Renovating 1830s House

[Possel]

I have just (today!) completed the purchase of a listed 1830s house in Oxfordshire which needs major remedial work - roof, pointing, plaster, electrics, heating etc, all using the appropriate materials (Welsh slate, cast iron guttering, lime mortar etc). This job will take nine months before we can move in, then another 6-12 months to finish it off.

If anyone is interested, here's a link to the blog which I started back in August when we first saw the place: http://houseintheenchantedforest.blogspot.com/

 

[andyinthepeaks]

I've been using a lot of Bleaklow Pre-Mixed lime for a 1770's vintage job. I really like the stuff and its a lot faster and more consistant than mixing and curing your own. Coarse for any deep pointing, medium for surface pointing. At bulk £8 a 40kg sack its a bargain..!!

http://www.bleaklow.co.uk/pages/premixed.html

The thing to get used to is that you are in no hurry to use it... Work from a bag, at the end of the day, fold the top of the bag down and start again the next day. As long as it doesn't dry out it stays useable.

 

[Possel]

My update post seems to have disappeared!

We moved in here in July last year after eight months work, with a house which was largely finished except for thousands of details. Since then we have demolished the late Victorian brick extension (which wasout to self demolish) and replaced it with an identical one (as that was all that the Conservation Officer would allow). This extension is now virtually finished and so now I have the luxury of choosing which job I will do next, rather than having to worry about the project critical path.

See http://houseintheenchantedforest.blogspot.com/ for the whole story.