Dpirie76

Hi, guys, thanks for the advice. The wall is a gable end so no gutters, just the end of the thatch. From what you have both said I think the prudent idea will be to investigate further from the inside to see what's occurring. Long term plan (4-5yrs.......££s.... you know) is to re-thatch and in doing so re-render that wall entirely. In the meantime we're looking for a 'stop gap' solution that's best for us and the building. Thanks again, hold fire on the replies for now, I'll get home this weekend and post some pics. So you can laugh at my ridiculous predicament.

Hi, Ed, yeah, on the inside of the house. I'm working away at the moment so can't post any recent pics, but is very damp and blowing what looks like lathe plaster, though I've not investigated fully to determine inner wall construction. Incidentally, this room is right next to our badly ventilated kitchen, so lots of moisture form cooking, especially in this winter.

Don't you just know it. We've only been here 2 years and both my missus and I (both tall) now involuntarily duck going through doors in our mates houses. New, tall houses. You can take the man out of the cottage but you can't take the cottage out of the man.

Thanks for the reply From memory (working away at the moment) its lath and plaster, I haven't investigated fully yet, but it has blown away from a electrical conduit and it is not render (as I know it) or plaster.

Hi, Dreadnaught, aye, it is, we're right near the Cambridge border (ish) between Newmarket / Bury / Haverhill. I grew up in Sawston, so know your venerable county well

Hello all, we have a small thatched cottage (2 up, 2 down huge central double sided chimney breast in the middle) which is made up of timber frame, wattle and daub on a 3 of the 4 aspects. The final aspect being, from what I can tell, single skin brick with what I assume is concrete render on the exterior (common for houses in our area to have the wall facing that direction in brick as it faces toward an airbase that was heavily bombed in the war, people have said many houses lost that end in raids and were rebuilt in brick). The problem we have is condensation. Partly due to the ancient sealed up timber windows (which I will be addressing this summer, the house is listed so have to replace like for like, no way of installing trickle vents), but I'm wondering the wall should be.. Insulated somehow? (celotex backed plasterboard inside?) Lime rendered outside? If anyone has any thoughts / experience, I'd love to hear it. Thanks in advance, Dan

Hello, all. As the title suggests, my partner and I have just (2 years ago) bought, and moved into a lovely Suffolk thatched cottage. The first 2 years we have spent transforming the double garage / barn into a workshop for my partner who is a leather worker. Now we turn our attention to the cottage. We have plans for it, and plenty needs doing, but, even as a working chippy, somethings are out of my reach. Will mostly be asking you for advice on things like insulating cold walls, rendering and other topics for renovation purposes. Thanks for having me, Dan