The Attic Clearance has been forced upon us by the ceiling falling in, we were avoiding it because there is so much junk up there. Take a look at what we found in the attic during the clearance!
Just a comment on the post you found. I have worked on Victorian and Edwardian structures and have found similar style posts tucked away in various corners , closets and basements as well as out buildings. At first I thought they were newel posts as you have because of the style of the post. After checking structure and rebuilding staircases I could not find where they would fit in. It was not until my partner started working on ceilings that had sculpted beam arches did we find where they went. The slot and bolt holes on your post may indicated a support post for a sculpted or architectural exposed beam.We rebuilt several ceiling arches that were exposed and incorporated the posts back into the beams . The results were excellent. Also some of the buildings had pillars inside that consisted of two or three sections that also had similar styled posts put together to make up a column . I think they were designed that way so you could mix and match for style. If you are fortunate enough to have interior photographs you may find where the post had been or attached to. The number on top of the post is a manufacturer's number of how many posts were made and/or the style number. If I am not mistaken England had several companies that made up premade interior decorative wood work that was made to order to put into buildings, this saved considerable amount of time and effort on the builders part. Many Victorian/ Edwardian Churches still have this type of interior wood work There may or may not be a manufacturers logo or symbol on the post which would help in locating the maker and what the post was designed for. If you have the ability to access to the original plans or building schedules ( the rail road company or local archives may have these) you may find a note or annotation indicating who may have supplied the finish trim work. I do believe if you check with a library they may have old manufactures catalogues that show the product lines they had available you might be able to locate that particular post. I have done similar research in the past and located several posts and finished trim work that really helped with rebuilds. I hope this information is some way helpful to assist you in your endeavours.
Really enjoying watching the old railway station being renovated. Thank you for not putting music over the top of the video, it’s so much more enjoyable without it.
Laura, I’ve been dying to reply to that comment awhile ago complaining that you keep saying WE are doing this or that, implying Gil needs more credit. As a married man of over 40 years I can tell everyone that no man can take on a challenge such as this without 100% support of his wife. And Laura you are doing a fantastic job of working, supporting, videoing and editing. Your posts are now some of my most favorite videos I follow on RU-vid. Keep up the great work you and Gil are doing! I’m sure the kids are supporting you too. What a fun project! Jerry Los Angeles CA
Thank you so much Jerry, that means so much. Most of the comments have been quite funny but we have had some unkind ones too about me doing very little which was a little disheartening as this really is a joint effort with us both working incredibly hard. I really appreciate your acknowledgment 😊 thank you
I agree with other commenters saying to get the old, wet insulation out of the attic space. The way things were strewn about on the ceiling I'm surprised something hadn't fallen through sooner. Really enjoyed watching Gil fold up those shelves and then yeeting them out the window.
Oh, my gosh! And whlie demolition of any 100 year old anything!!! They really should be wearing a respirator at the very least put a mask on when working around old insulation, exposed plaster possible rodent droppings and the dust! My word you guys will be sick before you ever get done..
It would be nice to have a wall or a little corner dedicated to the history of that train station in that room similar to a tiny museum with a few pictures and maybe books, memories of your findings, chairs, coffee table, floor lamp. 😊😊😊
Lovely idea, our plan is to have it as period as possible (while making it a family home of course). I’ve been in contact with many enthusiasts on FB who have kindly allowed me to have pictures that have been taken over the years which we are going to frame and put throughout the building. Hopefully as time goes by we’ll be able to find some nice pieces that will fit in such as lamps and clocks as well.
Consider a couple of options. Removing all that mechanical equipment as it's not really needed if you are on your Council Water System. A hot water tank could be installed on the ground floor. Then think about removing that inside wall. This would give you your 'Great Room' when the windows' full heighth is reveiled. If that wall is load bearing, a couple of Victorian Arches would suffice. Opening the attic space up for a second bedroom or loft area are possibilities. It was plain to see that an attempt was made to add a second floor with those additional floor joists. above that ceiling. You must keep in mind that you are creating a home, not a new station. Sit down one evening with the Girls and sketch out the different possibilities. You might come up with a "Mine, Mine, Mine" drawing that could satisfy everyone. Thinking about which walls can be installed, moved, or eliminated without compromising the outside of the structure should be something all could look forward to. Dad needs to teach the girls what end of the hammer is to un-nail the old wood. Remeber the scripture "Teach a man to fish"? Make them intrested in being involved in the transformation from this to HOME!
