The summerhouse was top heavy with thatch and 3 of the 8 upright poles had completely rotted at ground level.
'The whole thing swayed rather alarmingly. The roof was only attached to the uprights with between 8 and 16 nails.' said James.
First the roof was supported with scaffolding, then the seating and cladding was removed.
Strangely the three poles that had rotted were made of Cherry wood an interesting choice for an outdoor structure as is more commonly known for its beautiful colour rather than its longevity. Therefore these were replaced with Sweet Chestnut poles which the existing posts were made out of.
As much of the original cladding was reused after James individually took all of the nails out. However, there was a shortfall so more cladding was needed, James had to source an appropriate diameter of sweet chestnut wood which he shaped in his workshop to replicate the original cladding.