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Restoration & Refurbishment

Can I cut a window seat in a stone cottage wall?

Anonymous user 23/02/2024 - 3.43 PM

I live in an old stone cottage that has a window seat cut in in the lounge and a bedroom. I would like to do the same in the dining room. Is it a case of peeling back the internal stone layer under the window, lime plaster the inside of the outer stone layer and then building a wooden seat? Or is it not that simple? Many thanks for any advice. A bit of extra info: Thank you Joe Bath for your response. The walls are stone inside and out with a rubble core and are very thick. The two current window seats appear to simply back up to the outer stone layer and we’ve had no damp or cold issues with them. These were already fitted when we purchased the house. Update 17/10/2021 Thanks for your response D.Wilson. In answer to your question about it being listed? No it’s not a listed building.

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2 Answers

Joe Bath

Rating: 5 out of 5

Bath

Hi Sherri, I would really need to see the building to ascertain whether your suggestion would work. The two major considerations are: 1. maintaining sufficient structural support for the window, and 2. ensuring that no damp can penetrate from outside. The latter issue also relates to thermal insulation. It's unlikely in an old stone building that you will have a cavity wall, but the thinner the wall is, the easier exterior cold can penetrate to the interior. However, if the wall under the window in question is identical to the other walls that have window seats cut into them, then in theory there should be no reason why you can't fit a similar window seat there.

Answered14 October 2021

D WILSON

Rating: 5 out of 5

Sittingbourne

Absolutely yes you can, the only issue is, is the building listed,if so you'll need planning.

Answered17 October 2021