 The
initial stages
involved
measuring and referencing the pond the platform was to be built over.
The oak was ordered and work could begin. The 40 foot sole plates were
scarfed together and the first platform framed and attached.
|
 The two sole plates were
attached to
each other and the upright stantions attached to the sole plates.
Finally the last platform could be framed up.
The structure was complete ready for the difficult installation. |
 The structure was
so large
that it could not be moved in one piece. |
 It
was dissassembled and parts were moved to the site in 'kit-form'. |
 Here
we see the first 4 sole plates being referenced and attached to the
ground using stainless steel fixings. |
 All 8 Sole plates in position. |
 The
stantions for the hand rails are in place. Now to
attach the platforms. Due to the delicate liner used in the pond it was
necessary that the 'flying' platforms were not supported by posts in
the ponds, instead they were canterlevered from the sole plates.
This made installing the platforms an interesting if damp experience. |
 We did make a few friends
however. |
 With
a combination of ropes, pulleys and brute force the
frames of the platforms were pulled into place, where the braces and
stantions could be pegged to them. Here we can see just one brace is in
place and holding the platform up. Also the supporting ropes used to
position the platform are visible. |
 The
platforms were then covered with boards. |
 The platforms were then
fenced and gated off to keep unattended children off the platforms. |
 Finishing
up. Time for a
holiday.
|
16th Century
Timber Frame Repair. Hambledon Hampshire
What follows is a step by step process of the repair and addition to an
estimated 16th Century Timber Frame building in Hampshire. A lot of the
timbers were reused when the frame was originally built. Evidence of
this is by the excessive amount of mortice holes in the post.
Recycling of useful material was common in old framed buildings.
The frame itself had been modified several times over the years. Most
notably one of the girders and a number of floor joists had been cut to
make room for a stair case and block work used to support the timber.
The present owner wanted the beam to be repaired to complete the span
of the room as originally intended. Due to the extent that the beam had
been 'modified' we felt it was necessary to add a number of posts to
help support the beam along it's whole length. One of these posts also
came in handy when adding a supporting beam to take up weight of the
floor joists.
The frame was being supported by props as the blockwork needed to be
removed before an inspection of the timbers could take place.
Some photos and description of the repair work follow.
|
 Believe it or not
this used to be a mortice and tenon
joint. The tenon of the floor beam had been exposed when a chimney had
been installed. This beam has the floor joists tenoned into it and is
required to support the upper floor. The girder (the bottom beam
running from right to left) had so much of the timber removed that it
was necessary to add a post underneath this joint to ensure it's
integrity. This post to be added would also be flared at the top so
that the floor beam would also rest upon it, this was a precaution we
used since we suspected that the tenon was originally a 'tusk' tenon.
This meant that the tenon itself may have been modified and in it's
current state may not be strong enough to support the upper floor.
|
 Here we are looking through a section of
stud wall at the completed laminate repair.
|
 The other side of
the laminate repair, note the repaired mortice for the floor beams
tenon.
|
 The completed
laminate repair has re-housed the floor beam tenon, and has filled the
hole so that the upper part of the beam will be in compression when the
floor is loaded.
|
 The laminate was
shaped using a hand axe to blend in with the original shape of the
timber.
|
 To complete the original span of the
timber it was necessary to scarf a new section of timber to fit into
the original mortice. However the original post surface had been
removed to allow the staircase to butt up against the wall. Note the
angle of the original staircase that had been removed from the post. To
ensure that the repair would be strong enough to support the upper
floor the post was dressed flat and a new surface coach screwed to it.
The profile of the original mortice housing was then followed onto the
new section of timber and the mortice completed. The original peg hole
was used to secure the scarfed timber in place completing the span.
|
 The pre-cut scarf section of timber.
|
 Preparing the old timber to accept the
scarfing joint.
|
 Once the scarf was in place another post
was added below the scarf joint and another at the far end of the room.
between these posts a new floor beam was added to accept the load of
the floor joists, which had previously been sat on blockwork.
|
 The other end of
the floor beam.
|
 The Completed Post and Laminate Repair. The post
has been tenoned in to the
bottom of the beam and has been pegged to hold the joint tight. Note
the flaring at the top of the post to support the floor beam.
In the distance the scarf joint has been placed and refit in the
original mortice on the far post. The scarf has also been shaped to
blend in with the original timber profile. The original span has been
completed albeit in sections.
|
Once the bottoms of the posts had been
fixed, the props were removed and the frame was once again self
supporting.
|
