Medieval timber beams under modern paint. What can I do (as a tenant)?

[HollyBlue]

Hello everyone,

I’m hoping for some guidance. I’m living in part of a medieval building in Warwickshire. Originally a Knights Templar preceptory. The official Historic England record dates the timber frame to the 13th–14th century, though local historians suggest parts of it may go back as far as 1152. The property is Grade II* listed.

At some point, some of the original beams were painted over with black gloss. The surface is now flaking and cracking, and it looks like the timber itself is cracking in parts. In some places the wood beneath feels soft or friable -Mostly shallow (around 1 mm), but up to 3 mm in a few spots. There are areas filled with plaster or modern filler, and a crude timber patch in one spot.

I’m not the owner, only a long-term tenant. I have raised the issue with the landlord and the charitable foundation that manages the property. Unfortunately, because this part of the building isn’t public-facing, there’s no intention to intervene.

I don’t want to overstep my position, but I also don’t want to neglect what feels like a small piece of history. I have very limited funds, but plenty of time and care. My only goal is to do what’s right for the beams. To stabilise, clean, and respect them.

I understand that any invasive work would technically require Listed Building Consent, so I’m not planning to strip, sand, or treat anything without guidance & permission. I’d just like to know what might safely be done at a tenant level to prevent further harm. I’d also be curious to know what the ideal solution would be, if the financial aspect wasn’t a consideration for the landlord.

I’ve attached photos showing the current condition. Plus two photos of an unpainted beam elsewhere in the building for comparison.

I’m entirely new to this, so any advice or reading recommendations would be deeply appreciated.

Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge. Even a small pointer would mean a lot.

Jemma

 

[Cubist]

Hi Jemma and Welcome,

Sorry to say it but your best option right now is to do nothing. Given the G2* status of the building, the freehold presumably owned by the landlord and a charitable foundation having some authority over the building represents a complex web of contractual relationships, responsibilities and liabilities which are perhaps further complicated by your leasehold agreement. Hopefully the latter will provide a clear articulation of all your maintenance responsibilities for the part of the property in your care and also stipulate to whom and in what circumstances you must defer to one or other of the other parties should the need arise.

I would urge you to seek professional advice from a solicitor concerning the specific terms of your tenancy agreement before doing anything - even touching in some of the old black paint.

Cheers and good luck.
Cubist

 

[Itchinfilth]

Shame the managing agent / LL aren't a bit more interested. Looks a great property with oodles of history. That post in the hallway is monumental to say the least!

 

[HollyBlue]

Hi Jemma and Welcome,

Sorry to say it but your best option right now is to do nothing. Given the G2* status of the building, the freehold presumably owned by the landlord and a charitable foundation having some authority over the building represents a complex web of contractual relationships, responsibilities and liabilities which are perhaps further complicated by your leasehold agreement. Hopefully the latter will provide a clear articulation of all your maintenance responsibilities for the part of the property in your care and also stipulate to whom and in what circumstances you must defer to one or other of the other parties should the need arise.

I would urge you to seek professional advice from a solicitor concerning the specific terms of your tenancy agreement before doing anything - even touching in some of the old black paint.

Cheers and good luck.
Cubist

Hi Cubist,

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I really appreciate it.

We’ve confirmed that the beams fall under the responsibility of the foundation, but their funds can only stretch to public-facing works at best. So yes, I agree, doing nothing physically seems to be my only option for now.

I wonder if I could change tack slightly, and use this thread to gather any information that might help me advise the foundation. Not necessarily for restoration, but for the maintenance of the beams as they are, just to prevent further deterioration. At least that way I’d feel I’ve done the best I can in the interests of preservation.

I have a real knowledge gap here. Perhaps there isn’t much that can be done, but the foundation won’t have time to look into it, and I’m happy to do that part at least.

It sounds like their best course would be to have an expert assess the beams. If it seems worthwhile, I’d even consider covering that cost myself. I just need to learn what kind of professional to look for.

 

[HollyBlue]

Shame the managing agent / LL aren't a bit more interested. Looks a great property with oodles of history. That post in the hallway is monumental to say the least!

Right! It’s definitely a talking piece whenever I answer the door. I’m going to see if through the power of shared knowledge & information, maybe I could spark even a little interest. It’s worth a try.

