In 2009 J & J Sharpe Ltd successfully tendered for the complete rebuild of a grade 2 listed house that had suffered extensive fire damage.
It is thought that the thatch on the house caught fire from a spark from a wood burning stove. Once the fire was put out and the structure made safe what remained was one gable end wall and part of two side walls. Parts of these walls were found to be too burnt to be able to be retained.
After much negotiating with the local planning authority and the conservation officer plans were put in motion to carry out the rebuild.
The house is listed therefore traditional materials were used in the rebuild. Dried and pre shrunk cob blocks bedded in lime mortar were used for the rebuild and repair of solid internal walls and the external walls. This had the advantage over mass cob of plastering being carried out without waiting for drying and shrinkage of mass cob to take place.
New oak lintels were fitted to nearly all openings. New lath and plaster was used for partition walls and all ceilings. New hardwood windows, oak doors and skirtings were made to measure and fitted throughout. The inside of the house was lime plastered and limewashed. The outside was lime rendered and lime washed.
New services and fittings were supplied and installed including underfloor heating in the two main rooms on the ground floor. A new oak kitchen was fitted.
The new roof was constructed with a sealed fire proof board layer below the thatch. New pumice lined chim neys were built and alarmed heat sensors were fitted to these.
Scaffold with temporary roof over the remains of the house.
Inside the remains of the building before our work started. Unstable sections of wall still in place.
Wall with failed lintel still in place, degraded cob and areas of stone.
Charred cob, concrete lintels on the right with insufficient bearing.
The rebuild and repair begins with cob blocks and oak lintels
The start of the internal wall rebuild above the consolidated living room fireplace.
Hip end and solid internal walls partly reconstructed.
All walls consolidated and rebuild with cob blocks underway.
Rebuild of the walls at first floor level. Replacement floor joists in place.
Rebuild of external walls completed. The temporary roof was removed to enable the rebuild of the chimneys to be completed. The roof covered with fire proof boarding.
The walls have been rebuilt and lime plastered. Underfloor heating pipes have been laid.
The floor has been screeded. The oak staircase is being installed
The living room is completed prior to occupation.
View down the completed oak staircase.
The furnished living room.
Completed dining room.
Laths in place to dormer window and ceiling on first floor. Scratch coat of lime plaster on the walls.
Dormer window completed and decorated, floor boarded and oak skirting fitted.
View down first floor corridor with completed lime washed plaster and oak doors.