Lovely comment, thank you very much! Taking that wall out and having the whole room up to full height, with windows fully exposed is the dream. The girls have had a good bit of input into the plans (which have been approved!!), I just hope we can get it done before they both grow up and move out 😢…. Although we plan to be here for good and make it somewhere future generations can come back to and enjoy.
The newel post is bang on for late Victorian. It's also missing the top finial. The single slot on the base suggests it was for a landing area. The holes for the attachments will tell you where its position was, i.e., base, landing, end etc. Today, they tend to be reused for tables, lights, etc, but they do have a value. Or maybe it is half a leg from a billiard table !!!! 😅😉 Oh, almost forgot. The numbers are stamped, not carved, and are part numbered for quicker construction and would be on the plans.
@@dg2908 Assuming that slot goes right through, that would be for a side 'apron', making it one of the center legs there. The pair of holes would then be the attachment for a cross-stretcher supporting the slate bed and tying the sides together. Strange though; why have/keep only one leg? Perhaps it's previous owner was a retired Pirate? 😂
God bless you guys and being young enough to see this through but having the patience to quiet the mind and allow things, solutions to emerge. Just brilliant!
The irony of all that pipe insulation sitting there unused. Some of the wiring looks fairly recent, certainly not Victorian, which is a good sign. All in all, the damage could have been much more extensive. Good to have the attic cleared out. Thanks for sharing.
I’m a retired carpenter in Australia who specialised in maintenance. This was a fairly common repair for me. 99% of the time the damage was to the plaster only. On the rare occasions that the timber structure was rotten, it had been wet for years. I hope your experience is the same. 👍
Its a good time to find out where your charity shop is located, or the local garbage recycling center. Lol Might as well leave the pipe insulation up there and use it when you've finished. I'm surprised the previous owner never put down plywood over the framing before using it as storage. Good job on the clearing. It might not have been in your immediate plans, but it's one less thing you have to do later. Bessed Be!
I would put the ceiling back as it was, So you can have another matching light fixture on ether side of the room, just like it was when it was built. Exposing all of those beams, you will be able to see the water tank and all that other junk.😂
@@theoldstationrenovation I agree, replace the conventional system with a condensing boiler, that way you can remove the black header tank. And heat on demand, some of the nice models have built in small water tanks so it’s instant heat.
Huge gratitude for the silence. Watching what you are doing, getting informed, and participating in the discoveries are so much more enjoyable without the thudding background “music.”
Modern water systems don't usually have all those tanks so hopefully they will get evicted when you update the system sorting out many issues. My rented flat has a worringly rusting water tank orgional 1970 but we do have concrete floor if it gives out! Loving the restore, if I were local I be wanting to lend a hand but alas i'm the other side of the country. The kurbstone you uncovered on the driveway probably has a pavement behind ppl would have walked down rather than walking in the roadway/drive? Palm trees may not be in keeping but far enough away from the core of the restoration to not distract and may make an interesting feature when you get to focus on the secret garden. Any bamboo needs removing it is very invasive and can be damaging. Thanks for sharing your journey
Make a staircase in that hole and open the room up, with a balconylook, also don't throw away the wood, you might need it, recycle where necessary and btw, what about a summer miniature modeltrain show, at that fabulous location of a station, and maybe a steammachine show at same time? Chapeau for renevating culture, the time in history when there was payable public transportation everywhere.
As pointed out at 2:30 you can see where the joists for the original ceiling have been cut off. Presumably the heavy beam immediately in front of the 2 yellow cylinders is also a joist which has not been removed giving you a perfect measure for the original height of the room below.
