Listed Property Gable Repair

I recently finished a nice little job repairing the gable end of a gorgeous timber framed listed property near Pulborough.

Water was leaking through the exposed gable end of the property, where the silvered oak rafter and roof plate end were exposed. This manifested itself as damp in an internal wall in the stairwell. Previous efforts to solve the problem had involved creating a rubble infill, originally using lime mortar, which had been subsequently pointed in cement. There were also traces of silicone sealant around the oak plate (you can just see the grey traces at the top and bottom). The chicken wire you can see extends the full length of the house to help prevent furry or feathered friends taking up residence in the roof.

Leaking gable end in need of repair

I decided that the best solution here was to remove the rubble infill, cement and sealant and end tiles and rebuild the section of gable to enclose the area entirely. Matched bricks and clay roof tiles were sourced from the local reclamation yard and bedded using lime mortar.

Rebuilt brick gable end

The gable faces southwest, which is the direction of the prevailing wind and so in winter the rain tends to drive directly into this area. This repair will stop water entering the roof space and allow the internal damp to dry out completely.

Fresh cut clay tiles and hydraulic lime flaunching

#listedproperty #buildingconservation #periodproperty