Restoring an old stone house

Three principles that make all the difference

• Let the walls breathe. Lime allows moisture to pass through a wall; cement traps it, and sooner or later the wall pushes the render off.
• Allow for movement. An old wall moves slightly with the seasons. It should be repaired with materials that accommodate that movement, not with rigid ones that simply crack alongside.
• Keep before you replace. Record a moulding before taking it down; re-use the same stone and the same tiles. Restoration begins with not losing what is already there.

What we do

• Dressed stone: door and window surrounds, cornices, lintels, sills and arches, remade to their original profile
• Lime render: removal of old render, raking out and repointing, crack repairs, lime render applied in several coats with a floated finish
• Roofs and chimneys: Roman-tile roofs, chimney stacks, flashings, génoise eaves and timber roof structures — and fireplaces
• Floors: stone paving, cobbles, traditional pebbled paths and terraces

Before you buy

If you are considering a property, a visit before you sign is time well spent — and the first visit is free. We look at what is sound, what is moving and what has already been repaired, and we tell you plainly what we find. Where structural calculations are needed, they are entrusted to partner engineers: that is their profession, not ours.