Breathing New Life into a Dilapidated Period Home

This charming period home dating back to 1901 may look pretty as a picture now, but that wasn’t always the case. When the owners of this home approached us, the building was extremely run down. It was heavily damaged from rising damp, wet rot, leaking roofs, scalding brickwork and sunken footings. We needed to approach this restoration with delicate care in order to preserve the authenticity of its character, however, major restoration had to be completed internally and externally if we wanted to give this home a chance of being revived.

Aside from the damage, the house had also been renovated multiple times over the years, which caused multiple issues for the team when putting it back together again. We got to work quickly, stripping all walls back to raw brickwork and re-plastering them. We replaced all ceilings, and the subfloor had to be re-built and excavated out. We had to conduct a full-scale refurbish of the home, adding original features back into the house such as the ornamental cornice, Victorian-style skirting boards, architraves and original ceiling roses.

Externally, we added new roofing with fresh new terracotta tiles and a refresh of the brickwork. The roof also had to be re-framed. All the external timber had severe wet rot, so we rebuilt and replaced all fretwork, rafter tails and eaves. The front porch needed to be re-built, as it had sunken and flood and the windows were replaced and treated for rot.

Internally, we added new American Oak flooring throughout and fresh new carpet within the bedrooms. We revived the kitchen, upgrading the home and adding the latest modern appliances.

Our aim was to protect the original design of the home and pay homage to the period-era design, yet ensure the home was fully-functional and suitable to a luxurious modern lifestyle. The result is proof that no job is impossible for Secon Constructions. We successfully resurrected this home, restoring it to its former glory and preserving its unique character for decades to come.