battle of the bulge... ceiling repair

[bernardgreen]

The previous owner had built a DIY wardrobe apparently to hide and maybe support a bulge in the sloping ceiling caused by a broken rafter under the thatch. The rafter is probably original and around 500 years old.

It has to be lime plaster with horse hair on reed ( conservation officer ) but the original reed was encased in cerment when the wardrobe was built.

Rather than pinning each new reed in place individually I am hoping this mat of reeds glued to netting is going to be satisfactory.

 

[Bosswhite]

Why is the Conservation officer interested in a small patch that just needs rough surface plastering, its not a major refurbish, The top bit looks like standard lathe and plaster of yesteryear ,
the cupboard/wardrobe was not 500 years old ?

 

[bernardgreen]

Why is the Conservation officer interested in a small patch

It is Grade II listed and anything that affects the fabric creates "interest" in the conservationists.

No cupboard was not 500 years old.

The ceilings are all reed and lime plaster, the exposed reeds had a covering of lime plaster that had detached itself from the reed. Bit odd that the plaster that was in the wardrobe had become weaken while that outside the wardrobe remained firmly attached to the reed.

 

[Nige F]

maybe it fell down with a lot of foot stamping while singing "Panzerlied"

 

[Bosswhite]

How did the Conservationists know that you had removed a cupboard ( which was a modern one)

Listing a building means that the exterior of the property should not be altered without permission and any main features of interest regarding the interior should not be altered, minor repairs and making the property habitable from damage are allowed without permission
The area concerned appears to be very small, lathes are in place so could be repaired with plaster finish and Emulsioned over so I would have thought that the work did not warrant approval, sounds like you have made it into a major issue by involving the Conservationists

 

[bernardgreen]

I haven't involved them for this trivial repair but when the windows are being replaced later this year they are likely to notice the patch and ask what happened.

maybe it fell down with a lot of foot stamping while singing "Panzerlied"

lots of little wood worms munching Frühstück

 

[KenGMac]

bernardgreen, good evening.

As to trying to work out a Causation?

I am quite willing to say here I know absolutely zero about this type of roof structure, this form of roof is shall I call it uncommon up here??

OK is it possible that the retro fitted Cupboard caused a localised increase in Condensation within the Cupboard, this in turn has adversely affected the roof structure?

Just a thought, given that Cupboards on external walls attract Condensation, especially in shall we call it "older properties"

Ken.

 

[Bosswhite]

Once the walls are painted how will they notice. ? There will be some making good when you fit the windows ,
for your interest you would be allowed Double Glazed windows, there are double glazing firms that specialise in listed building alterations.

 

[bernardgreen]

Once the walls are painted how will they notice.

Different texture of the wall / ceiling paper and they took photographs of the place when I bought it.

there are double glazing firms that specialise in listed building alterations.

One of my neighbours had this battle with aconservation officer over her previous house. His attiude was if the building had been built with double glazed windows then it could have double glazed replacements. She won by pointing out that the building had been double glazed when listed in 19??. If the listing officer considered double glazing was acceptable in 19?? then he ( the conservation officer ) had to accept that it was in 20??.

OK is it possible that the retro fitted Cupboard caused a localised increase in Condensation within the Cupboard,

That does seem to have been the case here as the plaster that was within the cubboard and on the other wall is noticably different to the plaster on the rest of that wall.

One thing that is annoying me is that had I tackled this bulge before the roof was re-thatched then the broken rafter could have been straightened and sistered against a new rafter.

 

[Bosswhite]

Different texture of the wall / ceiling paper and they took photographs of the place when I bought it.


is that original circa 1500`s ceiling paper !