Roof joists and beams from an old stone house in central Portugal

Posted By Castelo Construction Lda in Building in Portugal, buying property in portugal, How to . . ., Living in Portugal, low cost build, property problems, refurbishment October 10, 2012 0 comment

Roof joists and beams from an old stone house in central Portugal

Often when we remove an old roof here in central Portugal we can’t believe just how thin the roof timbers are.

Roof joists may be cut from strong wood like eucalyptus or even stronger oak trees but they are rarely cut from the correct part of the log. It could be back in the old days 50 years ago the good quality timber was sold abroad and the locals bought the cheep off cuts. Whatever the reason it wasn’t a good idea.
Being cut from the sides of the log causes the timber to be weaker and they also twist when they bend due to the weight of the roof tiles or wind pressure. Twisting roof joists allow the roof tiles which are not nailed on to slip and they will eventually let the rain in causing more serious problems. Some of these joists are so bent and twisted it’s hard to believe that the roof was still in place.
One thing that the joists in the photograph all have in common is serious infestations of woodworm. For more information on woodworm go to www.casteloconstruction.com

All of the above makes it very difficult to repair a seriously damaged roof. It is often better to replace it because you can’t imitate the old sagging timbers with new strong timbers.

This piece of joist had a hook made from an olive branch. The hook was for holding cooking pots similar to a witch’s cauldron that was hung over an open fire to cook the family meals. Its still common to see old artefacts in rural Portugal. From ox drawn carts to crochet head cushion for carrying the water pots back from the well.

If you have or suspect that you have roof problems let us take a look and give you our opinion of the best way to correct the problem

www.casteloconstruction.com

Tags central portugal damaged roof old stone house roof repair roof timber woodworm

About Castelo Construction Lda

Castelo Construction Lda are builders in Central Portugal. We have 12 years’ experience of working with and delighting clients in Portugal. Tel 00351 927168247 or kelvin@casteloconstruction.com If you need an English speaking builder for renovation or new build work we will provide free estimates, fixed prices and carry out your work to a very high standard. Many of our clients are not in the country full time so rely on our regular photographic updates and written reports. They are always surprised when they make inspection visits. New Construction and Refurbishment of Portuguese Property It’s exciting for both our team and of course our clients to mark out on the earth the site of a new home. We will have been with them during the design process and have spoken to the architect many times so we will be comfortable with what we are about to do. For many clients, this stage is a little daunting as it’s hard to see without experience just where the house is going to be in relation to other things on the property. Once the foundations are dug out the house normally looks smaller than they thought, As the pillars and foundation wall start to go you get a much better idea of scale. You can see with your mind’s eye the location of the kitchen, bedrooms and so on. Once the walls are up and the first floor is in place the rooms start to looks smaller again (something to do with the light absorbing properties of the bricks) once the walls are plastered the rooms look a lot larger and it starts to feel more like the home our clients imagined building. As the build progresses we are involved with many specialist subcontractors and it is our job the get them on site at the right time so that the trades do not overlap and time is not wasted. Once the roof is on and tiled it is traditional in this area to have a dinner on site. Everyone who is involved in the build is invited to share a suckling pig dinner with local bread, oranges and of course wine. This is a great way for the clients to enjoy some local hospitality and meet the craftsmen who are building their new home. We also invite the near neighbors so that they get a chance to see what’s going on (when the house is at a very basic stage) and it gives our clients a relaxed opportunity to make their acquaintance. As we always accompany our clients to choose, kitchens, tiles, bathroom fittings or whatever they want. We can help with translation and of course negotiation! As the house is coming to completion we always have them professionally cleaned so that when we hand over the keys it feels more like a home than a building site. 2 months after the house is finished we are back to check for any small faults that may need attention and of course we are available to help and advise should that be needed. Central Portugal builders

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