|
Timber For a Thatched Roof And House Construction We have most of us seen the magnificent half-timber Tudor houses typically timber frame with brick or plaster infill between the timbers. This type of property was only owned by the wealthy, the agricultural and labouring workers would have a far more humble abode. These were built of much less durable material such as turf, clay, or even mud. Although Timber such as Oak and Elm were far more common then than they are today it was not available to the poor. Coppicing produced poles of mainly Ash And Hazel and this was available to the general population. Flimsy structures like this would be covered in mud, (Wattle and daub) evidence of these are rare but I have seen one where a more modern barn had been built onto and over it. the shelter provided had saved parts of this hut. The construction was like a traditional tent with side walls made like a hurdle and plastered with mud, the ends had a "A" frame to support a ridge tree, add rafters and thatch! The saying a bodged job came from this type of construction as the coppice worker capable of constructing was (and still is) called a bodger, not derogative term to me as the work is highly skilled. It was still in use as a chicken coop in 1965 although only two walls and the "A" frame survived, better quality examples exist today as crook frame buildings Unfortunately an even later barn destroyed this fragment
This picture shows a part of a roof of this type This was a more modest building than most of the surviving half-timber houses, but of better quality than most of its date. What can be seen is the split Ash pole rafters, the curved timber or wind brace from the wall to the purling, and the ridge tree. A section of Wattle and daub is at centre in-filling the "A" frame. An area such as this roof space would be used as living accommodation for servants or farm workers. Nearly all the timberwork of the rest of the building has rotted away and been replaced by brick but these roof parts have been preserved by the thatch. Note the massive wall plate and ridge tree Many thatched houses have timber like this, the original layer of thatch was never removed but thatched over, as it built up over the years some of the more recent layers were removed but the first one very rarely as it was used as a fixing coat. So the timbers survive.
My own house (Above) was built in 1616 just out of the Tudor period but the building design is still typical of it, As rafters became unstable through wood worm or roof leaks they were replaced or had extra ones added to it as can be seen on the photo. The dark area over the ridge part of the tin sheet roof that covered the whole house. Originally a timber frame building now only three of the external uprights survive, some of the internal structure is still in place, again in particular the roof, one bay still has split oak battens. The roof timbers are typical, being a mixture of new and second hand material, one being carbon dated at 1300. One wall is clay, two feet thick, It is now faced in brick, the interior lime wash finish was still in place under Victorian plaster. I have exposed one section behind glass, A second wall and gable end is good quality sawn sandstone on the exterior but cobble on the inside. The rest is early Victorian village made brick. It appears that the farmer lived in a section of two up and two down and cellar and the remainder was three one up and one down houses, One of these two 14 foot square rooms was the home for a family of 13 just before the first World War. With the alterations over the years the house now appears as if it was an Early Victorian brick terrace particularly with the corrugated tin roof it had when I bought it. On closer examination inside and exposing timbers, its original design can be worked out, it is quite strange to see worn tracks in the flagstone floor going through now blank walls! Many village houses are in fact built around much earlier structures and even the owners are unaware of the origins. From the middle 1960’s a huge number of old houses were destroyed to build new as these old relics were considered worthless. From then on, until even now with the conservation of ancient buildings grading system many of these hidden gems are by ignorance or design being destroyed internally, many are not even listed as the inspection was only from the outside and rarely from the rear and almost never internally. When mine was bought I could have demolished it and built new, it is now grade 2 listed which means officially I can not alter it without consent. Some of the rules are ridiculous, as it was a tin roof I could now either thatch in long straw (the original roof) or replace the tin roof ! Certainly not water reed (the present roof) Many, even listed buildings are still being damaged or destroyed internally as work either in ignorance or by design is carried out without consent. Potted History Of Timber The reduction of forest reserves since the Middle Ages, however, made timber increasingly expensive. This has brought about greater reliance by the construction and manufacturing industries, in modern times, on such composite wood products as plywood, chipboard, and fiberboard. These new materials are stable and do not swell or shrink as readily as natural timber. They do not require long seasoning periods, and they can be waterproofed, fireproofed, and impregnated with protective chemicals. Plywood is particularly valuable to carpenters because it allows them to cover broad areas of framing in a short time. Except for plywood, composite wood products, unfortunately, are not as strong as natural timber. These products cannot be bent or steamed into different shapes, as can plywood, so furniture built from them often appears boxy. Screws and nails cannot fasten them together securely unless plastic or metal inserts, fittings, and connectors are also used in the joints. Woodworking Tools Artisans down through the centuries have developed hand tools and power tools to bring out the special qualities of woods. They have invented a wide range of fasteners to hold pieces of wood together, and they have created waxes, shellacs, and varnishes to enhance and protect the beauty of wood. Because the dimensions of wood building materials can change slightly under the influences of moisture and heat, the skilled woodworker must be able to anticipate these variations in order to maximize the strength and utility of the finished product. Hand Tools Most of the hand tools used today have changed little since the Middle Ages, the only major improvement being the use of steel instead of iron for cutting edges. The most common hand tools include saws, planes, and chisels and such miscellaneous tools as hammers and screwdrivers, which are used in conjunction with fasteners. Several types of saws are used for various purposes. The familiar crosscut saw is used to cut across the grain of wood, and the ripsaw cuts with the grain. Curves are cut with the coping saw, which consists of a metal frame that keeps a narrow blade under tension. The precise cutting of joints can be done by hand with the aid of the backsaw, a thin rectangular blade stiffened by a metal bar along its back. The flat-edged chisel and the semicircular gouge are used in certain instances to remove unwanted wood. The most important hand boring tools include the brace, the hand drill, and the push drill and their various bits. There are many records of timber working in ancient times, from writing-tablets, inscriptions, and sculptures. In a relief in the great temple at Karnak in Ancient Egypt, Phoenician princes are shown felling trees for the Egyptian conqueror. Another sculpture in an Assyrian palace shows large logs being transported by sea. But the best illustrations of timber working in ancient times are on Trajan's column in Rome (113 AD). The illustrations show soldiers cutting down trees, carrying timber, building a bridge, and constructing the wooden walls of their camp. Timber does not survive as well as pottery or metal. Unless it is in a dry climate or sealed from the atmosphere, it disintegrates. Excavations of Ancient Egyptian tombs have produced wooden statues, furniture, and other objects which, when analyzed, show the use of native and imported timber over a period of more than 3,000 years. Water is also a good preserver of timber. Underwater archaeology has contributed greatly to our knowledge of ancient timber. The Mary Rose, flagship of King Henry the Eighth of England, was raised from the sea in 1982, after more than 400 years underwater. Most of its structural timberwork was intact. Another famous sunken ship is the Wasa, which went down in 1628 near Stockholm, Sweden and was raised in 1961. The first manufactured boards were probably produced over a sawpit, where one person stood beneath and another above the log, at either end of a two-handed saw. The earliest sawmills were crude water-powered mills. Steam power replaced waterpower during the Industrial Revolution in the early 1800's.
Methods of getting the most planks out of a tree
Some of the tools that would be available in Tudor times.
A Long house, in use for hundreds of years in various sizes The walls would on the smaller and cheaper ones be of hazel or ash hurdle like construction coated in mud on a stone base to stop rising damp, the overhanging thatch keeping the top of the wall dry. "If a house has a good hat and pair of shoes it will last for ever" |
|
HOME PAGE GLOSSARY |