Period Property Restoration

• Sash windows: Repairing rotten timber, replacing cords and weights, draught-proofing, and reglazing.
• Plasterwork: Repairing lath-and-plaster ceilings and walls, cornicing, ceiling roses and mouldings.
• Brickwork: Repointing in lime mortar, and repairing damaged bricks, chimneys and boundary walls.
• Floors and joinery: Repairing original floorboards, skirting, architraves, doors and staircases.
• Fireplaces and tiles: Restoring fireplaces, hearths and encaustic or mosaic hall tiles.
• Roofs and rainwater goods: Repairing slate roofs, lead flashings, gutters and downpipes.
• Modern services: Rewiring, replumbing and heating, routed carefully to protect original features.

For a whole-house project, see our full house renovation service.

Yes, in the right places, but not everywhere. Period houses with solid walls need to "breathe", which means moisture in the walls must be able to evaporate. Some modern materials trap that moisture, which leads to damp, decay and damage. The key points are:

• Mortar and plaster: Lime mortar and lime plaster let moisture out. Hard cement mortar, cement render and gypsum plaster on solid walls can trap it and cause damp.
• Paint: Breathable paints suit old plaster and masonry. Modern plastic-based paints can seal moisture in.
• Insulation: Breathable insulation, such as wood fibre, suits solid walls. Some foam boards and vapour barriers do not.
• Where modern materials work well: New wiring and pipework, modern heating and controls, kitchens and bathrooms, and new structural steel where needed.

We choose materials based on how your house was built, not simply what is quickest.

1. 1

   Understand the house first: survey the structure, roof, damp, timbers, services and original features before planning any work.

2. 2

   Fix the fabric: repair the roof, gutters and brickwork, and deal with the causes of damp, such as raised ground levels, blocked air bricks, leaking gutters or cement render, rather than just the symptoms.

3. 3

   Protect what matters: record and protect original features before work starts, and repair rather than replace wherever possible.

4. 4

   Update the services: rewire through our domestic electrical installation service, replace old lead pipes, and install efficient heating.

5. 5

   Improve comfort sensitively: draught-proof the sash windows, insulate lofts and floors, and use breathable insulation where suitable.

6. 6

   Finish with care: lime plaster, suitable paints, restored joinery and decoration.

Common problems in Victorian houses include damp from bridged damp-proof courses, rot in floor joists, old wiring, lead pipework and movement in shallow foundations. Where foundations need strengthening, this is done by our underpinning contractors.

If your house is listed, you need listed building consent for any work that affects its character as a building of special interest, inside or outside. This can include:

• replacing windows or doors
• removing or altering walls, fireplaces or original features
• changing roofing materials
• altering the layout
• some repairs, where they are not like for like

Carrying out work to a listed building without consent is a criminal offence, and it applies to owners and builders alike. The consent is separate from planning permission and building regulations. Your council's conservation officer can advise, and we prepare the information needed for an application.

If your house is in a conservation area but not listed, some external changes, such as replacing windows at the front, may need planning permission. This is especially likely where an Article 4 direction applies.