HERE ARE SOME OF THE PROJECTS WE HAVE CARRIED OUT
Take a look at some of the projects we have done recently and also some of our impressive award winning projects below. As well as the awards shown below, we were also awarded the FIS Gold award for External Plastering in 2017, which was for a new private residence in Oxfordshire designed by Richard Meier, where we applied a naturally hydraulic Italian lime external render on to Foamglas insulation.
We also take great pride in carrying out much smaller projects in and around our base in Cambridgeshire .
We carried out the external rendering of Birch Hall, Colchester in 2016 using St Astier Ecomortar and were awarded the FIS Silver Award for external rendering.
Manufactured and installed a bespoke decorative skylight using GRG mouldings in 2005 and were awarded the Crabb Silver Salver Award.
In 2016 we carried out significant restoration works to two original Robert Adam ornate ceilings at 43 Portland Place and were awarded the FIS Project of the Year, Judges Award.
Oulton Hall, Norfolk
Oulton Hall was a project we carried out from 2017 to 2018. The project was the restoration of a grade II listed building after it suffered significant fire damage. For us this project entailed many different skills and types of plastering. The work we carried out included:
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External lime render with ashlar detailing, using Best of Limes WarmCote and LimeCote for the main areas and RenderCote on the plinths.
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Internal plastering with a mixture of Lime plaster and Gypsum plaster and including Plasterboarding and Celenit boarding.
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An array of fibrous plaster mouldings, manufactured to match the original details, as drawn by the architect from photographs. These included cornices in all rooms, skirtings, arches, pilasters and staff beads.
Contractor: Austin Newport Architect: Nicolas Jacob Architects
Denver Windmill, Norfolk
We carried out the rendering of Denver Windmill in 2017. The mill had been previously rendered in a cement based render, trapping moisture inside the mill and damaging the masonry.
The cementitous render was removed and brick repairs carried out before we began work. We used three coats of Best of Lime's RenderCote which is a more durable and robust lime render designed for exposed facades. We also embedded a nylon mesh within the render to give additional strength.
On top of the sheer size and spherical shape, the main challenge of this project was that the substrate was not a regular cone shape, so the gradient of the wall would vary. Also getting materials to the point of application meant bringing them up a huge scaffold.
The building is now being used for public tours and has a cafe/bar in the adjoining building. The owner hopes to one day refit the sails and bring it all the way back to working condition.
Private house, stud farm, Newmarket, Suffolk
This project is a high-end new build carried out in 2018. This project entailed an array of plastering that we carried out, this included:
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Thistle Hardwall and Multifinish to all internal walls.
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Though coloured lime render to the rear elevation of the house which was colour matched using Saint Astier Eco Mortar by Masons Mortar.
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Saint Astier lime render to front elevation with ashlar detailing on the parapet wall.
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Fibrous plaster mouldings made to the design and specification in our workshop and supplied and fitted on site. These included; cornices in all rooms, GRG moulded ceilings and pilasters with staff beads and panel mouldings.
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Weber Monocouche coloured render to walls of a garden room with arched reveals and angles hand formed.
Contractor: F A Valiant Architect: Nick Hare
Cottage, Great Abington, Cambridgeshire
This Project was working on a very traditional timber framed cottage in Cambridgeshire. There was a vast amount of structural repairs carried out prior to our insulating the walls and plastering internally and externally. We used riven chestnut laths, sheep's wool insulation and Best of Lime's WarmCote and LimeCote. All of the work was finished up to new and existing oak beams, so care had to be taken when protecting the oak. Many original features were retained, including an original window that was discovered during the repair work and to expose this, we plastered between the timber window mullions.
Contractor: Brown & Ralph
Private house, Old Railway Station, Cambridgeshire
This project was for the renovation of an old station building and associated outbuildings, creating an efficiently insulated home without losing the character of the building. This was done by adding woodfibre insulating boards to the internal face of all of the external walls, which was then plastered using Baumit lime plaster, maintaining the breathability of the walls.
Once all the original plaster was removed from the existing walls, we found there to be great deviations in the old brickwork. To achieve the best thermal qualities, the walls had to be levelled with a lime render prior to fixing the boards, preventing voids. The insulated system used was obtained from Natural Building Technology and was finished in Baumit Klima Glat, giving a crisp modern plaster finish. On the exposed chimney breast, the decision was made to use a chalk lime plaster and follow the brickwork, giving a soft finish.
Contractor: Godfrey & Hicks