Marianne Suhr: Operation spruce

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Richard is getting worried. He is convinced that once I’ve finished lovingly repairing our old house, I will start looking for another ‘grotty old wreck’ (his words, not mine) to move on to. His anxiety follows the recent completion of the back wall of the house, the last remaining part of the external envelope to be repaired – now that’s a real milestone in our two-and-a-half-year project.

Secretly, I can’t imagine anything worse than moving house with a seven-month-old baby, but even the unuttered threat of a removals lorry is a great bargaining chip when it comes to those little DIY jobs.

It was a tricky section of wall to tackle. The roof didn’t overhang far enough at the top, so the gutters never worked properly, the water poured down and the windows and doors had rotted. For a long-term solution to the problem, I extended the rafter ends and brought the roof down a little further, creating a wider overhang.

Once I’d got rid of all those nasty old plastic rainwater goods, a little voice in my head starting shouting ‘Copper gutter!’, to match the copper roof of the new extension. My favourite chippy spent a day wrestling with gutter brackets, end stops and downpipe clips, and the result is a triumph. In time the copper will mellow to a beautiful russet red colour to complement the clay tiles of the roof.

The old windows were repaired with new sills and a joyfully applied lick of good quality paint. But the works also presented an opportunity to get rid of the unattractive modern window that was out of proportion with its neighbouring casements.

In order to comply with building regulations, the new window had to incorporate double glazing, which is often a problem because the glazing bars have to be much wider to fit the double-glazed unit and can look extremely heavy in an old house. Luckily I found a fantastic joiner who was eager and able to make a beautiful bespoke casement with the slimmest glazing bars possible.

The masonry wall was divided into two separate sections: half was Victorian brickwork set in lime mortar and half was modern brick bedded in cement, coated in shiny masonry paint. The Victorian bit was no problem, patch-repointed with a hydraulic lime and sand mortar, then limewashed in a yellow ochre shade.

Since I was tackling this in the winter, I waited for a forecast of a week of mild weather before starting the lime work. Although this wasn’t ideal, the thought of putting it off until spring was too much to bear, so I decided to take the chance of frost damage and plod on. Luckily I managed to get away with it.

The modern bit of wall was more problematic. The shiny masonry paint coating meant that limewash was unlikely to stick. Limewash likes a porous substrate, such as brick, stone or lime plaster.

The only option was to cheat, and against my better judgement I took a deep breath and ventured into my local DIY superstore for a can of white masonry paint. I added a dash of yellow ochre pigment, the same one used for the limewash, and hoped for the best. With gritted teeth and a heavy heart, I liberally applied the yellow ‘goo’ to the wall, while thinking about what colour of rose I should grow over it to conceal the shame.

Of course Richard was amused. Knowing just how much I hate ‘plastic paints’, to use one at the end of our project was tantamount to selling my soul to the devil. After teasing me mercilessly about the whole sorry affair, I told him maybe we should start looking for another ‘grotty old wreck’ to repair. That kept him quiet.

ABOVE (clockwise from top left): Everything needed for limewashing; mixing pigment with modern masonry paint – dissolve the pigment first in a dash of hot water; applying masonry paint to the modern section.
BELOW: Fitting the copper gutter and, finally, in situ.

Making up a limewash for an outdoor wall

• Limewash is basically diluted lime putty. It can be bought ready mixed, or easily made yourself.
• If making it yourself, invest in a large plastic dustbin, with lid, to mix in. A plasterer’s whisk on the end of an electric drill is ideal for mixing.
• Dilute the lime putty to the consistency of semi-skimmed milk. Any thicker and the limewash will tend to powder off.
• Add colour to limewash using powdered pigments. Earth pigments such as yellow ochre are ideal.
• Be sure to wet the wall thoroughly before each coat.
• Apply four or five thin coats to new render of roughcast.

Safety note: Always use goggles and gloves due to lime’s caustic nature.

Good window guide
Wooden windows and doors often look far worse than they actually are, so always try to repair historic joinery wherever possible (see Helaine Clare’s step-by-step guide to fixing wood rot).

Seeking consents: If you are repairing windows and doors, no consents are necessary. However, if you are replacing existing windows and doors, you will need to apply for Building Regulation Approval and, if your house is listed, Listed Building Consent.

Retain period glass: Retain historic glass when repairing old windows if at all possible. If you change a pane, match it with neighbouring ones. A handmade cylinder glass, sometimes called ‘Cordele’, is often a good match.

Opt for bespoke: If you are replacing, off-the-peg windows are often heavily detailed and rarely fit the existing opening. It is always worth shopping around for a good joinery firm to make replacement items, as the quality and price can vary enormously.

Choose wood carefully: Make sure new joinery items are made with good quality timber. Softwood should have a low ‘sapwood’ content. A hardwood sill from a sustainable source is not traditional, but often a good idea.

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS MARIANNE SUHR
Featured in the March 2009 issue of Period Living