TV Restoration/Wales shortage of traditional skills

[ripple65]

Dear Period Property members
I wonder if any of your Welsh members might be able to help with our search for buildings for the new series of Restoration. We're investigating the shortage of skills in traditional building trades, and would like to find a period property in Wales which demonstrates the horrifying results of poor methods and the wrong materials. Something very visual where the building structure has been undermined would be ideal. We think cement instead of lime mortar may be overdone but something like cracking walls because of cement use, or damp problems due to unsympathetic work would be the sort of thing.

It's a v short lead time - we're hoping to locate and chat ready to recce next week. The owner themselves wouldn't need to appear on television.

Please email me on this forum or call me direct on 0141 582 3478 with any thoughts or properties or other leads I might follow up.
Thanks for your attention.
Kind regards
Wendy Robertson

 

[Gervase]

I would suggest just about any typical farmhouse in Ceredigion, as 90 per cent of them have been b*ggered beyond belief, with cement render, plastic windows and hideous extensions.
Failing that, try giving Gary Cooper, the excellent conservation officer for Ceredigion council, a discrete call - he may be able to steer you in the right direction.

 

[ripple65]

Thanks, Gervase.
I tracked Gary down and he was HUGELY helpful. V nice chap and we may have a suitable property.
Anyone in Wales have stories of not being able to find people with the right skills to carry out repair/maintenance work on their period home?
Thanks
Wendy

 

[Gervase]

*shameless plug*...and if so, let me know!

 

[Keycare]

I bought a 17c welsh long house 2 years ago that was 'modernised' very badly in about 1990.

I am doing all of the work myself because I can't find any pro-help in the Swansea area.

It was cement rendered and pebble-dashed on the outside which has led to damp problems and stone spalling/splitting.

It has had a thick (6inch in places) cement fillet covering the foundations around 1/3rd of the walls which caused such bad damp problems that the internal skirting board rotted away.

The interior has cement plaster up to 3 inches thick. Every single interior wall had been artexed with swirly patterns, lethal bark patterns (that cut if you accidentally rub along the wall with bare skin) and rainbow patterns.

It has the mode hideous leaking tilt and turn plastic windows you have ever seen with broken fake glazing bars.

The roof slates have been patch repaired with silicone sealant. It has plastic fascias that have been glued onto rotten wooden fascias.

There are two drain pipes covering over 140sqm of roof surface that fall off in the slightest gust of wind.

I do sometimes ask myself what the hell have I let myself in for.