Wood Panelling Restoration and Mock Tudor Destruction

[malcolm]

I've uncovered some wood panelling in my drawing room around the big bay window. It dates from 1920 when the big window was hacked into the 1600s timber frame and they put a new facade in front of it.

It is in reasonably good condition apart from a couple of panels which have been removed to bolt the false ceiling to the original frame.

The panelling seems to stop at cill height, and must have been cut there originally as the cuts don't line up. The plaster below looks new - anyone have an idea what detail might have been removed? And any idea whether I should put it back? Might just bung a radiator underneath once the secondary glazing is done.

I'll need to make some new mouldings, but just in case anyone knows already what router bits should I be buying? The mouldings are about 1.5 inches wide.

This is of course part of a larger project. A false ceiling was added in the late 1970s. It doesn't seem to have been added for structural reasons as the walls are straight. I think they didn't have a scaffold tower to do decoration.

This is what is above the false ceiling. I'll need to move most of my plumbing and wiring, but I'm bursting to get the ceiling down. The top of the bay window is visible as a lighter strip to the right of the photo.

 

[malcolm]

Throwing caution to the wind I've decided to remove much of the mock tudor in the house and expose the most wonderful 1920s curved double height ceiling. So far everthing has been nailed on and has been easy to remove apart from where they discovered cross nailing.

I've been getting glimpses of how it will look and it's going to look fabulous. Ceiling works much better when it is attached to a room. Don't think I've ever mentioned the blog on here: http://www.the-salutation.co.uk/blog/ First picture on there says it all.

Second picture is just for a bit of cheer. It wasn't my actual workwear.

 

[steveb]

Dear 'thrilling cleaners', I would like to register a complaint. I know you promised to send someone round in a state of partial undress to do the cleaning, but I didn't expect this...

 

[malcolm]

Dear 'thrilling cleaners', I would like to register a complaint. I know you promised to send someone round in a state of partial undress to do the cleaning, but I didn't expect this...

...but she was very thorough removing cobwebs from the ceiling.

 

[Bogart]

Throwing caution to the wind I've decided to remove much of the mock tudor in the house and expose the most wonderful 1920s curved double height ceiling. So far everthing has been nailed on and has been easy to remove apart from where they discovered cross nailing.

I've been getting glimpses of how it will look and it's going to look fabulous. Ceiling works much better when it is attached to a room. Don't think I've ever mentioned the blog on here: http://www.the-salutation.co.uk/blog/ First picture on there says it all.

Second picture is just for a bit of cheer. It wasn't my actual workwear.

As they say whatever floats your boat

 

[malcolm]

As they say whatever floats your boat

It's a lockdown giggle for me and it seems to be entertaining Instagram. If I get some work after the lockdown I'll start being sensible again, but I've not worn trousers for 3 weeks now and it has been really good for building my confidence. I'm a tranny anyway and after losing my work decided I had nothing else to lose so came out to the world. I've been very surprised about the reaction in public - nobody has even batted an eyelid and I've had a lot of smiles. Even ex work has been good and my mum is enjoying the photos. I like the modern world. Apart from it's complete lack of ability to build anything properly.

Nothing more to report on the ceiling since the last post. My new career at the moment seems to be making windows for narrowboats. There might actually be some work in that as they all use aluminium bus windows which look terrible, are poorly sealed, and don't open. The boat sides slope inwards towards the top but water needs to fall outwards from the windows. Some other requirements too as the openings are too small. I've been designing the most complicated scewed profiles. First attempt here: http://www.the-salutation.co.uk/photos/boat-windows-1.jpg I reckon if I commonise a few of the angles I should be able to knock them out reasonably efficiently. Going to need a prototype to work out how to line the profiles up on the corners.

