Spalling Bricks & Timber

[Christopher Smith]

Howdy,

I am in the process of purchasing a forever home, the survey highlighted issues on the gable end. So, it is a 150 years old farmhouse and I can see spalled bricks and gaps on the roof line where bricks and timber is missing...

should I be put off? Am I going to spend 5k, 25k to put it right?

Any thoughts greatfully received,
Chris

 

[^woody^]

Didn't your survey highlight that the spalling brickwork relates to the flue?

That's less than £5k to rectify.

 

[mrrusty]

So, it is a 150 years old farmhouse

I'm not seeing anything other than it needs a bit of tidying up. It's obviously a solid wall, and I think it just needs a little re-pointing (using lime mortar- hopefully better than the bit lower down the wall...) I'm sure it's good for many more years, and the "wear"is just part of the character. Looks pretty solid!.

 

[Christopher Smith]

Thank you for the feedback,

the surveyor did note the chimney as an influence, the words ‘cost to repair should not be underestimated’ put me off as I have no experience with period houses yet.

Thanks Again
Chris

 

[mrrusty]

the words ‘cost to repair should not be underestimated’ put me off as I have no experience with period houses yet.

Bear in mind my opinion is that of a layman (but I have worked a bit on "period" houses, only not professionally). If it was a cavity wall, then you could very simply drop the outer skin and rebuild it. It's not - it's obviously a solid wall and to take it down or partially down and reinstate it would be a bit more work because the wall holds up the roof - you can see the ends of the purlins supported by the wall. However, I would look at it as 150 years of weather has caused some spalling and a little degradation to pointing. The pointing can be easily repaired (and to my mind, there isn't even much of that - it looks like the mortar beds are narrow and tight), and the spalling, in my mind, is mainly cosmetic. It would be possible to replace the odd brick if you wanted to remove the worst ones.

I suspect, left untouched, it would all still be standing a very long time in to the future.

 

[^woody^]

That's a relatively simple job to replace those bricks, or even turn them around.

The hardest bit will be sourcing any new bricks to match, and sourcing someone skilled enough to do the work and not leaving looking 10x worse than it does now

 

[stuart45]

and sourcing someone skilled enough to do the work and not leaving looking 10x worse than it does now

I was going to price the job, then realized you said 'not leaving', didn't see the not.

 

[^woody^]

I was going to price the job, then realized you said 'not leaving', didn't see the not.

I'm feeling all guilty now.
Never mind, looks like there's some gardening work to be done.

OP, that Ivy needs removing urgently, did your surveyor mention it? You'll need someone who can leave it looking 10x as messy, and if they charge dayworks then all the better.

 

[Christopher Smith]

Identified and noted on the ivy, it looks cool but needs to go..