Above is a classic example of what will happen. One can see a bodged attempt at repair at the top, and a hefty metal 'tie' between the front and back walls; neither of which will halt the building's demise once the interior 'mortar' has gone.
This building's exterior (this is not my house) has at some time also been 'pointed', but the danger for these old stone houses comes from above; not from the sides.
At my own home I keep a long forked stick, with which I push back into place any tile that has slipped. This needs to be done regularly each year, as the old 'Roman' tiles are easily dislodged; but it's nothing that the long stick and a ladder can't fix within a few minutes.
(N.B. Traditional Roman tiles are not fixed to anything. The lower concave tiles simply rest on a flat wooden surface, and the upper convex tiles sit over the top. Any rain falling on the upper tiles drips into the lower channel, then off to the edge of the roof).
A rough stone house is only as good as its roof (and, of course, its foundations), so as long as it's kept dry it should last for centuries. My own house is over 300 years old.
Maybe you could run a workshop on how to maintain these old places....it could be folk just don't know what to do?
ReplyDeleteI love the relationship you have with your home Cro...it's like a mutual support society. You take care of it, and it takes care of you. Not like this when-it's-done-I'll-just-toss-it mentality I seem to see so much of.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the bit of architectural insight.
ReplyDeleteThat crack looks like a classic case of subsidence to me, Cro, and if it is, then underpinning is the way to stop it. Funnily enough, the damper the ground beneath the foundations of a house built on clay, the less likely it is to subside, so best take the roof off completely.
ReplyDeleteThe shallower stones at the top of the building would indicate that it was originally a one storey dwelling. The shallow stones would have formed the roof and were then re-used to add height and topped with the newer roman tile roof.
ReplyDeleteThat is what I love about the "old" Country. The buildings are so old and have so much history and character. And, any house that doesn't have a great roof, is doomed. Nice article.
ReplyDeleteSue. You're right. One can even make out the shape of the old roof, as with so many of these old buildings.
ReplyDeleteDifficult to tell if it's subsidence from that pic, but looks like the whole front elevation could just slip away...
ReplyDeleteI'd heard the French prefer to live in 'new build' properties. Maybe this is why.
Is that true Cro?
this old house will still be standing though probably years after some of those horrid cheap little pokey and expensive ones today are long gone.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tom it looks very much like a pressure crack
ReplyDeleteto me.
The roof certainly needs to be removed, the walls re-pointed with a sand and lime mortar inside and out. One cannot use modern cement mortar because it burns the edges of the stone creating even more damage.
Too true, Chris. They build tacky 'catalogue' houses, sell off the old one that's falling down, then moan that some foreigner has made their old place into a palace (worth a fortune).
ReplyDeleteI think I would have a panic attack if I saw a crack like this on my Little House! Of course that would be impossible as no stone houses stand in this neighbourhood...only wooden ones for us on the West Coast...such a shame.
ReplyDelete