That’s right, the bottom of the roof truss beams are flush with the underside of the severed original ceiling 2x12 joists. Having insulation between joists will solve the heat loss concern people have. Bringing back the original architectural design will allow the upper decorative windows to shine in full glory. The idea of exposed trusses on view can be held in suspense for the second floor rooms. Use the found newel post for a new wider staircase. Cheers ❤
The original height of the ceiling in the waiting room would of been where the underside of the main truss in the loft is. 2 min 30 in the video you can see on the left hand side above the windows where the joists have been cut off to make a loft space and room for heating tanks etc. Great to see your giving it a go to restore the station. 👍👍👍😊
I noticed thr beams were sawn off and their doesent look to be anything structured for the roof A frame , could be just not seeing it , but enjoying the videos their so interesting and the old original pictures are amazing 😁
Go back to the original ceiling height and try and get back to the original floor plan. The station master sometimes lived in the station. Try and find the original plans and start from there.
Thank you!😊 There seems to have been a whole lot of sawing going up there, we’ve got a structural engineer coming out this week so will get an idea of what we can do up there.
I hope you have an architect/engineer for your renovation. They will he4lp you to evaluate the station and help you work out a schedule and budget for the renovation.
Don't you just love how life comes along and changes your plans for the day? I'm glad no one fell thru the ceiling though, please keep up these videos and stay safe!!❤❤😊
Don't open up the attic to the room downstairs... where else will you keep all the monsters and ghosts...? As a kid- 50 or so years ago, I loved model trains... I pored over the Hornby /Triang catalogues of the day, I knew all the track pieces, the curves, the various trains and lines... What I particularly loved (and possibly inspired me in some of my career choices), was the way they set up the photos and the layouts... The station buildings, the overhead walkways, the poles, the gantries, the bushes and all the associated parts - That is what I would think any station should look like... The details in the brickwork, the windows, the platforms etc... When I finally got a chance to travel to the UK from Australia as an adult, I was drawn to the railways and such when I got there - the Intercity 125 trains, the sidings, bridges etc... It may be 'romantic' to think of that old way of how things looked (before cost cutting, privatisation and the closure of branch lines), but it will always be the way it should look in my mind and how it probably looked in the 1950's and 1960's...
You can see the original celling height, room to raise it back and still install new insulation. The seemingly DIY pipework and tanks will need to be moved, maybe not a bad thing though !!
The cost of making the underside of the roof visible is that you will have a room with an uninsulated "ceiling". In the winter the underside of the roof will be wet from condensation and in the summer the room will be almost as hot as an attic. Summers will be getting warmer so even though a/c is not yet universal in the UK, you will likely be installing a/c in time. You will want to keep room volume as small as practical (think 8 ft ceilings) and will want the ceiling to be insulated.
There is no reason to believe the ceiling (the underside of the roof) could not be insulated if the beams are exposed. Throughout Europe there are very old post & beam structures where the rafters are exposed & are successfully insulated all the time. These buildings are cherished for their beautiful rafter construction. As far as 8 ft ceilings, the perimeter windows of the depot are over 8 foot in height. I'm certain the desire is to expose the full windows to the extent that is possible & practical.
I was thinking when she said about opening it up that it would make heating that room in winter a pain as all the hot air would go up to the ceiling, but the fact as you said it would naturally condense water in winter would be an added problem they don’t need.
If you buy a cheap renovator I presume you don't have a fortune. If so where does the fortune come from to build and heat such high ceilings. I agree with both comments
Well actually folks these buildings in the past were often exposed up to the ceiling and there is nothing wrong with insulating in between the rafters and panelling them and the insulation as you would never leave the underside of the roof exposed.
I'm sure it's a relief to get all that junk out. May I suggest that you get a design software that allows you to see in 3D any possible architectural changes? There was a fad in the US of having living rooms with cathedral ceilings - they looked great but were terrible to live in. The square footage/square meterage of the floor was too small relative to the height and one felt like one was sitting in a chimney. A local church built a small chapel with a 3 or 4-storey ceiling with a similar problem, compounded by a glass wall which turned the chapel into a literal oven.
