Repairing the Shell

While building the new internal framework I am also stitching and replacing damaged areas of the original stone envelope.

Buried timber plates and lintels have created the most problems, rotting away over time.

An old bricked-up window has been leaking badly for many years, made worse by the close proximity of a neighbour's garden shed, the roof of which throws water at the damaged wall. To repair the fabric, first I repointed the original brickwork and then applied 3 coats of a liquid damp proof membrane. Next, I built another skin of reclaimed bricks, linked to the first with stainless steel ties. Finally I took the old lintel out in sections to avoid the masonry above collapsing. This work is quite laborious, but should give the original wall another century of service.