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· Removal of cladding and direct examination of the wall structure

· Removal of cladding and preservation of heritage elements

· Consolidation of rammed earth walls using a common brick partition

· Repair of cracking using traditional masonry

· Crumbling of mortar and partial collapse of the wall

· Reinforcement of the wall structure and the traditional rendering

· Removal of cladding and examination of cracking in corners

· Filling in with brick

· Removal of cladding and examination of cracking caused by concentration of loads

Any walls that had large cracks or were structurally weakened due to the wearing effect of time were reinforced and restored using timber or brick masonry.

Structure and roofs

Structural reinforcement of the walls

46

Structure and roofs

· Making the lime mortar screed, 2/3 sand and 1/3 lime

· Smoothing the lime mortar screed, 1/2 sand and 1/2 lime

· Lime waterproofing work

· Laying the joists

· The layers of reeds

· Implementing the all-in layer

· Initial state of the floor

· Removal of the ceiling and lightening of the all-in material

· Repair of the walls that support the joists

After removing the faulty waterproofing work, the stonemason substitutes damaged beams and consolidates the supporting masonry. This horizontal framework is given a roof battening of reeds overlaid with a slope built of earth, sand and a little lime; then comes a screed of concrete with a mix of clayey sand and lime, topped by a coat of trowelled lime.

Repairing the floors

47

· Levelling, preparing the slope and laying the first layer of lime

· Rubbing down and smoothing the lime

· Finished appearance

· Removal of the faulty waterproofing work · Recreating the waterproofed slope · Preparing the lime mortar

· Sifting the lime

· Sprinkling the lime

· The lime is left to ferment in plastic sacks

The waterproofing work is carried out using lime which is well sifted before being left to ferment for a while. The mason then removes the existing waterproofing layer, which has to be replaced after repairing the surface beneath. When the lime has been well mixed, it is spread out over the roof and then smooth-trowelled.

Structure and roofs

Waterproofing work

48

· Smoothing the lime · The completed parapet · Completed work on the parapets

· Initial state of a damaged parapet

· Repairing the parapets with bricks and earth-lime mortar

· Smoothing the surface

· Repairing the parapets using traditional brick masonry

· Smooth-trowelling the lime mortar · Lime-based waterproofing work

This simple procedure consists of removing the old parapets and low walls, and repairing weak points in the masonry. It is then levelled up with a sand and lime render coat, followed by the lime-based waterproofing work.

Structure and roofs

Repairing the parapet walls

49

· Old and new pipes before the final installation

· Installation of new drainage pipes

· New drainage system

· PVC pipes were laid

· Increasing the gradient of the drain

· Central manhole in the courtyard

· The old guttering system

· Connecting the house to the branch sewer

· Digging a trench to examine the mains

The houses had to be provided with a drainage system or the slope of the existing system had to be improved. In the latter case, the ground level had to be raised to create a steeper gradient up to the manhole.

Facilities

Drainage work

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· The old water installation

· The communal sinks

· Washbasins in the new toilets

· Installation pipes in the new toilets

· Connection and supply of a communal sink

· Reinstalling the mains from the meter

· The overhead pipes before repair work · Pipes leading to the first floor

· New pipes

All the taps were given new PVC pipes, particularly the communal toilets and washbasins.

Facilities

Plumbing work

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· Installation of electrical fittings · Electrical installation in a room

· Interior of a room with the new installation

· Installing tubes

· Replacing old cables

· Installation of a protective switchboard

· The general power supply

· Replacing the old cables

· Chasing in the walls

The old installations were completely replaced, giving each household a protection box to minimize damage in the event of power failure.

Facilities

Electrical work

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· Floor of a room before work

· Repairing the floor of a room using dess, made of lime and colouring

· The floor of a room after restoration

· Grouting · The floor of the courtyard before work

· The courtyard was paved with cement tiles

· Floor of the courtyard before work · Laying tiles in the courtyard · The tiles in the galleries

The floors of the courtyards, toilets and rooms were paved with cement tiles, earthenware and dess, respectively. The flooring had to be laid on an appropriate bedding of concrete.

Claddings

Rebuilding the floors

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· Smooth-trowelling the final coat · Finished appearance

· Gypsum rendering of the interior

· Using a pole float

· Spraying the mortar · First phase of smoothing

· Stripping and cleaning the walls

· Levelling work using lime mortar, 2/3 screened sand and 1/3 slaked lime

· Levelling

The renderings were repaired using traditional materials: earth, sand, lime and gypsum. After removing the old render coats that had been damaged by damp and condensation, the mason sprayed the bare wall and left it to dry before applying a levelling coat and, finally, a sand and lime or gypsum render coat.

Claddings

Restoring the interior renderings

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· Marking out the design and delimiting the different areas of the render coat

· The finished rendering · The partially restored façade

· Applying the new rendering · Levelling the surface with a trowel

· Smoothing the rendering

· A façade before work · Removing damaged renderings · Spraying the bared stretches

The restoration of the façades required particular attention to the preservation of heritage elements. Fragile stretches of rendering were consolidated before the damaged render was removed and reproduced, including the original motifs. The timber and tile awnings that protect the windows and the main door were also repaired.

Restoring the façades

Claddings

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· A false ceiling made of reeds attached to the beams

· The completed false ceiling · The finished walls and ceiling

· The plasterboard, ready to be fitted · The plasterboard is suspended from the

ceiling · A gypsum render was used to create a

uniform surface

· The liquid gypsum is poured onto plastic sheathing

· Reinforcing the gypsum with plant fibres · Smoothing the surface

For reasons of cleanliness, comfort and visual quality, the structural beams that form the ceiling are often concealed. False ceilings of gypsum are common in traditional architecture.

Building false ceilings

Claddings

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· Restoration of the sculpted wood in the façade

· Repairing the window awnings in the

street façade · Wooden-trellis screens or mamouni allow

ventilation and protect privacy

· Restoration of timber elements in a wrought-iron balustrade

· Wooden balustrade element · Recovery of the original balustrades,

substitution of poorly restored features and widespread introduction of open-work wooden screens

· Restoring the jambs of the front door · The front door, after restoration · Restoring the anchorage of a balustrade

in the masonry

The timber elements were of particular heritage interest and were restored to preserve their integrity. Poor restoration work was corrected and metal was replaced by timber for the doors, windows, lintels and trellised screens.

Joinery

Restoration of timber elements

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· Bonding the joints with lime mortar · Final appearance · The final appearance of the awning, seen

from the courtyard

· Replacing tiles

· Rebuilding the sloping bed that supports the tiles

· Restoring the undersides

· Stockpiling materials

· The state of the awning before work

· Reconstructing the parapet

Tile and timber awnings are important elements in the traditional house. They testify to a building’s age and heritage interest, and must be recovered whenever possible.

Recuperation of heritage elements

Restoration of awnings

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Recuperation of heritage elements

· Consolidating and restoring the inscriptions

· The archway restored

· A new and much enhanced living space

· Rebuilding the archway using gypsum

· Sculpting the lobes and scallops

· Recovering the old inscriptions

· An archway

· The arch once the jambs of the doorway are removed

· Recovering the original form

Particular attention is required when stripping frames from arched doorways in large rooms. They are often bordered by decoration and inscriptions that have been concealed over the years by different coats of rendering or paint. Careful removal may lead to the recovery of these very important heritage elements.

Recuperation of arches and inscriptions