Author: Dude & Arnette

Make an oast house your home
Posted on by Dude & Arnette Posted in News
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Make an oast house your home

In an age where homes are built using the same templates as their neighbours, and roads are filled with rows of identical houses, it can be difficult to truly stamp your own individuality on a property.

As you look further afield, leaving the purpose-built communities, take a look at the could-be’s and what-ifs. The buildings that have been abandoned, the structures filled with potential. This is what we see each time we visit an old oast house: the potential for repairing and rebuilding a family home, returning it to its former glory.

Building or converting your own home can be a daunting project, but oast house conversions can create a truly personal space. Each oast house is unique, and therefore each project requires an individual assessment and detailed preparation, including planning permission, assessment of whether your oast house needs a replacement oast cowl or whether it just needs cleaning and painting.

At Dude & Arnette our family have been repairing and restoring oast cowls since 1937, helping hundreds of people realise their dreams and working with them to truly create personal place to call their own. To organise a free consultation and quotation, call Dude & Arnette on 01622 725 898 or visit our Contact page, fill out our contact form, and we’ll be in touch as soon as possible.

oast house conversion

What you should know before converting your oast
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What you should know before converting your oast

Converting, restoring and repairing an historic oast house can be a rewarding and enjoyable process. From your initial consultation to seeing the stunning results at the end of the work, there are few projects more satisfying. This process should be carried alongside a team of experts, and here are a few tips on how to approach converting or restoring your oast.

Submit an application to the council before any work is carried out

Around 1 in 10 oast houses are listed buildings, and therefore permission needs to be granted by the council before any restoration work can begin. You’ll also need to carry out a survey to check for any animals that may have made your oast house their home! There are other factors that should be taken into consideration, and our expert team will be able to make sure that all the boxes have been ticked before you begin the application process.

Assess access

Our director Darren Hole attends every initial visit to discuss the requirements of every project Dude & Arnette work on. He will gather together exactly what you need, check access for removing the cowl, and will collate all of the information into a written quotation that breaks down each cost, and organise a timeframe for your work to be carried out and installed. Generally, this takes around four weeks, depending on the house.

Retain original features

With any restoration and repair work on an old building, it’s important to retain the integrity and original features of your oast house. Our family have been restoring and repairing oast houses and cowls since 1937, and provide expert knowledge and superior workmanship on every building, and can advise on the best possible way to use your space.

To arrange a free quotation, or to discuss your individual requirements in more detail, visit our Contact Us page, or call us on 01622 725 898.

 

Time to get your oast cowls ready
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Time to get your oast cowls ready

After having Covid-19 throwing any routine or normality out of the window, we’re pleased to announce that following Government advice – Dude & Arnette are back in action.

Normally we wouldn’t necessarily do a maintenance update but we felt it was necessary, as a lot of the oast cowl maintenance and repair work that would take place in early spring had to be paused completely due to lockdown.

So if you have an oast cowl, here’s what we’d recommend:

  1. We’ve seen a lot of rain this winter so a safety check would be the first thing to do to ensure there are no damages to the cowls and the roof
  2. After a safety check, you’ll get an idea of what might need to be done (oast cowl repair, clean, paint, re-build etc)
  3. The best thing to do if there aren’t any issues? Get your cowls freshly painted. This helps to weather-proof your cowls and makes them look their best. You might have done some indoors redecorations during lockdown, now is the time to give your home’s crown a bit of TLC!

Why you should have them painted, you ask? Well, oast cowl repairs can be costly, so avoid leaving it too late. When it comes to oast cowl maintenance, prevention is key, folks.

If you want to read more about how to clean an oast cowl, please head over to our blog for more oast cowl cleaning tips.

Want a non-obligation assessment? Contact us or call us on 01622 725 898 for an honest quote from our director Darren Hole.

 

Roof repairs in Kent and beyond
Posted on by Dude & Arnette Posted in Roofing
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Roof repairs in Kent and beyond

So, you probably know that we do a pretty good job at oast cowl construction, but did you know that we also specialise in building and repairing roofs? Our expert team focus on original building techniques that withstand the test of time – and our temperamental English weather! With over 75 years of practice, it’s safe to say we have roofing down to a fine art.  

Whatever your roof type, we’ve got you covered

From brick and wooden, round or square, our team can strip, re-tile and build a roof that is both weatherproof and long-lasting. We can also replace ironwork and lead work and if you are looking to add some special touches, we can create bespoke guttering for your home too. 

Our approach to roofing work

Every roof is as unique as the family living under it, and our expert team can tailor their skills to fit your requirements. Our previous roofing work has covered a whole range of roofs, from National Heritage buildings to standard new builds. Our craftspeople are adept at using traditional methods, such as Kent peg tiles, as well as modern machine-made nib tiles, natural slating and artificial slate. 

With four generations of knowledge at our fingertips, we can offer a quick turnaround while never compromising on our attention to detail.    

A man sanding down some wood

Bespoke building methods

We are passionate about preserving Kent’s heritage and can repair or replace much-loved original features like Kent peg tiles. Smaller than a standard roof tile, these tiles are made from clay and brick earth and attached to the roof with two wooden pegs. Tiles like these cannot be mass-produced as each one is cut by hand and unique. This bespoke building method gives the traditional Kent roof its charming appearance, so it is easy to see why these tiles are so popular.   

Tiles going onto cowl

We’re passionate about kiln roofs too

Of course, as you would expect from oast house experts, we are a dab hand at any kind of kiln roof too! Dude & Arnette began refurbishing kilns way back in 1937 and our clients can testify that our traditional techniques really have stood the test of time. Our expert crafters can restore rundown roofs, giving your kiln a much-needed restoration and ensuring it can be enjoyed for many more generations. But, this is about more than just aesthetics. Kiln roofs require regular maintenance to collapse, so keeping on top of, the top of your kiln, is always a good idea!