Yipee! (bye bye pebbledash)

[elm]

 

[Gervase]

Well Done! Bet your wrist aches, though...

 

[MdB]

Did it come off easily or is it well stuck? The small amount I've done on our house has come off easily thankfully. Its great finding out what is underneath. Have you decided what you are going to do to the wall, just repoint and leave the stone exposed or are you going to plaster over it?

 

[Nemesis]

I suspect it was never intended to be exposed - re-render in lime?

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Or a nice lime "slurry" and lots of limewash?

 

[Craig]

Surely the next step is to remove that awful stone cladding and put back some lovely harling....?

 

[elm]

Well Done! Bet your wrist aches, though...

My partners work rather than my own I must confess .....

Did it come off easily or is it well stuck? The small amount I've done on our house has come off easily thankfully. Its great finding out what is underneath. Have you decided what you are going to do to the wall, just repoint and leave the stone exposed or are you going to plaster over it?

Variable, but the majority is coming off in satisfying lumps so far, the remainder sounds promisingly hollow.

I suspect it was never intended to be exposed - re-render in lime?

Seems only to have been painted in the past. Layers and layers, initially white, then various pinks and one layer of an ochre colour. Traces of many of these colours indoors too. A lot of preseli bluestone (of Stonehenge fame) used in the construction, harder than granite so probably would weather well, assume the layers of limewash would have protected the soft mortar. For the moment we're just going to let it breathe for a bit .....

 

[andrew gayton]

the building looks like it is awakening from a long period of hibernation

looks like that doorway was once much wider...............?

I would suggest that you repoint in a non-hydraulic lime and (very) sharp sand mortar and re limewash. if you plan to use a colour, do a coat or 2 of white first to act as a 'primer'; the top colour coats will then take much better.

very hard work to remove, repoint (possibly grout) and limewash, but well worth the effort. I did my flint house a few years back, it took all the free time for one summer, put the end result still makes me grin when i see it.

you will certainly experience a change in the internal environment once the work is done.

 

[MdB]

I would suggest that you repoint in a non-hydraulic lime and (very) sharp sand mortar and re limewash.

Any particular reason as to why the sharpness of the sand is important?

Also, is there any reason to re limewash apart from the fact that it appears to have been originally limewashed?

I ask as I'll be exposing the stone on my houses two end walls. One is covered in render and the other is covered in many layers of many types of paint. The stone is a poor sandstone and very absorbent but a lot of the local houses have the stone exposed so I was just going to remove all the gunk on them and repoint in lime and leave it like that. I also prefer its look to those that have been painted.

 

[andrew gayton]

As a rule of thumb, the maximum size of the largest partical withinn graded aggregate should be equal to 1/3 of the joint size, i.e. 10mm joint, maximum particle size 3mm (graded down to 150 microns)........... obviously, 10mm is for large joint/modern brickwork; rubble stone generally has larger joints, so you may have to use 3mm - 150 micron sharp sand ('concrete' sand) with some grit added as well. Larger aggregate makes for a more robust mix.

as for limewash on sandstone................ best not as sandstone does not like lime! hence sandstone is always used at a higher level than limestone to prevent damaging water run off................ saying that, you will find 'historic' examples contrary yo this advice.

 

[MdB]

as for limewash on sandstone................ best not as sandstone does not like lime! hence sandstone is always used at a higher level than limestone to prevent damaging water run off................ saying that, you will find 'historic' examples contrary yo this advice.

Is there any problem with pointing in lime externally? If so, what should be used? The wall is held together with mud so exposing that isn't going to be a great idea.

 

[andrew gayton]

Earth mortar not too good to expose in this country, so yes, use a non-hydraulic lime and sand aggregate mortar............ go for a 1:2 mix..................... the pro's and con's all point to using nothing but lime and sand for mortar.

 

[MdB]

Thanks.

 

[Nemesis]

Wonderful textures and colours from the old washes.

looks like that doorway was once much wider...............?

Cartshed, hayloft above?

Will be interesting to see what else is revealed when the rest of the stuff comes off.

 

[elm]

the building looks like it is awakening from a long period of hibernation

Agreed, there is a sense of relief in the air as it emerges .....

Cartshed, hayloft above?

Definitely - on the inside downstairs there is still a huge beam across the original span of the cartshed door.

Will be interesting to see what else is revealed when the rest of the stuff comes off.

Yes, it certainly will. There is a wooden lintel visible inside on the upper floor, so will be fascinating to see what is revealed - more of it coming off tomorrow, weather permitting .....

 

[shelli]

Hi Elm

Your building looks to be pretty solidly constructed, considering Nemesis's (estimed) opinion is that it was probably always going to be covered up. Even the pointing is good.

I'd leave it - it looks good naked!! you can see how nicely it blends with surroundings where the stone is visible.

(Says the girl who has the only bright white house surrounded by stone barn conversions - but hey it was the main farmhouse so it's traditional - just need sunglasses!! 8) )

 

[Nemesis]

The fad for exposure is recent, and IMHO not a fashion to be followed lightly. Welsh vernacular rubble buildings were usually covered with wash or render and wash. Leaving them naked isn't considered the done thing by the cognoscenti...

http://periodproperty.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8905&p=99740&hilit=Welsh+Vernacular#p99740

 

[MdB]

The fad for exposure is recent, and IMHO not a fashion to be followed lightly. Welsh vernacular rubble buildings were usually covered with wash or render and wash. Leaving them naked isn't considered the done thing by the cognoscenti...

http://periodproperty.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8905&p=99740&hilit=Welsh+Vernacular#p99740

Yes the fad is recent but I don't see any problem in it. Limewash can always be added at a later date so why not enjoy the building the way the owner wants to enjoy it? The house is a home and not a museum piece. Each new owner adds something of their taste to the building (as can be seen in the white, pink, ochre and cement(!) layers of this house). Why should not the current owner do the same? Bare stone is just as valid as limewash in my book if that is what the owner wants.

If the building is listed then the building does need to be treated like a museum to certain extent so historical finish is more important. In this house though what finish is correct? Should it be white, pink, ochre or cement? (OK maybe we can remove that last one.) Who chooses? The CO or the owner? What if the owner wants blue?

 

[shelli]

dont forget though, Elm is the custodian of the house, he doesn't really own it !!! :wink:

 

[Nemesis]

It looks not great naked, does stone intended to be covered. Limewash is beautiful stuff, too.

But of course folks can do what they wish to their own unlisted, non-conservation area buildings.

It's just some of us look on and weep, at what some folks choose to do.