Hello from Barnaby Wilde and Bosch the Dog - First Post !!!

Hi All my name is Barnaby Wilde and this is my dog Bosch ,

Welcome to my first blog . I have bought an old Victorian shop and three bed roomed terrace in Water Orton, North Warwickshire which I intend to transform into a authentic family home with period features. I have years of restoration experience and my last project was a 17th Century farm in the Dordogne in south west France . The Victorian terrace is dated around 1860 and was built at the same time as the Digby Hotel on Coleshill Road . It was originally Watson's tobacco and sweet shop that had a 1960's conversion of the original front two rooms into one shop with a lounge and kitchen with outbuildings behind the shop, a large cellar below and three bedrooms and a family bathroom upstairs.

The house has a large Victorian walled garden which is completely overgrown with ancient brambles, ivy and holly trees and sits on a large plot with frontage to the shop

The house has seven fireplaces all blocked off, bricked up and covered with layers of plaster and lead paint

Underneath layers of old carpet and vinyl are the original quarry tiles and 160 year old pine floor boards

So before any restoration begins with lead, dirt, dust and unknown products get the proper PPE with a respirator face mask, googles, head and body covering and builders gloves . Safety first don't worry about looking like an astronaut!

Okay some basics of restoration.

1. First get a full building survey and act on all priorities

2. Plan to get a sealed box that you can work within by sorting the roof and windows so there are no leaks and water ingress . Make sure the walls are straight and sound and there is no damp ingress that will impact on any future works

My original Welsh slate roof has been replaced with new timbers, felt underlay and artificial slates identified by me getting into the attic before I bought the property on a rainy day to check the roof out from inside .The windows must have been replaced about 15 to 20 years ago by checking dates on interior of the PVC window frames and there are no significant issues that cannot be sorted by some quality sealant .

The building survey highlighted there is no subsidence and the walls are surprisingly straight and true for the age of the property

The cellar is the main issue with humidity through the bricks and the minimal Welsh slate damp proof course so I have removed the cellar door and installed a commercial dehumidifer to dry and ventilate the basement until I can tank the cellar