First things first.

When we first moved into Tracy Cottage there were several things that required immediate attention.  

It was damp.
Matt removed the gross old carpet in the study as well as the false ceiling below the study in the cellar, to allow for some airflow and let the floor beams dry out.  This led to a very noticeable cold draft in the study, but that air-circulation is important for letting moisture out.  When people try to insulate older houses constructed from older materials moisture problems can arise, because it can no longer escape. 

There were damp patches on the walls all over the house, places where the lime plaster had lost its key and was crumbling away from the brick.  This led to me stripping off wallpaper/paint to let the walls breath and dry out.  All those layers of wallpaper and lead paint had effectively sealed the walls, trapping moisture within the house.  

Before picture..

Look! we found the fourth fireplace!

The guys did most of the heavy demo on the plaster in this back bedroom, the bricks are drying out and now there are exposed brick walls all over the place.  When we are ready we hope to add another little wood burner in this room and re-plaster the walls so they are nice and smooth. 

Removing plaster is the dirtiest dustiest thing so far, and nothing we've tried has kept the dust contained.  Luckily Matt's father anticipated our needs and bought a vacuum!  Yes, it came with a face, and yes we call him Henry.

Outside of the house things were happening too.  The chimney got flashed with lead to stop leaks from getting inside (should have been done years ago) and we addressed some ground level factors to prevent moisture from creeping into the house.  

We dug a trench next to the house in the garden to account for a century of build up, and effectively brought the soil level down and away from the walls/ the damp proof bricks.  The damp proof bricks exist to stop rising damp, but when the wet garden soil is higher than the level of the bricks they are pointless.  Those of you who know me, know this was my chance for some garden archaeology!  I ran it just like a field school and was highly entertained for nearly two days.

Archaeology in action! Using that degree for something!  Yes this was a mud pit and yes it was December.  The mountain of rubble was intense. 

The damp proof bricks were below the garden level, so in this photo they are still damp, but you can just make out the rows of black bricks level with the paving slabs.  Now they are clear and dry just as they were meant to be!

The trench was dug right outside the kitchen and as expected revealed a Victorian kitchen midden.  Ceramic shards, lots of glass, bit of bone, iron, and even a button. 
So thats some of the heavy lifting done, next I'll tell you about how we started settling in that first week.

-Nicole