Grade II Listed Oast House, Northiam
Northiam, near Rye, East Sussex
The Challenge
Years of exposure had left several boards on the rear elevation rotten and beyond saving, while many more had simply worked loose. On a Grade II listed property the challenge is always the same: renew what has failed without eroding the historic fabric or altering the character that gives the building its protection.
What We Did
This beautiful Grade II listed oast house near Rye came to us with weatherboarding that had suffered years of exposure to the elements. On close inspection of the rear elevation, it became apparent that a number of boards had rotted through and needed replacing, while many loose boards could be carefully re-fixed and saved.
We replaced every rotten board on a like-for-like profile to preserve the property’s original character, and repaired the loose boarding wherever possible rather than replacing needlessly. The full elevation was then given a stabilising undercoat followed by three top coats of Sadolin Superdec for a durable, breathable finish.
The porch elevation required independent scaffolding due to its proximity, allowing us safe, full access to timber that had been comparatively sheltered from the weather. The oak entrance door and window frames were rubbed down by hand, with the door receiving three coats of Osmo high-performance clear varnish to bring out the natural grain. As always, we returned once the scaffolding was dismantled to touch up any areas where the poles had rested against the property.
Why Repair Over Replacement
On listed buildings, like-for-like is everything. We replaced only the boards that had genuinely rotted through, matching the original board profile exactly, and re-fixed sound but loose boarding rather than tearing it off and starting again. The elevation was finished with a breathable Sadolin Superdec system so the timber can still move and dry, and the oak entrance door was hand-finished with Osmo clear varnish — the kind of sympathetic, reversible approach conservation officers expect to see on a Grade II listed property.
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