 

[Kearn]

Hi Cubist,

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I really appreciate it.

We’ve confirmed that the beams fall under the responsibility of the foundation, but their funds can only stretch to public-facing works at best. So yes, I agree, doing nothing physically seems to be my only option for now.

I wonder if I could change tack slightly, and use this thread to gather any information that might help me advise the foundation. Not necessarily for restoration, but for the maintenance of the beams as they are, just to prevent further deterioration. At least that way I’d feel I’ve done the best I can in the interests of preservation.

I have a real knowledge gap here. Perhaps there isn’t much that can be done, but the foundation won’t have time to look into it, and I’m happy to do that part at least.

It sounds like their best course would be to have an expert assess the beams. If it seems worthwhile, I’d even consider covering that cost myself. I just need to learn what kind of professional to look for.

The hypothetical answer, if this was your problem to solve.
Two parts to this - a great, experienced and sensitive blaster to clean the muck off (there are other methods, but wire brush only goes so far, sanding is a poor idea, and chemicals don’t much work and encourage external substance to be drawn into the timber) - and once the timber is clear to see, a conservation framer who can assess the condition and necessary repairs.

This covering doesn’t help timber, any moisture stays trapped and does damage.

What it also does is hide the multitude of bodges.

It’s clear to see already that there is lots of filler and other stuff in joints, gaps etc - that’s what is cracking. Plus older attempts at metal strapping.

Any frame that’s been there that long will have moved, failed in places and been repaired/shored up. It won’t be perfect!

Really question is whether it’s still got a structural role to play and if it’s still up to it.

 

[Cubist]

Hi Cubist,

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I really appreciate it.

We’ve confirmed that the beams fall under the responsibility of the foundation, but their funds can only stretch to public-facing works at best. So yes, I agree, doing nothing physically seems to be my only option for now.

I wonder if I could change tack slightly, and use this thread to gather any information that might help me advise the foundation. Not necessarily for restoration, but for the maintenance of the beams as they are, just to prevent further deterioration. At least that way I’d feel I’ve done the best I can in the interests of preservation.

I have a real knowledge gap here. Perhaps there isn’t much that can be done, but the foundation won’t have time to look into it, and I’m happy to do that part at least.

It sounds like their best course would be to have an expert assess the beams. If it seems worthwhile, I’d even consider covering that cost myself. I just need to learn what kind of professional to look for.

Hi Jemma,
I'm afraid that you may inadvertently be straying into not one but two high risk minefields. The first being the contactual one previously discussed and the second that associated with the assessment and determination of any remedial measures that may be suggested for those timbers. Yes, an assessment by a suitably qualified professional may be needed but any such that you might commission independently of the landlord and/or the foundation could only be conducted against elements of the timber frame that form part of your apartment only AND only if there are no provisions in your leasehold or rental agreement that may preclude such actions on your part. You must, in my view, act with caution here and seek advice from a trusted legal advisor. The nature of timber frame assessments can often be invasive and, to some minds, damaging to the frames timbers - its not unusual to see long screwdrivers driven into the timbers in strategic locations to determine if they have suffered through moisture retention and rot. Any such damage, how ever well intentioned on your part could be interpreted negatively by either or both the landlord and the foundation.

That said, you are right to be concerned for some of those timbers. Too often these fine old structures have suffered serious harm because someone was foolish enough to coat the visible elements in black gloss paints and other non-breathable coatings that have allowed water to accumulate and thus induce rot and decay. This is not to say that all coatings are bad for the timbers and natural oils such as linseed or tung oil can be beneficial to the wood and aid its preservation. The various photographs you included earlier suggest some timbers have indeed been painted in the past but others appear, to my eye at least, to have either been oiled or perhaps coated with a wax. Hence my concurrence that some of the timbers are at risk.

Your heart is obviously in the right place and I applaud your concern, however, I think your best tack would be to confirm your own legal position and then restrict your activities in this area to encouraging the landlord and/or the foundation to commission a thorough examination of all the buildings timbers and to then formulate a plan to preserve the frame. That said, I suspect you may meet with some resistance from those bodies - timber frames in G2* buildings can be very expensive cans of worms for the owners.

All the best,
Cubist