 

[Feltwell]

Good for you Malcolm, if it helps you express who you are and makes you happy - and there's a Elf'n'Safety benefit as well, fall off your tower wearing that and you'll just float gently to the ground...… :lol:

When I was a student in the early 90's, there was a shop just around the corner from the student village accommodation called "Transformations" - in those pre-internet days they'd advertise in the Sunday papers, "Walk in a man, walk out a woman". Anyway, those were much less enlightened times but students have always been more accepting than most. Transformations were advertising for staff - one of my friends decided to apply, apparently his mum was pleased when he told her he'd applied for a job in a TV shop. :wink:

Narrowboats - would all that moisture not play havoc with timber windows? I can imagine the expansion and contraction being a problem. I agree though, the aluminium windows they tend to use do look rubbish.

 

[malcolm]

Narrowboats - would all that moisture not play havoc with timber windows? I can imagine the expansion and contraction being a problem. I agree though, the aluminium windows they tend to use do look rubbish.

A few people have wooden windows and don't seem to have reported problems. Good point to make sure the openers have enough clearance. There's a DIY one on the boat which seems OK apart from the varnish finish which has peeled off resulting in UV damage. I think a major reason is standard wood windows aren't suitable as the falls are wrong for the sloping sides, and getting custom ones made is expensive. I'll find out!

I've been asked to use hardwood and a yacht varnish finish. I guess if I make the windows easy to sand and avoid extravagent detailing they will have more chance of being maintained. Haven't yet figured out the sealing system to the boat. I was planning to screw the windosw on via existing screw holes near the edge of the opening, but it would be better to seal nearer the outside of the windows. It might be flat enough to get away with neoprene rings with vent slots around them. On the other hand that might result in leaks and I'll get into trouble.

 

[Feltwell]

I'd be tempted to go for what they use on motorhomes. Motorhome bodies have to put up with a lot of twisting, worse than caravans, as they sit on 4 points of contact. The body panels are often assembled using a non-setting mastic, which is evil stuff, it leaks out forever - but some manufacturers use Sikaflex, 512 is the usual one:-

https://groveshop.co.uk/general-adh...MIqrXTl-zk6AIVia3tCh1VuQZAEAQYAyABEgL-r_D_BwE

Although you won't get the twisting motion the difference in expansion and contraction rates in the sun must be pretty high between a steel boat body and a wooden window.

Interesting project!

 

[malcolm]

I took the ceiling down today. The white bits of wall show where the false ceiling was. The real ceiling curves around the edges at the top and is mostly intact with three rows of wood profiles running around. It transforms the room.

Still a little tidying up do do but I'm exhausted after all that so it can wait until tomorrow.

 

[malcolm]

Tidied up now and have a better picture. It's lockdown so we can do what we like so long as we stay 2m apart and don't cough

Tied the wires to the pipes now. I'm going for a structural expressionist look. I put the scaffold tower up to fit the smoke alarm sensor and while it is there I'm tempted to get the sugar soap out and put the first coat of clay paint on the ceiling to try to get a bit of light back into the room. I think the ceiling was originally white but it isn't easilly accessible without a scaffold so probably still wears it's original 100 year old white paint.

I'm going to avoid filling in the holes until the plumbers and electricians have been and gone. A few holes will be handy for them for poking stuff through.

I have no idea what the original paint was. It's like an egg shell and is really brittle. It has peeled off in places so isn't breathable. Can't think of any paints today that behave like that. Anyone any ideas what the paint might be?

 

[LadyArowana]

Really jealous, you have a scaffold tower and a sparkly top! I’m cleaning my cornices and have to do it from a step ladder, in jeans and a T shirt.

 

[malcolm]

Really jealous, you have a scaffold tower and a sparkly top! I’m cleaning my cornices and have to do it from a step ladder, in jeans and a T shirt.

Period house restoration isn't worth doing if you don't have a sparkly top. I've been entertaining people on Instagram. Other photo on the same day was Tesco in an accurate medieval dress and veil. Denim and T shirts are my usual workwear too.

