This recent job took us to Crewe, working on the interior of a Grade II listed building that had been stripped back to bare brick. The aim was to restore the internal walls using traditional lime plaster, staying true to the original materials and methods that would have been used when the building was first constructed.
We began by setting out all new dowels, making sure each one was plumb. The original fixings were long gone, so we installed new timber splints into the brickwork to take the dowels securely. It’s the kind of preparatory work that isn’t seen once the job is finished, but it’s essential to get right if the end result is going to last.
One of the main features was an arched reveal. To follow the curve cleanly, we steamed and bent a dowel by hand to match the shape exactly. This kind of detailing matters in a listed building – even small lines and profiles can stand out if they’re off.
Once the groundwork was complete, the walls were finished with a full three-coat lime plaster system: scratch, float, and fine finish coats. It’s a slower process than modern plasters, but it’s breathable, solid, and sits well in a heritage setting.
After the plastering was done, we returned to the dowels. Each one was trimmed back using a piece of zinc to form crisp arris lines and define the quirks. It’s a traditional method for finishing corners and junctions, and it gives the clean, honest lines that older buildings carry well.
Projects like this one in Crewe show the value of traditional techniques when dealing with historic buildings across Cheshire. They take more time and more care, but they leave a finish that feels right in the context of the building.
View the project on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DL42kmOsrNT/?igsh=MThka2prczJ4eGZjNw==
