Sinking Bath?!

Over the past few months we have been using the small sloped ceiling bathroom in the cottage side of the house. Sitting in the cast iron bath I noticed you could see the sky through a beam on the side wall! Also I did think the bath was perhaps a little lower. Everyone in the house hold seemed to think that I was mistaken!

This week we stripped out the bathroom and the loose plaster. There was not much left!

Revealed Beams 

In between the ancient original beams of the building there is brick infill. This brick is very loose and in places slumping. The old lime plaster falling easily away. The floor is sloping away to the wall on the right...so I was right...the bath was indeed sinking slightly.

Going below to the Cottage Kitchen, we discovered a hardboard wall behind the kitchen units. Once this was removed it revealed a rather rotten timber framed wall. Interesting this had been filled with brick and old glass bottles just stuffed in. 

Back Kitchen Wall

Detail Of The Rubble Infill

Original Timber Frame 

We will now have to put supporting block work inside the wall and to the floor above. This will have to be plastered over...but not too smoothly. 

One lovely feature of this new large entrance hall that was the kitchen is the side wall. Again the woodchip paper and plaster work has been stripped off  to reveal a patchwork wall. The builders could not quite see the beauty in it and thought I'd want to plaster up to the beams. We have however just repointed and will seal it to make it sound. I just love the different brick work. This will be a feature when you walk into the entrance hall.

Lovely Exposed Wall!