We are happy to give advice on where the use of lime may be appropriate or beneficial for your property. Very often lime plaster is an essential finish for listed homes or timber frame properties where the increased flexibility and breathability of lime is vital for a healthy building. Read more about lime...
Lime plaster looks in keeping with historical properties but its aesthetic qualities make it a very attractive choice for architects who are increasingly specifying it for 21st Century builds.
We use both putty lime and hydraulic lime according to the requirements of any individual project. We also specialise in the use of other lime based Eco-Plasters.
Hemp lime plaster is one such product which has proved especially effective. Hemp lime can be applied to a much greater depth than traditional lime without the risk of shrinkage. It is ideal for rough stone or rubble backgrounds and the hemp provides significant insulation too.
In other applications, recycled crushed glass can be substituted for sand to create 'Glaster', making lime plaster even more environmentally friendly than its historical cousin.
See hemp lime being used at a magnificent modern barn conversion at Coopers Yard below:
We are just as skilled with modern materials and work extensively with a number of gypsum based products.
Recent projects show how the sharp clean lines and silky smooth feel of modern finishing plaster can transform refurbishment projects including Extensions and Loft Conversions.
Give it a try! It's ok to drop some on the floor!
Whether you are a beginner or have some previous experience and are looking to improve, with a little guidance and practice you can do it and make a great job of it too.
We enjoy teaching plastering and are happy to arrange tutored sessions for individuals or small groups tailored to the requirements of your project.
We will supply all the tools necessary to learn in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere where you will not be daunted. You will learn how to prepare backgrounds, how to mix different plasters and how to apply them properly.
Customers tell us it can be difficult to find plasterers skilled in both traditional and modern techniques and would like to undertake small to medium sized jobs themselves. We can help you achieve this.
Preston & Massa are working plasterers and can arrange informal tutored sessions on-site or at Blackgrove Barn in rural Buckinghamshire.
These sessions have helped many resourceful people get underway. Call us on 0800 6125492 to arrange tuition.
Lime based plasters do not set in the same way as gypsum or cement. They gain strength more gradually by absorbing carbon dioxide - 'carbonating' - when exposed to air and moisture. This makes lime more environmentally friendly than modern plasters. It also means that lime is more flexible - it will accommodate some movement in walls and ceilings. It is breathable - it has excellent properties for absorbing and releasing moisture, allowing buildings to respond naturally to their surrounding climate and coping with localised damp problems.
Traditionally, lime plaster was applied in three coats, 'Scratch coat', 'Float coat' and 'Top coat'. Lime plaster can be applied to a variety of substrates including, brick, stone, breezeblock, lath, straw bale, reed mat, woodwool boards and other organic backgrounds. It looks beautiful too!
We are happy to give advice on where the use of lime may be appropriate or beneficial for your property. Contact us on 0800 6125492
Preston & Massa
Blackgrove Barn
Blackgrove Road
Quainton
Buckinghamshire
HP22 4AH
For the quality and diversity of our plasterwork, in 2005 we were awarded the initials 'APC' - Associates of The Worshipful Company of Plaisterers Associate Nos. 172 & 173.
Founded in 1501, the Plaisterers' Company is the UK's oldest and most respected plastering guild and livery company. Only the most highly qualified plasterers are eligible to become associates.
