A lot has happened since the last post. Time to catch up.
Our planning application is back in again.
http://planning.northwilts.gov.uk/DCOnline/AcolNetCGI.exe?ACTION=UNWRAP&RIPNAME=Root.PgeResultDetail&TheSystemkey=73032 This time the conservation officer wants details about not just the openings, but also the structure of the property. No, it isn't a listed building, although you would think it was.
I will pick up from the last post and break the update over a number of posts.
Last time, I had lifted the floor in the back room. It was limecrete and quite easy to lift up. There was no damp proofing and it was laid on soil, so no wonder it was all a bit damp.
Once the floor was up, I dug out the soil, down to a consistent gravel layer. This took about 1 ft of soil away. I left a lip around the room to support the walls. I will go closer to the walls once I know when the new floor is going down.
I then started on the main family room. Here, the floor was concrete and much, much thicker. Luckily, my mate Jerry came through and he leant me one of his serious tools...
All very good, but weighs a ton and kills the arms, ears and respiratory tract. Better than breaking by hand though. The jack hammer made light work of the concrete, which varied in thickness from 2 to 6 inches.. There was a polythene sheet under the concrete and just earth under that.
The floor to the old hall goes first - this is quite thin and easy to lift. Next was the floor on the main room...
You can see the thickness of the floor here. The railwaymans spike came in handy again.
Slowly but surely (and painfully) the floor comes up. The spoil gets carried outside and makes quite an impressive pile - 3 trips to the recycling centre, quite laden trips granted, but 3 nontheless.
This picture was taken from my keeper stone store, which is here:
And the floor is gone!!
While I am at it, I decide that the lime plaster room has to come down - it is sagging in a number of places. My plan is to re-lime the roof rather than use board, but I may end up with board for speed.
Next is the wall between the two rooms. I start by taking down the bit of wall under the stairs...
Poor images as the flash didn't work. Then the larger section of wall. It is not supporting and the laths continue above the wall - so the wall went up after the roof was plastered.
The wall came down really easily - the bricks below the wood insert in the next picture were shot with damp and water. The concrete floor was laid up to the brick but the wall was laid on soil, no foundation at all.
I left the concrete render to the side of the door up, othherwise it would have been open and insecure. This is easy to take down once I board up the front door.
And the wall is gone.
Another step closer. The next update will follow in a day or two - I just need to upload the photos.
