Can you clone plasterers?

[alison]

I'm looking for a lime plasterer and have just responded to someone else in the same boat on another thread. So far, in the moneyed, uber-limestone Cotswolds, I've found THREE only, and that with great difficulty. Yet there are dozens and dozens of firms working on historic and listed buildings around here year in year out, which are hell-bent on using 'proper cement render' as one of them described it to me recently, because 'soft mortar isn't hard enough to keep the damp out'. I did try one of the big conservation building firms (work for the National Trust, vans parked outside Oxford colleges, etc.) and their quote was so far off the scale at over a hundred grand, that it screamed 'we don't want to be bothered with your cottage'.

I've been scratching my head about this a lot - why so few enlightened builders? Or am I just a dunce at locating contractors? It occurred to me that maybe I should find a friendly conservation architect to ask for advice. The council are very coy, for obvious reasons.

 

[skier-hughes]

It is one of life's great mysteries....

Or not.

I suspect that once someone has found one they keep them locked up in their attic until they need more work doing!!!!!!

Anyway, how many do you need, isn't 3 enough :lol:

Graham

 

[Moo]

We've just had to have some repointing done on a hidden external wall (accessible only by climbing through our neighbour's top floor sash window!) where mortar and bricks have been badly damaged by cack-handed design of roof drainage.

Our builder (BLC) didn't need any prompting about lime. Uses it all the time.

xxx Mrs Smug

 

[Penners]

'proper cement render'

Yeah - don't be fobbed off with that old-fashioned lime rubbish. :roll:

 

[Carol]

I think this thread tells us why householder's lime courses have been so popular! If my son had even the slightest practical streak I would try very hard to encourage him to learn this trade. (Sadly he doesn't, and views old houses with great suspicion)

My lime-using builder is always booked months ahead. And other nearby contractors don't even advertise their lime skills, work comes by 'word of mouth'.

Can you do any of your work yourself? Or ask your nearest buildings preservation group for 'names'?

 

[DaveBrigg]

We found our renderer, who doesn't advertise, through the local supplier of lime from Singleton Birch. Find a local stockist (Singleton Birch stockists can be found here http://www.naturalhydrauliclime.com/index.php?display=where_to_get_lime and have a chat about which local craftsmen / women buy their products.