The right way to preserve a 16th century (probably) wattle and daub internal wall?

[Villager]

Having opened up a hall wall in a Tudor cottage to discover these elm posts and wattle & daub fabric, my instinct is to preserve as is (potentially with perspex panels) so that visitors can enjoy the materials and techniques on display. A local conservation officer, however, has determined that full repairs (of the wattle, daub, and lime plaster) must be undertaken with traditional materials - and the entire wall returned to its original fully plastered state. Whilst I respect the emphasis on repair by traditional means, I'm dismayed that this fascinating architectural feature would potentially simply disappear forever from view. Very interested in the perspectives of any readers on the optimal way to resolve this situation...

 

[aockenden]

Yeah wattle is meant to be covered in daub and daub is meant to be covered in lime. That’s what it is. It’s an authentic ancient walling system. I suggest you allow it to be what it is, instead of showing off its dysfunctional guts to the world. Keeping it exposed like that with some glass panels feels gimmicky, moderny and disconnected.

 

[Kearn]

For once, a CO gets it spot on.

It’s part of the standard build make up of the home, let it work correctly. It’s not Disney, and Perspex panels will risk damaging what lies beneath, focussing moisture and condensation, trapping spiders and their webs etc. It needs daub and lime.

What is the stuff protruding from the other side of the panel?

Why has the historic fabric been removed?

It’s a very odd timber construction too, half lapped, pegged dovetails.

 

[Cubist]

Well.... I suppose that if you want to live in a museum exhibit... then Yes go for the perspex sheeting. But, for all the reasons Kearn has already expressed you'll find it rather uncomfortable to watch, what would remind me of one of those kids 'ant farms' one sometimes sees but populated with spiders and woodlice instead, slowly degrade into a pile of dust.

To another person posting a similar proposal here a few weeks back, I suggested that he/she took a photograph of the wall 'as is' that could then be framed and mounted on the fully restored wattle and daub wall. This, besides providing a good contrast of 'Before and After', would also be easier to keep clean.

 

[Villager]

Yeah wattle is meant to be covered in daub and daub is meant to be covered in lime. That’s what it is. It’s an authentic ancient walling system. I suggest you allow it to be what it is, instead of showing off its dysfunctional guts to the world. Keeping it exposed like that with some glass panels feels gimmicky, moderny and disconnected.

Thank you for this helpful perspective

 

[Villager]

For once, a CO gets it spot on.

It’s part of the standard build make up of the home, let it work correctly. It’s not Disney, and Perspex panels will risk damaging what lies beneath, focussing moisture and condensation, trapping spiders and their webs etc. It needs daub and lime.

What is the stuff protruding from the other side of the panel?

Why has the historic fabric been removed?

It’s a very odd timber construction too, half lapped, pegged dovetails.

Thank you for this helpful perspective

 

[Villager]

Well.... I suppose that if you want to live in a museum exhibit... then Yes go for the perspex sheeting. But, for all the reasons Kearn has already expressed you'll find it rather uncomfortable to watch, what would remind me of one of those kids 'ant farms' one sometimes sees but populated with spiders and woodlice instead, slowly degrade into a pile of dust.

To another person posting a similar proposal here a few weeks back, I suggested that he/she took a photograph of the wall 'as is' that could then be framed and mounted on the fully restored wattle and daub wall. This, besides providing a good contrast of 'Before and After', would also be easier to keep clean.

Thank you for this helpful perspective

 

[Cubist]

Sorry if my earlier response seemed a little heavy handed. Nevertheless I do feel that you need to re-establish and restore the wattle and daub. However, I would recommend that you leave the main timbers of the frame exposed if at all possible. They are clearly hand hewn and very old so well worth preserving in their own right. You may though want to consider how best to protect them from damp and infestation in the future should you do this.

Cheers,
Cubist

 

[Cubist]

What is the stuff protruding from the other side of the panel?

I think its either straw or perhaps water-reed but it could even be thin hazel rods.

 

[Kearn]

I think its either straw or perhaps water-reed but it could even be thin hazel rods.

It looks to my eye, much too uniform and consistent in shape and colour to be organic… and the other side of this panel wouldnt allow it any depth.

 

[Kearn]

. You may though want to consider how best to protect them from damp and infestation in the future should you do this.

Cheers,
Cubist

keep them dry. Less than 12% moisture which is easy enough and they’ll stay there as long as they wish. Rot wont take hold, beetles can’t eat it… a timber frame really wants for nothing but airflow.

