Ancient Secrets of Half-Timbered Buildings

Roger wanders around northern France and Surrey to take a look at half-timbered buildings.

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#HalfTimbered #RoamingRoger #timberframing

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[johnfisher]

I live in Normandy and spend most summers re-pointing in natural lime and repairing the colombage (mud, lime, cow dung infill) on people's properties. Absolutely love restoring something that's been attacked by ciment and silicone, and putting it back to how it should be.

[alexthomson]

We bought an apartment in a timber framed building in Bergerac and learned a fascinating fact. Centuries ago they used to transport goods up and down the Dordogne on floating vessels called gabarre and when they'd finished with them, they were dismantled and all the wood was used for the timbers in the buildings. Amazing

[janoginski]

Interesting Roger, as always, one thing is for certain the new builds by the developers will not last anywhere near as long. Had to get that one in, 😂, plus they have zero architectural merit or charm. For all the supposed advances in building technology, it’s now a rather inferior result. And breathability is the key definition, and Lime is an absolutely essential ingredient in mortars & renders absolutely avoid cement rich mortars, we used to gauge our lime mortars according to aspect. That is, if deemed necessary and depending on exposure we would add a proportion of Portland White to the mortar mix but the mixes were always lime rich. And when using Lime mortars never use builders sand it has to be sharp sand to maintain the voids in the mortar hence its resistance to cracking. I’ve been back to jobs we did many moons ago & all is sound. Lime great stuff.

[ambiguousUndertones-]

Love your travels around exploring the old style buildings, Roger-baby. Too bad you're not doing enough of them.

[cliveclapham]

Peter Ward has a word or two on this subject👍
Nice one Roger👍

[NcWraith]

Thanks Roger! Watching from America, there is a great joy in getting a peek at UK structures. I appreciate your channel

[andrewhead]

The 16th century timber frame building was the outcome of thousands of years of experience. With people building houses and applying not just local materials, but the technology and knowledge built up over centuries.

[harveysmith]

In terms of overhang for protection of the building, that is true regarding the roof. The overhang created by the joists for the first floor are overhung to facilitate smaller timbers to be used over a wide span. The overhang counter balanced the internal floor weight. (Thing of the seesaw principle.)

[billybulmer]

These videos are so interesting. Please do more.

[skiathosmobi]

Great video Roger, very educational 👍🇬🇷

[hi-tech]

Most enjoyable video Roger. Very informative. 👍

[GavinLawrence]

Great video, pretty houses.
This is why i'm dead set against the coming "retrofit" revolution - it's going to ruin so many homes with people changing the specifications of these buildings beyond what the designer ever anticipated.
I know that we have to save energy, but there's not really any point in saving energy if all the built heritage falls to bits/rots.

[Terrythemaker]

So true about the DPC, we live in a 300 year old thatched cottage and we’ve just had to replace two rotten sole plates and this was due to cement being used on a course of bricks underneath, if lime had been used, I think it may have been okay, put the cement had rotted the bottom pieces of timber like you wouldn’t believe.

[Mickthemove_]

Hi Roger, loving your videos!, i live in a 1650 water mill and need to blacken up/restore the oak timber frame, but having trouble finding an answer on what to use, and advice gratefully received, Mick

[philbarrett]

We can't say that our 'new builds' will last 500 years.

[GavinLawrence]

Good old Portland Cement, he's never far away from rotting timber or trapped moisture is he?
I'd love a video on the history of Portland Cement and how on earth it managed to gain such prominance so quickly?
Early example of corporate interests perhaps?

[evolutionCEO]

"they just used whatever they could find"... and some of it lasted for 4, 5 even 600 years.... yet with all the transportation of materials and "scientific advancement", the modern house will last 50 years if you are lucky.... 400 years will grow a multitude of huge oaks... sounds fundamentally sustainable... as long as you plant some trees.

[TheRacerRich]

I'm surprised the dampproof course was a problem. In the US there's a metal flashing between the stone foundation and the timber frame (as a termite shield), and we frame EVERYthing with timber.

[Goodwithwood]

I paint bitumen on sole plates of my stud walls, plastic dpm in my opinion can sweat and hold water onto the timber, especially if you have had a leak from above or a flood,

[livingladolcevita]

Another interesting video Roger, correct me if I'm wrong, it was always my understanding that they built overhangs to increase floor space without incurring extra taxes on ground space back in the days.