A stitch in time

 

It's become obvious why the north gable wall started opening up around the level of the eaves a few 

Back in Victorian times it was considered a good idea to build big chunks of timber into a wall. There is

a massive one, about 3 metres long buried at the junction of the front wall and the gable.

The corner has dropped because the wood has rotted, providing a space into which the stone above it has slipped. 

The remedy is to remove all traces of the wood from the wall and then fill the voids with cement and stone.

Once the base is stabilised, the stones at the junction of the gable and the front wall can be released and then re- bedded. 

Roof Construction Update

 A change to the original design of the roof and the way the roof purlins are supported has meant constructing five timber trusses (Two shown here). 

These were put together on the ground and then (by a yet unknown method) need to be raised up into the attic space. 

Bring on the chainsaw

Only a massive timber beam now remains from the original brick and timber front wall. It is held up by an accro and several wooden props. The roof, which used to be supported by piers in between wooden cladding, is now securely held on top of cross-braced timbers salvaged from the old intermediate floor. I'm taking out the old beam with an electric chainsaw. Then it will be possible to put in the new structure!

Second Front

We removed the reinforced concrete lintel on the old front elevation with an electric breaker. The red brick piers at the side were easy to take down as they were built in lime mortar and a lot were salvageable:

However, the one in the centre had sand/cement mortar and a very hard render coat which made demolition more time consuming and created a lot of hardcore. This has come in useful for filling a soak-away in the garden.

All that needs to come out now is the huge timber lintel and the old timber double doors on the right hand side. The doors have been reinforced with steel angles which make it less straight forward to take to bits. 

Beyond the Frame

The new intermediate floor structure is nearly complete, constructed in reclaimed joists as well as new timbers (the light coloured wood, which has a tendency to twist and sometimes needs straightening). The space for the staircase can be seen on the left hand side at the far end of the photo. The timber frame for the house can't be completed until we take down the cast reinforced concrete beam over the original front door. This is going to be complicated. We have moved the acro props resting on top of it to one side. The section of roof they were supporting is now held up by a prop to the new timber frame. Rather than taking out the beam in sections, the plan is to remove the supporting brickwork so it drops (in a controlled fashion) and then break it up on the ground. That was the plan anyway......... Now I think it might be better to take it apart where it is. I'm looking around to buy a good electric breaker.

Working Inside Out

Having taken down the masonry piers above first floor level, the elevation is wide open. Scaffold netting is supposed to allow ventilation, but prevent rain getting in. This is only partially successful, rainwise, but it does provide a nice shady interior in summer. The front wall box plywood beam is almost complete, to which the reclaimed floor joists will be fixed. There is a large reinforced concrete beam over the old entrance door which will be a challenge to remove.

Pier Review

Photographs show where the pier was - from inside above and from the outside below. One brick pier is already down and the second is ready to go. The structural bracing supporting the trusses feels rock solid and hasn't moved at all during the recent strong winds. The gails have shredded the tarpaulin hung behind the old timber wall - I am planning to replace it with green scaffold netting which should be more resilient to the wind and also keep the worst of the snow and rain out. The old red bricks are worth salvaging. The original lime mortar comes off easily, although the newer, hard render takes off the face when hit with a cold chisel. Once the front is down the next step is to finish the timber frame............