The Beams

Most of the beams in the cottage were rotten, but we thought we could save the big one in the kitchen. It is dirty and moss-covered, but underneath seemed to be solid - nothing that a sand-blasting couldn't put right. But opening up the kitchen wall for the french windows exposed the end of the big beam and showed that it too had gone. It had to come down.

It is a long beam - about 6 meters - and cannot be easily replaced. However there is another solution - to turn the beam through 90 degrees and have it going across the kitchen from the old chimney wall to the hallway. That means it can be cut down to about 4 meters, removing the part that's rotten.

In fact what seemed to be a problem turns out to be a benefit. The wood yard supplying the oak cross beams that will support the first floor telephoned to say they were worried that the lengths we ordered would be too long and they would bow. By turning the main beam round, the oak cross beams can now be shorter.

Also, it's been easier to find a matching main beam of about 4 meters for the lounge. And the cross beams are already up!