Maintenance of 16th century building

[paulchapman]

A brother-in-law of mine lives in a 16th century, listed cottage. It's a timber-framed construction full of old oak beams. He's asked me if I know the best way to maintain the external timbers of the cottage.

I don't and would be very grateful if anyone could offer any advice or point me towards any sources of information about this.

Many thanks

Paul

[mrspanton]

Oak by itself should be ok if its allowed to have air flow, as long as it hasnt been encased in modern concrete (IE not traditional slaked lime putty type or clay daub) The modern render doesnt breathe, rather it holds moisture inside and starts to encourage sweating and rotting. If timbers (especially the sill's and bottom's of posts where they enter the sill's, are rotten then it may well need splicing and scarfing in of replacement pieces. Even if the sill and sub wall beneath it needs full replacement it can be done. Check out EG Carpenter's fellowship ot Timber framer's guild for more info

[paulchapman]

Thanks, Mr S, that's very helpful.

Cheers

Paul

[thatsnotafestool]

What are the infill panels made from? If wattle and daub then good. If brick and portland cement then not so good.

What condition are the timbers in? Or is it just preventative care he needs info on?

If he does get someone in then make sure he doesn't get ripped off. Many times you can, as Mrspanton says, splice and scarf without having to replace whole beams.

Part way replacing some of the beams in my black and white cottage and so pretty up to speed ...and knackered.

One neat trick to get preservative into the beams is to get hold of some animal size syringes and inject them into either a purpose drilled hole or a convenient hole left by a woodboring insect. Upend a container filled with preservative and feed it with a bit of tubing into the needle so that over a period of a month there is a steady drip feed that soaks its way into the timber.

[paulchapman]

thatsnotafestool said:

Or is it just preventative care he needs info on?

Thanks. The cottage appears to be in pretty good condition and I think he's looking at general preventative care. However, he's not really into that sort of thing and I think he started out thinking you could just go down to B&Q, buy a can of stuff and slap it on....... He'll learn...... ;D

Cheers

Paul

[thatsnotafestool]

Microporous paints are best for the timber (if they have been painted black and he wants to keep them black). Farrow and Ball do a good range.

If some eejit used Dulux's best then a very messy job is to mix caustic soda with wallpaper paste and stick the gloop onto the paint. Leave overnight and then scrape off. The aim is to let the wood breathe.

If he needs any historical or listed plastering doing then I can recommend my guy.

[mrgrimsdale]

There's always SPAB
Basic rule with old buildings - don't do anything if it's not obviously necessary, then do as little as possible. Poke it with a stick, if it doesn't crumble away or fall over it's probably OK.

cheers
Jacob

[paulchapman]

mrgrimsdale said:

Poke it with a stick, if it doesn't crumble away or fall over it's probably OK.

That's what my wife does to me every morning to check whether I'm still alive ;D ;D

Many thanks for the tips and links - they are very helpful. I will pass them on to him.

Cheers

Paul

[dirtydeeds]

if the building is oak framed

DO NOT remove any friable material externally, it is not rot its only weathering.

that friable material acts as protection to the solid timber underneath, it acts like bark on a living tree


DO NOT paint the oak, any damp will be trapped in the timber and will rot it

[mrspanton]

He will need to consider inside as well, if theres any polythene membranes or plastic insulation that wil cause condensation (if theres plasterboard that is), or carlite and finsih coat. Again, these modern products do not breathe to wick moisture away. Any damp striking up from the ground will seep up into a hermetically sealed area, sealed on the outsideside with conctete render, the inside with carlite etc, and cant esacpe by eveaporation, so it effects the timbers instead. I mean look how you sweat if you wear a plastic coat or boot's, and how gortexe ones wick it away so you stay dry. I got me a pair of goretex army desert boots, after a day in them my feet and socks no longer come out all squelchy and wet like they used to in factroy supplied steelies ;D I seen it DOZENS of times in France, well meaning but ignorant idiots #### up a perfectly good old framed house or barn with modern concrte, plastic and that other over rated and definately over used product, silicone. If a building is hermetically sealed, air tight, you will get moisture just from our bodies if nothing else, if it is allowed to stay you get mould fungus dry rot etc etc. The old way was to let the building breathe, modern way is install central heating air con, dehumidifeir etc. Even with a fire (open or woodburner stove) consider just how many cubic metres of air are being drawn thrugh the building all the time, taking moist air, dust, spores etc with it up the flue. Much healthier.