Certainly is a relief!! We’ve had a 3D done of the building as it is now so we can see how it all fits together. Going to have one done as per the new plans next 👍
I just had a thought . If you do decide to go 2 stories in the entrance/living room you could possibly have a book shelf on the one end. Make it 2 stories and have one of ladders that move across it to reach the upper shelves Just a random thought
A lot of really great comments here. So awesome to have such great resources! About opening up the ceiling... I would only do it if I was also removing the wall as well to open up the whole space. For a fairly narrow room to have such high ceilings just doesn't feel right. I've been in houses like that, small rooms with 11' ceilings, and from an aesthetic perspective they just don't work. The framing is beautiful, try to find a way to remodel the upstairs to highlight them on that level.
Hi congratulations on your purchase of the old station building, good luck with your project. I really enjoy watching your content and the best part is listening to your soothing calm voice so beautiful and relaxing.
That was a lot of weight on that floor! It’s a wonder more didn’t come through the ceiling. 😳 There’s nothing but insulation in the attic of our little fixer upper, but I’m looking forward to getting a metal roof put on in the spring and hope we don’t find links before then. We’re enjoying watching your videos. Our reno is on a much smaller scale, so watching yours makes us feel good! 😄
Bless you for considering the use of the entire center of the Station as a Great Room. The 80's remodel made a chopped up mess of the building, and lost the original character of the building. This is the only opportunity you will have to restore the originality, and you will be forever grateful that you made that decision. You have plenty of floor space for two lower suites with bathrooms, and two sleeping rooms with half baths and storage upstairs. The original front doors and windows will provide a dramatic entrance to your new home, and no foyer is necessary in this day and age. It will only require simple blinds to give you privacy when needed. You will later thank all those who made the suggestion. The water and heating can be allocated to a small outbuilding or extension. And, if I may . . . you really need to find a great restoration architect!
That’s what we’re thinking, utility room for boiler and solar power and make good use of that huge room. We have a good architect and structural engineer working on plans 😁
Well at least it is safe now and just thank God you were not still standing in that room, I would def have the ceiling higher to get the full length of the windows to show off. then add celling as it could be draughty. The wooden piece you found I think would make a Lovely lamp stand. And can I ask are you going to keep the Canopy the way it is or do you think put back to original as it would let in a lot of lovely light. Have a great week ahead and Hugs sent Dede xxxx
By the looks of it, the height of the roof is very tall. If you opened the ceiling all the way up it would look fab, but likely prove impossible to heat efficiently. What if instead you raise the ceilings that extra foot or so to be above the top of the fancy window frames? Then the roof timbers could be exposed for the upper floor rooms. 🤔 That would still make it hard to insulate the roof outside w/out a complete reshingle job, which I’m sure you don’t want to do before you have to. It would cost the earth to replace all that slate! 😮 I’m sure you’ll figure out the best way to tackle the project with a lot more onsite info than I have watching from the comfort of my easy chair here in New England, lol. Good luck!
We cleaned out our attic and built a giant 19x27 foot bedroom for ourselves with a ceiling all the way to the peak. It was a lot of work but cleaning the place out at the beginning was very satisfying.
Those beams are a king post beam bent. I don't know if there's any traditional mortise and tenon joinery, or whether it's strictly a Post &Beam structure given the metal strapping/brackets with bolts, which is indicative of Post &Beam joinery versus traditional timberframe joinery. I don't see any wooden pegs, suggesting that it's Post&Beam, but the pegs, also called trunnells, could have been cut off flush and with the dirt, I can't see them. If you want to clean these beams without removing the patina it's gained over time, consider using a wheel Brush. I own a couple of Makita wheel brushes(Makita 9741). Porter cable also makes one called the Restorer. They are a power tool with a nylon bristle brush that is impregnated with a mild abrasive. I use them on old hardwood and they will clean and polish old oak without removing any of the original texture or the brown oxidation it's achieved over time. On softwood, it will still clean it, but will be slightly more aggressive. Be mindful of what these tools come with as sometimes they might come with a flap sanding wheel or a wire wheel, which is not what you want for that. I agree that if at all possible you can expose the beams and clean them up, they would make a wonderful feature.
Gut, dass der ganze Unrat entfernt wird, Es birgt ja nicht nur Kurzschlußgefahren, sondern im schlimmsten ein Brand durch eben diesen Kurzschluß.Und die Decke ist entlastet. Und sehr schöne Funde waren auch dabei. Klasse !! It's good that all the garbage has been removed, as there is not only a risk of short-circuiting, but in the worst case a fire due to this very short-circuit, and the ceiling is relieved. And there were some very nice finds. Great !!!
