The house is a Grade II listed dwelling set within the Suffolk village of Depden. The house has been extended serval times in the twentieth century to the site and rear the external walls are rendered and has a clay pantile roofs with double glazed casement soft wood windows and doors. The earlier portion of the house had a cement based pebbledash applied, which left the historic timber framing susceptible to timber decay as the building was no longer able to breath as originally intended.
The main walls to the earlier portion of the house are of timber frame construction with some of wattle and daub infill panels remaining in isolated areas, and a brick plinth. These were painted internally; externally a cement render had been applied and painted. The main roof to this portion of the house is finished in clay pantiles. The newer portion of the house is of modern timber construction which has a painted render finish with brick plinth; this section was also finished with pantiles.
Water ingress had been occurring on the north east roof slope of the oldest part of the property. The tiles needed to be stripped and the underfelt replaced and the tiles reinstated in order to ensure the property was wind and watertight.
The windows on the front of the older part of the house were also in disrepair and in need of replacement.
The cement rendering to the elevation of the older part of the property was preventing the timber frame from breathing, leaving it susceptible to timber decay with areas of the wallplate suffering from wet rot.
In order to assess and repair the damage to the timber frame the render the render was removed, and repairs to the sole plates and studwork carried out where rotten or suffering from timber decay. The brick plinth wall was found to be in a poor condition and required rebuilding.
Once the damage to the historic timber frame has been rectified and the new windows fitted, a new haired chalk lime render and lime wash was applied externally.
Internal repairs were undertaken to the modern and original wattle and daub infill panels and linings as necessary. Heraklith Boarding was incorporated to infill panels where the wattle and daub was missing. All panels were finished with a breathable lime render.
Externally a new drainage channel and soakaway shall be created due to the very high external levels, which will reduce the likelihood of the timber frame coming under attack from moisture.
