Residential, Midlands

Challenge

Firs House is a spectacular Grade II listed property in Worcestershire. Originally, a detached green-oak-framed farmhouse dating back to the seventeenth century, the two storey building was designed in the classic sixteenth/seventeenth century ‘T’ shape with a main range and a cross wing on the north end.

Disaster struck in the middle of one night in November 2006 a fire caused severe damage to the whole of the roof structure. After conducting an extensive survey, plans were put together to restore and upgrade this unique building, while taking every care to conserve or recycle original materials where possible.

Solution

A modern breathable membrane was fitted on the new roof and the original tiles were replaced by traditional handmade plain clay tiles. Manufactured in ‘Medium Antique’, their gently uneven shapes gave an instantly aged and ‘olde world’ appearance that closely reproduced the mellow tone and texture of the originals. Their gentle double camber also offered added ventilation to the roof space.

As the pitch of the gablet roofs was much the same as the roof of the main range, it was possible to use Tudor’s purpose-made tiles for swept valleys. This is another feature which helps to give an aged, traditional appearance to the house, which would not have been the case with lead lined valleys.

Result

For the owner, rebuilding Firs House has been a challenging but immensely rewarding experience. “To say it was a labour of love is an understatement. Completing this massive restoration has been a remarkable achievement, largely down to the expertise of our architect and the hard work and support of the contractors and manufacturers involved”.