Home DIY

It looks good and tight though. Is it in Denmark or just inspired?

Edit: and I must say, I've never seen it done with both. Was it what was on the house before?

It's between Randers and Mariager.

I've been working on the place for 9 years, taking it back to traditional Danish style ca. 1700, research suggests that turf and kragtræer was the method for Randers north.

Ideally you'll be getting the best coat the surface can support. A lot depends on the paint, viscosity, grip, ambient heat, brush type and condition, surface orientation, mouldings etc.

You have to get an idea of it as you go along but experience helps of course.

Oil based gloss is generally worse for curtaining and showing curtaining than acrylic eggshell for example so multiple coats can be useful. You definitely shouldn't rely on a single coat to change the colour from undercoat to top coat so either use use a tinted undercoat or 2 thinner top coats.

It's a massive pain to get high quality paintwork, it's taken me 25 years to get to the point where I can do it in the field, mostly the budget dictates the quality though.

What's the quick and dirty (ish) method for painting wooden window frames and stone sills?

They're at the back of the house and I'm reliant on downstairs for access (which they're fine with but I'd prefer not to bug them too often). This also means I can't actually see them so the painting is mainly for weather proofing.

For most people I guess painting is something you do (hopefully) so infrequently that you don't have much opportunity to skill up. Was a bit dismayed how bad at it I was! Decided not to attempt anything in the blustery weather today.

You've read some Søren Vadstrup then, I presume? The roof is looking great.

Sorry, I plead ignorance about Søren Vadstrup, although I'll look him up.

I studied for a PG Diploma in Historic Timber Building Conservation at The Weald and Downland Museum in Sussex about 13 years ago and I'm just going by feel on this one. There seems to be limited information in Denmark about vernacular architecture and building style.

My main source of information is Gamle Danske Bøndergaard by Axel Steensberg 1943. It's full of black and white photographs organised by region and a vital source of information for me. The Danish Thatchers Association have published a breakdown of roof types, which is organised by region too and this has been some help.

I try to put myself in the mindset of those who built the house and take materials from the local area, although the roof is now thatched with water reed, I strongly suspect it was originally thatched with long straw, as there were wheat kernels under the 12" thick layer of crap lining the roof space and the nearest water reed beds are at Randers fjord, a days travel by wagon in 1700.

Trying to get long straw here is not as easy as an easy thing, and I'd have to thatch it myself as the Danish thatchers don't do that wacky stuff.

Slots og kulturstyrelsen has a lot of useful information here: https://slks.dk/bygningsfredning/information-om-bygningsbevaring/
most is written by Søren Vadstrup (who was among my teachers at architecture school) based on his work with Raadvad center for bygningsbevaring.
The thatchers guide is good too.

We have a project out for tender atm. Also a mid 1700s house, but this will be totally molested in every way to house a modern café in 'authentic style'...

Going to be selling my flat soon. Has anyone done the purple bricks / online EA thing, or am I better off finding a reputable local agent?

there was a thread on the london reddit recently and they were roundly slagged off by 95% of the people in it.

seems they lowball you on the valuations to force quick sales for easy turnaround.

Riiight! Ok, local EA it is.

Edit: just realised - wrong thread!

Some do the wacky stuff. I was a thatchers apprentice for a while at the National Museum and they were part of a project on Læsø - not far from you - with some local thatchers where they were recreating the lost art of seaweed thatching.

https://www.reddit.com/r/london/comments/9aeiye/purplebricks_no_commission_on_your_house_sale/

Can you take them out and paint them? That's what I do to get around scaffolding. If they are sash windows they need to be in full working order to gain access to the whole of the outside. I just wouldn't recommend it because preparation is key to a lasting finish and you can't really expect to make a good job prepping from inside.

If you decide to splash some paint around to tart them up then Zinsser All Coat is your friend, it would be good to have a primer like Zinnser Stain Seal but All Coat is self priming. It seems thin when you first apply it and don't spill it in your neighbours garden as it's a pig to clean up.

You would save yourself a massive ball ache by removing the window though, not to mention the safety aspect.

That's pretty much the case. My gran did all her own decorating and got pretty good at it by her 70's!

Tools are helpful as well, preparation is key and having time to allow drying. Keeping organised and not trying to paint in cramped, dirty or dimly lit conditions.

I was quite pleased with the preparation, although it took weeks...
Thinking back last time I painted exterior woodwork was when I was a teenager. I seemed better at it then.

One thing I've started doing to improve the end result is using a very small amount of Toupret Fine Filler, ready mixed in a tub with blue top. It helps to fill light grain and brush marks in primer and undercoat. It was the only way to get a similar finish to oil based exterior products of yore. I don't generally recommend it as you need to be very careful with it to make sure you're not destroying adhesion of coats.

Modern paint doesn't level as well as oil based partly because of fewer solids and partly because it drys faster. So all your brush marks show. Using a brush that matches the paint you're using helps.

That's interesting, I've read about Læsø. Not sure I'd like to live in one of those houses though.

@drøn

Raadvad came and surveyed our place at the same time we bought it. They gave it a Cat. 2 listing.

I'll post up some photos when I'm done and the turf has had a chance to green up. It's gone yellow from sitting on the pallets, but it'll be fine in a week.......only 4 meters to go out of 25m, I've been up the ladder about 500 times now and I've had enough.

I've still got to split all the kragtræer up though, but I don't mind messing with wood. All this thatching is doing my soft carpenters hands in.

I’m about to apply for a job at Raadvad btw.
Not holding my breath though, I expect them to get a load of applications.

Good luck, I hope you get it.

I'm about to start on a 3 year diploma in Historic Woodcarving, Gilding and Ornamentation in London.

Here's the house before putting the new ridge on.

I've repaired the right hand end over the summer and made two new windows to put in next week.

Incredible work

What a beautiful place. Are those colours the original ones? Again Søren Vadstrup has written about local colour tradition. If you were closer to Copenhagen, I'd gladly lend you some books on the subject.

Thanks, it's taken a lot of effort to get it half finished.

@JesperXT

The original colours were burnt yellow for the brickwork, dark brown for the timber and green for the windows.

Once I finish the central part of the elevation, we'll make a decision about what to do colour wise. I need to take the central part (the white bit) of the wall out first, as I want to build a large carved oak spiral staircase and the only way to get it in is by making a hole in the side of the building.

Indeed, very beautiful and some strong work!

I need to take the central part (the white bit) of the wall out first, as I want to build a large carved oak spiral staircase and the only way to get it in is by making a hole in the side of the building.

That's the beauty of timber frame buildings.