Lintel replacement in heritage building

The new arrival of my little boy Fred, meant that Jewett Carpentry could focus on jobs in our very own village - Parwich. Setting aside several jobs to focus on one, replacing 2 old rotten load baring lintels on a 16th century cottage. The customer asked us to replace the lintels with a hard wood, concerned about costs and considering the price of oak being astronomical at the moment, we were tasked to find a cheaper alternative. So, with the help of Lee H & Son woodyard and joinery in Ashbourne, we stained and treated timber to give an aged look, replicating the look of oak and saving our client a substantial fee. The next stage of the project, we pointed up with natural lime, and strengthened any structural damage caused by the rotting timber.