LOW POINT
“Finally realising the full extent of the work to be done and knowing I would go beyond my initial budget of around £50,000. In the end I probably spent twice that amount”
A HORROR SHOW SURVEY A survey of the detached, two-storey building took no prisoners. The original property was a single-storey stone building, which had been raised to include a second storey using clay bricks. Over time the building had moved considerably, causing huge cracks in the walls and a certain amount of bowing. The stone and brick sections were not bonded and the mortar in both sections was disintegrating badly. There were timber lintels where there should have been concrete ones, and the whole property was damp as a result of blocked drains. At some point the cottage had been extended sideways and the roof trusses were consequently under- sized, resulting in roof spread. It didn’t end there. The kitchen was dark and grimy, with a very low beamed ceiling and chipped lino oor, and although the cottage had three bedrooms, one of them was tiny and the space was seriously compromised by a badly positioned boiler.
THE PLAN
“I decided to do whatever work was necessary to make the cottage structurally sound and then open up the rooms in every direction,” said John. “The original external stone wall, which
nov/dec 2022
runs through the middle of the property, was too thick and solid to move, but I knew I could take out the wall between the kitchen and downstairs bathroom and remove the ceiling in the main bedroom to create loads of light and space.” As part of the scheme to open up the
property, John wanted to take out the staircase wall and create a mezzanine style glass balcony which would divert “borrowed” light down into the sitting room. The tiny bedroom would become a “Jack and Jill” wet room with linking doors into both bedrooms.
“I employed a friend who was a joiner and builder to help with the renovation,” says John. “I had known him for a long time and have always liked his approach to work. I knew he would do a great job and I would be there evenings, weekends and holidays to do everything I could to support him.” The first task was to strip out the old kitchen units, ground oor bathroom fittings and stud walls, then stabilise the cottage by rebuilding one corner of the house where the movement had caused cracks higher up the wall.
MORE PITFALLS “It wasn’t long before we discovered just how badly it had been built,” said John. “The walls
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