Traditional lime plastering in Ipswich and across Suffolk. Working on flint churches and barns and other solid-wall property, we specify hot-mixed lime, lime putty and natural hydraulic lime to suit each individual wall rather than applying one standard mix to everything.
Whether it is timber-framed and pargetted cottages on the edge of Ipswich, a terrace near the centre, or a farm building out in Suffolk, each project starts with a survey of the substrate so the lime mix, aggregate and coat build-up are right for that specific wall.
Ipswich and the villages around it retain a good deal of flint rubble. Where that material is soft — as most traditional Suffolk walling is — the mortar and plaster must always be softer than the masonry, so it wears sacrificially instead of eroding the stone or brick face.
Solid-wall buildings in Ipswich were designed to absorb and release moisture. Lime keeps that cycle working; cement seals it in. That single difference explains why so many Suffolk homes develop damp after a modern refurbishment.
Once the survey is agreed, we protect the site, strip back the failed finish, and apply lime in successive coats with proper curing between each. In the dry, cold easterly exposure of the eastern counties we control drying with damp hessian or sheeting so the work carbonates evenly rather than cracking.
The jobs below are typical of the work we carry out on Ipswich property — the building types and problems vary, but the answer is always breathable lime rather than cement.
pargetted timber-framed house — A pargetted timber-framed house in Ipswich where hard cement render had trapped moisture against clay lump and cob. We stripped the render back to bare wall, allowed the masonry to dry, then rebuilt the finish in three coats of lime and limewashed it.
market-town shopfront property — Weather-facing walls of a market-town shopfront property taking the full force of the dry, cold easterly exposure of the eastern counties. We specified lime putty with local pit sand, often finished with traditional pargetting, built the render up in generous coats and protected the work while it carbonated to avoid shrinkage cracking.
Georgian merchant's house — Sagging original ceilings in a Georgian merchant's house near the centre of Ipswich. Sound laths were retained and re-keyed, missing sections re-lathed in riven timber, and the ceiling made good with haired lime plaster to match the surviving profile.
Yes. We take samples of the surviving mortar or plaster from the clay lump and cob first, then match aggregate, colour and texture so the repair blends into the original rather than patching over it.
External lime work is best carried out between spring and early autumn so it can carbonate before the first frosts. Internal lime plastering in Ipswich can be done year-round with adequate heating and ventilation.
Yes, but it must be finished with a breathable product such as limewash, clay paint or mineral silicate paint. We advise on suitable finishes for each Ipswich project so breathability is not lost at the final coat.
Our lime plastering, render and pointing teams also cover these towns and cities close to Ipswich in Suffolk and the wider East of England area.
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