Limewash helps from an antibacterial perspective, but more when the space houses animals etc… it does also look nice and was a traditional covering.

 

[Cubist]

It looks to my eye, much too uniform and consistent in shape and colour to be organic… and the other side of this panel wouldnt allow it any depth.

A few years back I watched our thatcher install a new straw ridge over the reed main roof here. For all the world the 'edge' cuts he made to shape the ridge and also those at the foot of the main roof look remarkably similar. I'm guessing but I suspect that side of the wall was constructed after the daub and wattle side shown. May be Villager could provide more clues?

 

[Kearn]

A few years back I watched our thatcher install a new straw ridge over the reed main roof here. For all the world the 'edge' cuts he made to shape the ridge and also those at the foot of the main roof look remarkably similar. I'm guessing but I suspect that side of the wall was constructed after the daub and wattle side shown. May be Villager could provide more clues?

I know exactly what you mean, but this looks very much like something out of a can extruded through a diamond shaped mesh…

 

[aockenden]

I know exactly what you mean, but this looks very much like something out of a can extruded through a diamond shaped mesh…

Yeah I would’ve guessed a stainless steel lath mesh thing with lime mortar pushed through from the other side.

 

[Kearn]

Yeah I would’ve guessed a stainless steel lath mesh thing with lime mortar pushed through from the other side.

Just doesn’t look like lime at all…

 

[Cubist]

much like something out of a can extruded through a diamond shaped mesh…

stainless steel lath mesh thing with lime mortar pushed through from the other side.

I can see where you guys are coming from but the, forgive me. PlayDough like, extrusion process seems highly unlikely. Whilst I can see how it could be done with even primitive tools and materials I can't work out why anyone would bother? The effort / cost of making the tools would be very high and I suspect too that the extruded material would be so soft and malleable it would not be able to maintain its physical integrity and would quickly collapse under the weight of the material above.

Agreed, the section of wall behind the wattle and daub would likely be very shallow but I'm reasonably sure that straw/reed/hazel et al could easily be cut or trimmed to a suitable length..... and maybe the PlayDough analogy has some merit as I can imagine someone using this method as make-work for small hands?

We may never know for sure but its a fascinating find that should be preserved I think.

 

[Cubist]

Intrigued, and remembering a post here from a couple of years ago about a house that appeared to have internal walls constructed of blocks in which lengths of straw in a slurry of cement seemed to have been used, I finally got off my rear - metaphorically - and consulted the great Google Guru.

It seems that straw has been used in the manufacture of adobe bricks as well as in wattle and daub infill panels for something like 7,000 years or maybe they just couldn't be arsed to tread it in to make cob.- and there was I thinking some medieval kiddie had had a spark of genius!

 

[Kearn]

I can see where you guys are coming from but the, forgive me. PlayDough like, extrusion process seems highly unlikely. Whilst I can see how it could be done with even primitive tools and materials I can't work out why anyone would bother? The effort / cost of making the tools would be very high and I suspect too that the extruded material would be so soft and malleable it would not be able to maintain its physical integrity and would quickly collapse under the weight of the material above.

Agreed, the section of wall behind the wattle and daub would likely be very shallow but I'm reasonably sure that straw/reed/hazel et al could easily be cut or trimmed to a suitable length..... and maybe the PlayDough analogy has some merit as I can imagine someone using this method as make-work for small hands?

We may never know for sure but it’s a fascinating find that should be preserved I think.

I think my description failed to convey what I meant! I imagine this to be a steel mesh, used as a render carrier, directly plastered onto. What the plaster is… hence the cross section of all the nibs is regular in shape and layout

 

[Cubist]

I think my description failed to convey what I meant! I imagine this to be a steel mesh, used as a render carrier, directly plastered onto. What the plaster is… hence the cross section of all the nibs is regular in shape and layout

Apologies Kearn, I had indeed failed to understand what what you meant. Thanks for the clarification. I always feel it's such a shame when there's a risk that something, that suggests an innovative approach may have been used, by design or chance, may be lost to a homes history. All credit to Villager for the desire to conserve and preserve it and so sad also that the only real way to do that is to cover it up.

 

[Kearn]

Apologies Kearn, I had indeed failed to understand what what you meant. Thanks for the clarification. I always feel it's such a shame when there's a risk that something, that suggests an innovative approach may have been used, by design or chance, may be lost to a homes history. All credit to Villager for the desire to conserve and preserve it and so sad also that the only real way to do that is to cover it up.

I should stop late night replying when I’m zonked!

We’ve a few oddities in our project, certainly being preserved where sensible.