Traditional lime plastering in Taunton and across Somerset. Working on granite farmhouses 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 cob and thatch cottages on the edge of Taunton, a terrace near the centre, or a farm building out in Somerset, each project starts with a survey of the substrate so the lime mix, aggregate and coat build-up are right for that specific wall.
Taunton and the villages around it retain a good deal of granite and killas rubble. Where that material is soft — as most traditional Somerset 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.
Lime is flexible, breathable and self-healing. On Taunton properties built from granite and killas rubble, it moves with the building instead of cracking away from it, and it protects the masonry rather than the other way round.
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 wet, wind-driven rain typical of the South West 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 Taunton property — the building types and problems vary, but the answer is always breathable lime rather than cement.
granite farmhouse — Peeling modern masonry paint on a granite farmhouse in Somerset. The impermeable coating was removed, minor render defects were patched in lime, and the elevations were finished in several thin coats of limewash.
stone-built chapel conversion — A commercial stone-built chapel conversion on a Taunton high street within a conservation area. Decayed render and mouldings were reinstated in lime, run in situ to the original profiles, and finished to match neighbouring frontages.
limestone rectory — A limestone rectory in Taunton where hard cement render had trapped moisture against 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.
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 Taunton project so breathability is not lost at the final coat.
Yes. We regularly work on listed and conservation-area properties across Somerset and can supply mix specifications and sample panels for Taunton conservation officers where consent is required.
Lime cures slowly by carbonation. Allow roughly a week per coat as a guide, and longer in the wet, wind-driven rain typical of the South West. We protect the work and control drying so the finish cures evenly rather than cracking or dusting.
Our lime plastering, render and pointing teams also cover these towns and cities close to Taunton in Somerset and the wider South West England area.
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