Today we lifted some floorboards.  Actually it was the builder.

We were looking for underfloor space for ventilation.

Didn’t find it!

Did find some very scary borer though – could argue that they contributed to ventilation … but probably not a convincing proposition.

What to do? What to do? What to do?

We have a conundrum. Do we lift the floorboards, and dig in the mandatory clearance for access and ventilation? Or do we leave it as is?

The floorboards won’t survive the lift, the joists will need replacing, The digging would lower the soil to below the surrounding ground creating the potential for a lake under the building, the piles would need replacing, and the archeologists could stop everything if we find a broken plate. We would, however, get better ventilation and would be able to install insulation.

The Heritage people would prefer us to keep the status quo, because we get to preserve the original fabric of the building. Certainly the saving in time and money works for us.

Rather than open that can of (borer) worms we are inclined to agree with them.

In a way the borer is the solution.