Get a dumpster and put the Sawz-all to work clearing the bad ceiling area. I still would seek the advice of your local municipal or county engineer before rehabbing the plumbing system. Looks to me that previous owners were trying to do this on the cheap. They got away with it but you didn't. There's an old saying that applies here: Never enough time to do a job right but there sure as hell is enough time to do it over. Press on!
This is 1980s bodgett and leggeit finest UK home improvement we don't require the kind or permits the US does apart from electric, gas supporting walls and things like that.. but yeah what was done was legal if dodgy.
@@theoldstationrenovation MusicMagpie, and Ziffiit, just got £7 for three christmas box sets added to a load of books to double up my 10percent bonus. Or play them, cheaper than 8p a track download cost !
Hi, that object you found is a leg from an old snooker table. The numbers are on bottom of the leg. The groove is where the side of the table slots in.
Hi guys, well that us one big job out of the way, it will now all be down hill, well maybe a slow trek, good luck with the remainder of the job, best regards from a Kiwi living in Australia
Me again. You should definitely raise the roof to show off the old Victorian windows. Adding about 4 feet of height. Then, maybe, use some pressed tin ceiling tiles to bring back the Victorian style. Ah heck, I'm sure you've googled many old photos and restorations to know what you want. Cheers from California (USA). 🧡🧡😎😎
One more comment, I agree with the person about keeping the ceiling low. Here in Southern California you could easily open it up, but our weather is not as harsh as yours. The building would cost a lot more to heat and any insulation would “be ugly”, ruining the look you are imagining. Anyways, my 2 cents! Jerry Los Angeles CA
Insulation boards installed between the roof rafters and paneled on the inside -- or even just painted -- would not be ugly, especially in comparison to low ceilings.
Back when you took out the built-ins from the bedroom, I wondered why you didn't just toss the pieces out the window. Good to see you saved yourselves some work this time.
Well done to both of you yes not an easy work,,, but it is done now great clear up done and as other people is remove all the stuff. Well done not pleasant work yet it really needed to be done ❤❤❤
The pipe insulation! LOL! I'm sure vaulting that junk out the window was satisfying. You are both brave to work up there with a hole in the floor. I hate heights. That newel post is great. It's wonderful to see the huge original beams and metal bolting them together. I like how you are spending time getting a feel for the place, and really thinking through you options.
Love seeing the items chucked out the window!!!! The room will be grand when you raise the ceiling, exposing the original windows. Any plans to relocate the water tanks? Blessings from the USA
Really enjoyed chucking stuff out, very satisfying!! The whole water system is coming out, I it’s day it looks like it was pretty good but not what we need now.
Great video, going through the junk is having a treasure hunt. Yes I said in an earlier post that the beams would look great exposed. Your Victorian window is going to look great as well can’t wait to see what is next.
The attic clearance was hard but necessary. Sometimes circumstances force us to modify our plans. Yours were changed by the hole in the ceiling. It could not be procrastinated. Thank you for sharing. You are great people and hard workers.
Hi Laura, so sorry this terrible thing happened to your RR home. Good thing is no one got hurt and it's better to know about this water issue now instead of later after you have done all updates. Onward and don't look back. God bless.
Thank you Sarah! It was a bit of a shock but now it’s well behind us it doesn’t seem too bad. Probably won’t even make the top 20 setbacks by the time we’re done!
Great work. The wooden peice, perhaps a roof finial, maybe from the rear of the station, the old canopy perhaps, the old photos seem to show very plain beams at the front of the building they seem to have been upgraded to a more robust design painted in blue.
It's interesting that there seems to be quite a bit of renovation done by the previous owners. Many of those structural parts are clearly 'modern' compared to the original structure. Glad noone was hurt! Great film production work by the way!
It would be lovely to have the open space up to the beams. But you’ll need to take into account, it’s going to cost a lot in money and fuel to heat such an open space.
