What use is a weekend? Why, for stepping back and reviewing progress between working weeks. :-)
Anyhow, this weekend I decided to photograph progress in room RA13 (as labelled in the 2007 attic floor plans). As you can see in the mild panorama below, the flooring is almost exactly half-way across the room.
The close-up below reveals new beams spliced onto the side of old beams which had to have their rotten ends chopped off. The nail gun is eagerly awaiting Monday morning, to resume business.
The photograph below shows one of the beams that was removed. You can see on the right hand end that there has been so much dry rot that virtually nothing remains.
One interesting phenomenon we have observed in newly floored-rooms, is that we are starting to notice details for the first time, such as signatures of past decorators on the walls. The reason? Well now we do not have to look so intently where we place our feet. Previously, there were holes, and not falling through them was a matter of life and death. :-)
Have I missed description of the composition of the in-fill between beams where the ceiling below is still extant? Some sort of 1860 insulation/sound deadener? It appears to be earth, like chateaux in France.
ReplyDeleteMy experience of properties this sort of age (growing up in one) is that the infill between the beams in upstairs rooms is ashes from the fires. Good for sound and a certain amount of heat insulation!
DeleteYes, I missed out the description of the sound "deadening". This is powdered lime at Balintore Castle. We have left this in-situ where it survives. And I guess ashes have a large lime component.
Deletehttps://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Ash_deafening
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