why did i look behind that panel?

[ptcottage]

Call me Pandora...
We've now received the keys to our lovely flint cottage, and we're simultaneously thrilled and terrified. Sound familiar?

Our survey showed that the upstairs chimney breast was lined with polystyrene tiles, which they recommended we remove immediately due to fire risk. So, duly warned, I started to carefully remove these tiles (we'll get into the issue of plaster falling off the brick and coal soot falling on my head in another post...).

When I got to the bit where the brick met the adjoining wall, I noticed that there was a space between the original wall and the very, very thin and deteriorating board that had been put up to hide it. So, unable to control myself, I pulled it off.

In addition to the lovely history of wallpaper I found underneath (and a newspaper from 1928), I discovered a terrifying gap between the brickwork on the outside wall and the flint, about 2 inches wide at parts and about 3' long from start to end, several inches deep.

Called the neighbours around who have building experience, they say if you can't see daylight it's nothing to worry about. The local brickie who has extensive traditional building experience also took a look, said nothing to worry about, house has been standing for years, he'll whack some lime render in there. We looked outside and there had been an external repair on the other side at some point (in cement, grrr).

Of course, being inexperienced (but fairly well-informed) house owners, I have visions of the chimney falling on us or the whole outside wall coming down.

Would anyone else find this gap worrying? Don't know if we should get in a surveyor before we get the crack repaired or just go with our local advice, patch things up as they happen, etc. Any thoughts?

We knew this would be a project! Just weren't expecting anything like this just yet...typical. Tune in next time for, "Hey, what's behind the mushy lining paper?"

 

[Lime]

I think we need some pictures prior to making any comment.

Have a look at this link if you do not know how to do that:-

http://periodpropertyshop.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7515

 

[MdB]

Any signs of recent movement?

Our chimney breast had moved away from the wall by 40mm or so but the render that had been applied on top wasn't cracked so there had been no movement for at least 40 years and probably a lot more than that. One of the advantages of old walls is that they can self heal when they crack to a certain extent which modern cement walls won't do. I'm currently filling in my gap with lime as well as is possible. It wasn't a fun thing to find but I'm not worrying about it.

 

[stickybeak]

.

 

[Nemesis]

It sounds, given that it looks as though it has been deliberately covered up, an old crack. Doubtful, if hidden from view, a survey would have shown its existence.

I'd fill it in and monitor it before any panic.

 

[Flyfisher]

The C17 part of our house is of a 'rubble wall' construction and there are some areas where the outside is bulging. Our surveyor said this could be due to 'delamination', probably due to water ingress higher up the wall (the guttering had not been doing its job for many years!). It clearly needs to be repaired but there was no suggestion is was immediately dangerous - and I know from its history that it has been like this for many years, decades even.

Any house that has stood for a few hundred years can't be all bad and is unlikely to suddenly give up the ghost and collapse in a heap. Graceful decline seems to be the norm, which gives us plenty of time to catch and repair the inevitable faults.

At least, that's what everyone tells me about our house :wink:

 

[Penners]

I echo what Lime has asked - can you post a picture or two?

I'm afraid I'm having trouble visualising exactly where this gap is - ie: what is brick and what is flint.

Chimney stacks are normally fully self-supporting. Sometimes they're tied into the abutting walls and sometimes not. In the latter case, gaps between the stack and the walls can develop, but aren't necessarily structurally critical.

But it's difficult to tell from your verbal description whether your gap is worrying or not. One or two pictures would be very helpful.

 

[Penners]

Graceful decline seems to be the norm

Well, yes - with a PS that graceful decline can ultimately end in a rather less-than-graceful submission to gravity.

A bit like the elderly aunt with the sherry bottle.

 

[Flyfisher]

Ultimately, I agree, but I suspect that, by then, the structure will in the sort of state where even a non-expert might start questioning how the structure is managing to stay up at all - at least that's what I keep telling myself when looking at some of the rotting and bowing wooden lintels above some of our windows (I could be self-delusional of course!).

 

[Nemesis]

I feel like that when I look in the mirror.

 

[Penners]

I feel like that when I look in the mirror.

Ah - the sherry bottle.
QED

 

[Nemesis]

And the force of gravity.

 

[Penners]

The two are inextricably linked. Where one ceases, the other invariably takes over.

 

[ptcottage]

Thank you all for your helpul comments, I'll try to get some pix asap!

 

[AMc]

Ultimately, I agree, but I suspect that, by then, the structure will in the sort of state where even a non-expert might start questioning how the structure is managing to stay up at all.

Picture from Photographs of old Norwich

This used to be opposite our house. I wouldn't have walked this close to the tower. :shock: :shock: :shock:

... in the spring of 1971 the tower was struck by lightning; shortly afterwards the sonic boom of a low-flying plane caused it to collapse, which is the kind of sight you'd pay to see.

 

[Flyfisher]

Looks like all that 'green scaffolding' is doing a good job :shock:

 

[Penners]

Where is that? We drove past one that looked very like that a few weeks ago. I think we were in the Poringland/Stoke Holy Cross area.

 

[AMc]

It was in South Walsham (opposite my house).

 

[Penners]

I don't think it's the same one, then - although we were heading your way on our way up to Waxham beach.

But this tower was in the middle of nowhere - not in a town/village.

 

[AMc]

St Mary's in S. Walsham is still standing, as is the chancel of St. Lawrence's which is a community centre thingy. They stand in the same churchyard but the tower of St. Lawrence's fell down in 1971 so you won't have seen it recently

There's another that's visible from the B1140 on the Panxworth Church Road towards Ranworth. As Panxworth doesn't have another church I assume this was it. Ordnance Survey just has it marked as "Tower". The chancel is completely gone, the churchyard and tower survive, but the tower is covered in metal fencing and warning signs. If the RAF recommence supersonic low level flybys it could go too, but that seems to be rare at the moment.

Again not really on your route from Suffolk to Waxham as there is a rather pretty but incovenient Broad running in the way. If you went around Norwich on the A47 and up through Wroxham you might have passed it.