Scaffold tower has come in very handy, though I'm still in the middle of a project. I am terrified of heights and don't like ladders and the tower is handy for things like cleaning out gutters that I would otherwise be too frightened to do. Might have second thoughts bringing it into the house after I finally buy a new carpet. Or possibly a nice wooden floor as this will be the ballroom.

 

[Flyfisher]

Would surely have to be a wooden floor if it’s going to be a ballroom, for which it looks well suited.

 

[malcolm]

Would surely have to be a wooden floor if it’s going to be a ballroom, for which it looks well suited.

I'm leaning towards wood. I restored parquet in the room next door and am sort of tempted, but now I know how long it takes I'm less tempted.

The floor is 1 inch concrete onto earth with no damp proof. The parquet worked because it was set into bitumen which acted as a damp proof course. Might be an idea as the room has always smelled a little damp, but that might be partially due to the 40 year old beer soaked carpet. I don't think I want carpet in there. Would have to lower ground levels a touch if I were going for wood, and I don't have the foundation depth to do the insulation we are supposed to do if we expose the ground. Would be nice to have a flat floor so I don't have to prop the table legs up on books.

Aww - searched ballroom floor on Google. People have too much time on their hands. Oh wait...got more time than usual myself.

 

[Feltwell]

I put the scaffold tower up to fit the smoke alarm sensor and while it is there I'm tempted to get the sugar soap out and put the first coat of clay paint on the ceiling to try to get a bit of light back into the room. I think the ceiling was originally white but it isn't easilly accessible without a scaffold so probably still wears it's original 100 year old white paint.

Hmm, coated in 100 years of nicotine as well no doubt! Thank God for the smoking ban - I used to hate coming home from the pub reeking of fags.

Great progress there Malcolm, clearly the sparkly top makes all the difference! Room will look great, why anyone would want to put a plain false ceiling below that barrelled one is beyond me.

I too have a scaffold tower - heights don't bother me but a tower is so useful, mine gets used a lot.

 

[Zebra]

Love the photos. How are you going to re-route those cables and pipes? Where are you going to put them? Is there a void above this ceiling? Have you considered boxing them in right where they are?

 

[malcolm]

I need to do some plumbing and rewiring anyway, but the upper floor is interupted by a staircase. I had a look yesterday but I'll need to do some dismantling to see what routes are available, and I figured I had done enough destruction recently. There is a handy steel I beam running beside the pipes which initially looked like a good place to hide pipes. The inside is open but joists are poking into it. The other side is brick filled which I assume was just to provide a surface for plastering, but the brick might also serve a structural purpose so I'm tempted to leave it there. I'll explore when I can get a plumber around.

The attic room is above this room and the joists are 8 inches so that should help with access side to side, but the attic isn't as wide as the main room so I would risk running heating pipes in the roof space.

The ceiling had no insulation at all - there was no access to the roof space around the attic before I added a couple of little doors. The main room must have been freezing. Also the ceiling would have been difficult to decorate. I think it was that combined with 1970s style ideals that resulted in the false ceiling.

I've been looking at oak parquet on eBay. It's only 20mm thick and I think I can get away with that.

 

[malcolm]

I've had a thought - The corridor bumps down 2 stairs to a landing then bumps back up to where it was and keeps going which makes going to the loo at night hazardous The steel I beam is covered in plaster where it crosses the gap. If I were to expose the I beam, put pipes and wiring in there, then cover it off with a board that ought to work neatly. I guess heating up a steel beem would be bad for thermal expansion, but it will only be a little bit.

I had always wondered what the thin white bit sticking out under the skirting along the corridor was. I had assummed some remnant of the 17C timber frame. Turns out it is the top of the I beam. Oops - they didn't get that at the right height! They fixed it with some wood trim between the beam and the carpet that made things worse. I'll tuck the carpet under the edge of the beam, and if that doesn't work add a little profile at the bottom of the skirting.

Back to looking at ballroom photos for inspiration. Decided the Palace of Versailles is too high a target. But it is nice.