around for years to come.

 

[Kearn]

Just a few more weeks of dust everywhere....!

Thats what I thought when starting with this house - In my second year, and dust is everywhere. Even when (if ?) I.m done, the dust that has settled on walls, ceilings, and furniture will still move around for years to come.

Sounds unfortunate!! - after I did my first two fireplaces, the secondary settling did catch me out. The stuff is so fine it just hangs in the air! But after a few weeks and many serious vacuums and airings everything is good in those rooms now. Years sounds a bit much!!

 

[Kearn]

been a few days since I've been near a laptop (doesn't seem to be a way to upload from a phone here?!)...

progress is happening! as of Day 11this pointless block wall which directed you into the house via our living room and stole a corner of a perfectly good room behind is no more


meaning we know have an entrance hall and a gorgeous sight to greet you when you enter...


and a full size room behind the stack again so you can see it in all its glory...

 

[Kearn]

Day 13

Such a difference seeing the correct width reinstated - we are a shade under 8.5 foot now, which is a really nice proportion for the room...albeit the beam will be a little low relative to a person as the floor has been raised over time, maybe a job for another day taking it back down and re-laying brick pavers - will see how that job goes in the room behind before making a call for the future...!


and from the rear, rebuilding the side wall leaves us a nice gap between rooms, and will fully show off the shape of the stack with almost mirrored corbeling on both sides and an unusually high rear brick plinth...


on the down side, karma has caught up with me on this house - after initial hopeful signs that the brick pavers in the room behind the stack might be ok beneath the plastic laid under the concrete, it seems that they were unfortunately pulled up and aside from a few clues of the original floor pattern we have nothing but earth beneath the plastic sheeting. So, that room is paused for a few weeks until the living room is complete and usable again, then the whole floor will need excavating and limecreting before we lay reclaimed bricks and as many of the original pavers as we can rescue - which will be a fun new skill to learn!!

 

[Nannynags]

OMG this is amazing. The vision you had with this and the faith. I agree with Ivor, most people would have been satisfied with what was there, this this is so much more beautiful. Now if only I can find a local person that doesn't rely on "directly" (slang for later in Cornwall although I have probably spelt it wrong) and has correct building knowledge we'd be onto a winner. So far its me, a period house book and this forum that getting me through. Well Done you x

 

[plasticpigeon]

I hope there are more updates soon.

 

[Mickey]

Hi Nannynags that'll be 'dreckly' and you have my sympathies as a fellow Cornish period property renovator....we are only 5 years in although my woes pale into insignificance compared to what some have woken up to in Coverack
Mickey

 

[Kearn]

OMG this is amazing. The vision you had with this and the faith. I agree with Ivor, most people would have been satisfied with what was there, this this is so much more beautiful. Now if only I can find a local person that doesn't rely on "directly" (slang for later in Cornwall although I have probably spelt it wrong) and has correct building knowledge we'd be onto a winner. So far its me, a period house book and this forum that getting me through. Well Done you x

Thanks!! For the last 4 years this fireplace has been bugging me - we knew it would be worth it, not just for the living room aspect but also moving traffic away from the living room behind the stack. The job is of course, bigger, longer, slower, more complicated...! Our challenge was where to draw the line for now so that we can revert from building site back to home (for a while!). Hopefully we will regain our living room in a few weeks, then the hallway will be out of action until October (hopefully).

As it stands, we originally planned to:
- open the original fireplace and repair the flaunching on the Tudor stack.
- Pin above ceiling height the Victorian stack which rests on the shoulder of the Tudor one and remove the bricks visible in the room.
- Knock down a porch cupboard and block walls and dig up the floor in the room behind as clues said this would be repairs to original brick floor.

Where we are now is:
- opening up the original fireplace and rebuliding the RHS at original width and removing and then replacing most of the rear wall inside and out to retain the correct bond pattern and impart some stability.
- Digging up the floor with only traces of the original bricks, so need to excavate deeper, limecrete then lay reclaimed paviours, which have added some cost and significant time delay.
- The Victorian stack sitting on the Tudor one is staying for now as pinning was going to be too complicated and therefore also leave the Tudor flaunching till spring.

Spring jobs then looks like:
- remove the false ceiling in the room behind the stack back the original ceiling which is almost fully vaulted, giving us another metre of height and exposing the roof truss.
- rewiring most of the house as the cables all run across this false ceiling in every direction!! plus the fuse box needs relocating.
- a bit of plumbing to re-route pipes more sympathetically once the ceiling is gone.
- remove the entire Victorian stack from the shoulder of the Tudor one all the way to the top where it is butting against our Tudor stack.
- repair the flaunching on the Tudor stack.
- repair the resulting hole in the roof.
- strip off gypsum plaster and lime all walls, moving sockets and lighting circuits.

then relax and enjoy it!!!!!!

As always, an open mind is required when you start to pull on that annoying thread...!!

To be fair, this wouldn't have been possible without finding the right person and I was (eventually) fortunate. I do remember a Cornish based fireplace restoration company from my searches initially - can't remember details I'm afraid, but I believe they were SPAB listed. Obviously the amount of work involved means the travel radius is relatively limited, but also the localised nature of designs and materials mean that fireplace specialists tend to work in their known region.

Good luck with getting started. And better luck with getting finished!!

 

[Kearn]

I hope there are more updates soon.

There would be if i could upload pics straight from my phone!!

I have lost track of what Day# it is, but to be fair lately the visual changes have been limited - lots has been going on, but mostly removing bricks from internal/external rear wall, then putting them back again, but restoring the correct bond pattern and also imparting some structural strength again as historic 'repairs' weren't that great!

Internal rear wall partially rebuilt.


And rear of the stack now has its overall lovey shape reinstated, and sections are being removed and put back at mid-height (darker wet bricks) to the left of the crack where it has shifted towards the side that had been reduced in width.


The front is looking good, RHS structurally rebuilt and waiting to go off so we can get the beam in. Then the internal rear wall will be finished and the hearth exposed.

 

[Kearn]

Recent focus has shifted to other areas while the piers and going off ready for... the beam!


We we were lucky to rescue 10+ foot of oak from a barn that is sadly no more. It has had a great life and very consistent temperature and weathering.


Currently being cut to size - c.8.5 foot and chamfered on the rear. Hopefully tomorrow we will get in in place for final shaping and details in situ - I'm sure as it stands it will be quite dominant in the room until the burner is back in and some logs stacked either side at which point it will look great.

And a power cut yesterday was conveniently timed with c.1000 reclaimed paviours also being delivered which needed shifting by hand out of the way until we are ready to lay the floor in a couple of months.

 

[Nannynags]

Hi Nannynags that'll be 'dreckly' and you have my sympathies as a fellow Cornish period property renovator....we are only 5 years in although my woes pale into insignificance compared to what some have woken up to in Coverack
Mickey

Thanks Mickey. The Bristolian in me still doesn't pronounce everything correctly. Glad to see you are 5 years in and getting somewhere. Was starting to think the renovation down here just involved cement render and lime plastering was putting a handful or so into Gypsum. Huge generalisation I know, I'm sure I'm just looking in the wrong places. Wouldn't want to be in Coverack this morning though. Such a wonderful place to visit as well xx