Lime plastering in Farehamand Hampshire - breathablework on period walls.
Hot-mixed and NHL lime plasters on cob, brick, and lath substrates. Conservation-appropriate materials, hand-applied in the right number of coats, allowed to carbonate at the right pace. Right for the building, right for the long term.
Conservation-grade materials · Lath repair included · Heritage references on request
- HeritagePeriod & listed work
- 30+ yrsSteve on the tools
- 24 hrQuote turnaround
- InsuredPublic liability cover
What this service is, and who it's for.
What it is
Lime plastering is the traditional craft of building up plaster systems using lime as the binder instead of gypsum or cement. Lime stays flexible, allows the wall to breathe (transferring moisture vapour rather than trapping it), and is appropriate for solid-wall buildings built before about 1919 - where modern gypsum and cement plasters cause structural and damp problems they were never meant to solve.
Who it's for
Owners of listed and pre-1919 properties in Fareham, Titchfield, Winchester and across Hampshire's older villages. Conservation officers, period property restorers, owners of cob, soft brick and lath-and-plaster houses, and architects specifying historically appropriate work on heritage projects.
When you need it
When original lime plaster has failed in patches and modern gypsum has been used to patch it (causing the patch to fail in turn), when the building is listed and conservation officers require breathable materials, when damp has been mismanaged with cement render and the wall now needs to be reset properly, or when lath-and-plaster ceilings have come down and need re-lathing and re-plastering with the correct materials.
Why professional matters
Cement and gypsum on a lime building is one of the most expensive mistakes you can make on a period property. They trap moisture against soft historic brickwork, accelerate decay, and force the wall to weep out wherever it can - often through the next bay of lime that hasn't been bridged yet. Replacing lime with lime keeps the building alive. There's no shortcut.
What happens when these problems are left.
Cement patches accelerating decay
Every cement patch on a lime wall pushes moisture sideways into the next section of lime, then through the brick behind. The patch looks fine and the rest of the wall decays. We strip cement back to sound lime before re-plastering.
Lath-and-plaster ceilings letting go
Original riven-lath ceilings nailed to joists with iron nails eventually fail as the nails rust and the lime keys break. Pulled-down ceilings need re-lathing, not just re-boarding - boarding changes the acoustic and the breathability of the space.
Gypsum re-skim blowing within months
Gypsum laid over historic lime walls bonds badly and pulls salts to its own surface, blooming and blistering within a season. The fix is to remove the gypsum and re-plaster with lime - even if it's already been paid for once.
Conservation officer objections
Listed building consent requires "like for like" repair on most fabric. Modern materials get refused, work gets stopped, fines follow. Specifying lime from the start avoids all of this.
Cob walls eroding from the inside
Cob and clay-lump walls covered in cement render eventually rot internally - and you only see the problem when the surface drops away. Lime render on cob is a structural requirement, not an aesthetic one.
How the job actually runs, step by step.
- 01
Assessment & material specification
Walk the building, identify wall types (cob, brick, stone, lath), test for previous cement contamination, agree which lime system suits each elevation (hot-mixed, putty, or NHL 2/3.5), and confirm scope with the conservation officer where relevant.
- 02
Strip & substrate prep
Cement and modern patches carefully removed, weak mortar raked out, lath repaired or replaced as needed, dust and dirt brushed off thoroughly. Substrate dampened in stages so the first coat keys properly.
- 03
Pricking-up coat (first coat)
Hair-reinforced lime first coat applied at correct thickness, keyed with a scratcher to give the second coat purchase, then allowed to set slowly under hessian or damp sheets to prevent rapid drying.
- 04
Floating & finish coats
Second (floating) coat applied once the first has carbonated sufficiently, finished flat. Final fine top coat hand-trowelled to the finish required - anywhere from a rustic floated finish to a fine polished surface depending on the room.
- 05
Curing, breathable paint advice
Lime needs weeks to fully carbonate before painting. We hand over a written schedule of when to apply mist coat, what paint type is appropriate (limewash, silicate, breathable mineral paint), and what NOT to use on top.
