An old bay exposed

The render under the window was harder to get off. Attached to cement blocks that we used to fill gap when bay removed

The front of my house is flat with one large window downstairs. I sort of knew that it was likely that originally there was a bay there given that they exist on other houses in the street. However, it was only when I removed the render from the front (in my bid to stop the rising damp issue) that I confirmed its past existence.

The whole system is a bit of a mess, surprise surprise! The old foundations for the bay were still there, but there were no new real foundations for the new wall. The new cavity wall has been made from a concrete blocks and rendered. A vent was also installed to keep the structure drier (and of course colder!)

To deal with the issue I have, to date, removed the top layer of render and re-applied a lime render. This was mixed with a little cement to help with curing times. I have also installed a render drip to keep the water a little away from the 'foundations'.

The finish has been matched to the treatment used on the rest of the wall (stone), so this is a lime wash finish.

Next job is to remove more of the current 'foundations' and then re-build them with a little more structural integrity.

Ideally I shall re-instate the bay as it would add some character to the front of the house, create a nice seating area next to the window and also allow us to make a more thermally efficient structure. But this might be a longer term 'aspiration'!