As you have so little space and want to conserve the glorious porch area.. have you thought about a colab with a conservatory company to create a " sun room" but all seasons.. Meaning not only a useable space but due to the Weather we have meaning you could have glorious views but be dry and warm or dry...
Respectfully, work smarter not harder. Put tarps down if you throw things on the floor. Makes it easier to collect and clean up. Use boxes to put stuff in...1 keep, 1 throw away, 1 donate. Also wear masks. The hole is not that bad at all. U can install faux beams and open up the room. Add a larger pipe and i ulation around the discharge pipe. Great vids and luv the place
0:06 It's surprising and a bit strange, former residents would just toss old items in this room. Not really setting items up with any organization, or around the perimeter. The book cases - maybe reuse in one of the out buildings for storage; the largest area, for storing paints, supplies, tools, etc. The 2 small cabinets, looked like the drawers were there too; could also use in your out building for supplies. Good you found the missing drawer for the antique chest. Must feel so good to have the attic and last space cleared out. I also like the idea of opening up the ceiling in that room to the rafters, it would be amazing and beautiful. Only down fall, would be hard to heat that room to where it felt cozy. On 2nd thought, after reading the other comments, doesnt sound like a good idea to open up to the rafters.
When I was clearing out my late parents' home, I threw a lot of stuff out the attic window. We weren't in any danger of the floor/ceiling collapsing, but the west end of the attic was a LONG way from the stairs, so everything (a) small enough and (b) unbreakable went right out the window. Saved a lot of time.
Wow -- what lovely beams. By all means open up the attic to display them. Insulating the roof is not so tough now -- and it's well worth bringing in a professional to at least plan the job. You'll want to put insulating boards from the eaves to the ridge between each rafter. You'll want furring to create a vent space from the eaves up to the ridge, and a ridge vent along the top of the existing roof. I'd think about furring each side of the rafters and then attaching the insulating panels to the furring. Be sure to use panels with a vapor barrier on the top (cold) side. The bottom of the panels can be finished to highlight the new cathedral ceilings. I also note the lovely old "king truss" that you've exposed. One note -- although the bottom chord is a big beam, it is still unwise to put much weight on it. The purpose of the king truss is to prevent the ridge from sagging under the weight of the slate roof. The chords are in tension, but will not support as much load as you might think. Another humorous note -- at 0:59, the twisted wire hanging down was probably holding a long-gone light fixture. That might provide a clue about a dramatic lighting solution -- hang some down-lights in beautiful fixtures. What a positively gorgeous old structure. I encourage you to design the aesthetics of the renovated space -- including cathedral ceilings -- and then rely on professionals to design the insulation and electrics to fit your design. It was criminal to destroy all that lovely space in the 1980s renovation and there's just no need to repeat that travesty. :) I love the channel and look forward to future installments. If you haven't already, you might consider providing a way for at least some of us to contribute to the expense of all this. It is well worth doing well, and I for one would happily help.
Thank you so much for this really valuable advice, it’s so appreciated. We have an architect working on plans currently and are really hoping to open the space up. It’s good to know about the beams, we will need a structural engineer to ensure we get it right 👍 all advice is always welcome
Good morning from Oz, looking brilliant, well done. Next step, rip out that insulation as well. Best get a clean slate to work on. Of course, a couple of LED Fluro baton lights would be the G.O. I don't know your plans for the space. If it was me the space would make a study. With a simple wall to cover the workings of the house. Which will allow full access when needed. No need to make it look like a million Oz$ keep it rustic. And clean those lovely windows. In regard to fixing the electrics & plumbing. Get it done right and just the once and then you will only have to cry once when you see the invoice.
😂about the invoice! Completely agree about the windows, they are wasted being like that. All of the water and electric gear is going to be coming out, I’m sure it was a good set up for it’s day but I’m sure there’s far more compact kit these days👍
I'm sorry this is a set back for you but in a way it's another job crossed off your long list of things to do. Looks like you've got no insulation on the roof so maybe that's part of the problem. Those windows in the attic will look amazing once you restore them
lack of insulation on the gable end wall too wont help, but no amount of insulation in a unheated property will stop the internal temperature reaching the external temperature given enough time
