Our services
From patch repairs to a whole property.
Internal plastering & skimming
We skim walls and ceilings and put right plaster that has had enough, once the base behind it is sound. Patch repairs are fine too; it does not have to be a whole room.
Loose or blown plaster is cut back and made good first, because a skim will only ever be as flat as what sits behind it. Usually it is uneven walls, or making good where someone has altered something.
- Skimming over sound existing plaster
- Cutting out blown plaster and making good
- Re-skimming tired or heavily painted walls
- Window and door reveals squared up
New builds & extensions
Plasterboarding and plastering for new homes and extensions. We can take the job on at the boarding stage or come in to skim what is already up.
We work for builders and developers as well as homeowners, so we agree where we fit in the programme before we start. Window reveals and awkward corners take as long as they take; they are usually what people notice later.
- Plasterboarding from first fix onwards
- Taping and jointing, then a skim finish
- Fitting in around a builder's programme
- Ceiling lines and corners kept clean
Home renovation plastering
Re-plastering for older homes and refurbishments, including rooms being brought up to date one at a time.
Older properties need a proper look at what is already there, including any damp or movement, before anyone starts mixing. We will tell you what can stay and what has to come off, and why.
- Assessing what can stay and what has to come off
- Re-plastering once damp or movement is dealt with
- Alcoves, chimney breasts and other built-in details
- Making good around new openings and services
Lime plastering & rendering
Breathable lime plaster and lime render for period properties, including lath and plaster ceilings, solid walls and heritage repairs.
Solid-walled buildings were put up to let moisture move back out through the structure rather than hold it out. Lime stays vapour permeable and has more give in it, so it works with a building like that instead of against it. Cement render and gypsum skim on the same wall tend to trap moisture and crack, which is usually what we get called in to put right.
- Lime putty and hydraulic lime mixes matched to the building
- Haired lime worked onto riven timber laths
- New lath and plaster ceilings and repairs to existing ones
- External lime render on solid and historic walls
- Listed and conservation work where a breathable build-up is specified
Sand & cement rendering
Traditional external rendering for a hard-wearing finish on suitable masonry walls.
The condition of the wall and how exposed it is both decide what we recommend. Rendering over cracks, damp or a poor background only hides the problem until it works its way back through.
- Scratch and float coats, then the finish
- Bell casts and beads set out before anything goes on
- Cutting out and patching hollow or failed render
- Left ready for a masonry paint finish
Thin coat render systems
Modern external render systems in a range of colours and textures, with help choosing a finish that suits the property.
Most people start with the colour, which is fair enough. The base coat and reinforcement underneath it are decided by the wall and how exposed it is, so we talk the system through as a whole.
- Reinforced base coat with mesh embedded
- Silicone and acrylic top coats
- A range of colours and grain sizes
- Detailing worked out at windows, verges and plinths
EWI (External Wall Insulation)
External wall insulation finished in render. On a suitable property it keeps more heat in and tidies up the outside at the same time.
The insulation, the fixings, the reinforcement and the render all have to be specified together as one system. Most of the thinking goes into the awkward parts, which means window reveals, roof edges and anywhere ventilation has to stay clear. We check what the job needs from planning or building control before anything goes up.
- Insulation board fixed, then mesh reinforced
- Window reveals and roof edges detailed properly
- Ventilation and flues kept clear
- Finished in a render system chosen for the property
Boarding, ceilings & repairs
Plasterboard installation and ceiling overboarding. We also patch and make good after the electrician or plumber has been in, or once new doors and windows are fitted.
Textured ceilings can often be boarded over instead of scraped. Artex of a certain age may contain asbestos, so it has to be checked before anyone disturbs it, and we will talk you through a safe way to handle it.
- Overboarding textured ceilings instead of scraping them
- Making good after the electrician or plumber
- Ceiling repairs and full replacements
- Older textured coatings checked before anything is disturbed
A quotation based on your job
What a job costs comes down to the state of the walls, how much preparation they need and how easy they are to get at. Send a few details or call Terry, and we will come and look if the job warrants it before we quote.
ecorend
Accredited / approved installer
Fassa Bortolo
Accredited / approved installer
Have a job in mind?
Speak to Terry about the work and arrange a free quotation.