What you actually get.
Building stays alive
Lime allows the wall to breathe - moisture moves out through the surface rather than rotting brick and timber behind.
Conservation-compliant
Specifying lime keeps you the right side of listed building consent and conservation officer requirements.
Flexible, crack-tolerant
Lime moves with the building's seasonal shift instead of fighting it - no stepped cracks where gypsum and cement would split.
Self-healing under load
Free lime in the matrix re-deposits into hairline cracks over years, effectively healing minor damage by itself.
Right material, right longevity
Lime systems on period buildings last decades when correctly specified - many original lime plasters are 150+ years old and still serviceable.
Heritage finish character
Hand-applied lime has a soft, slightly undulating surface character that suits historic interiors in a way gypsum never can.
The materials, methods and situations.
For homeowners, specifiers and surveyors who want to know exactly what they're commissioning.
Lime systems we use
Hot-mixed lime (quicklime slaked on site with sand and water - most authentic for pre-1900 work), lime putty mixed with sharp sand and animal hair for traditional three-coat plastering, NHL 2 and NHL 3.5 natural hydraulic limes for elevations or thicker masonry repairs needing modest hydraulic set, and pozzolanic additives (brick dust, metakaolin) where greater early strength is appropriate.
Methods
Three-coat traditional lime plastering (pricking-up, floating, setting) on lath or solid wall, hot-lime mortar pointing on historic brick and stone, lime render on cob and clay-lump exteriors, and limewash and silicate breathable paint application as the finish layer.
Variations of the service
Internal lime plastering on existing walls, lime ceilings on original or new riven lath, external lime render on cob and historic brick, lime pointing on heritage masonry, and survey and specification work for owners and conservation officers writing scope for other contractors.
Situations it applies to
Listed cottages in Titchfield and Wickham, period brick terraces in Portsmouth, Winchester city centre conversions where heritage consent applies, cob and timber-framed buildings in the Meon Valley, and Victorian villas across Hampshire where gypsum has been wrongly applied and needs reversing.
Residential vs. commercial heritage
Residential heritage work is owner-occupied, careful, single-property scope. Commercial heritage (National Trust properties, listed pubs, ecclesiastical buildings) involves multi-stakeholder sign-off, formal conservation method statements, and longer specification cycles. We work at both ends with the same materials and method, just different paperwork.
Honest answers to the questions we get most.
How much does lime plastering cost in Fareham?
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Lime work runs 30–60% above modern gypsum cost - driven by material cost, multiple thinner coats, and longer curing time between coats. A single lime-plastered room typically £1,200–£2,800. The longevity and conservation compliance more than justify it on the right building.
How long does lime plaster take to dry?
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Lime carbonates, it doesn't just dry - full strength takes weeks per coat. A three-coat system can run 6–10 weeks from first coat to paintable surface. We plan around that with you and tell you the exact dates each stage hits.
Why can't I just use gypsum or cement?
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On a pre-1919 solid-wall building, gypsum and cement trap moisture against historic brickwork, which then decays. The same trap pushes salts and damp through any adjoining lime, ruining that too. On period buildings, lime is the only correct choice.
Do I need conservation officer approval?
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On listed buildings, yes - replacement of original plaster usually requires listed building consent. We've worked with Hampshire conservation officers regularly and can help with the specification side if you need it.
Can you repair my lath-and-plaster ceiling?
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Yes - pulled-down sections re-lathed in riven oak or chestnut, fixed with copper or stainless nails into original joists, then re-plastered in three coats of hair-reinforced lime. We don't "upgrade" to plasterboard on listed work.
What paint should I use on lime plaster?
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Breathable finishes only - limewash (traditional, most appropriate), silicate paints, or quality breathable mineral paint. Modern emulsion seals the surface and undoes the breathability you paid for.
Can lime work be done in winter?
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Carefully. Lime is frost-sensitive while curing - below 5°C it won't set properly and frost ruins the coat. We work through autumn and spring on lime; mid-winter we either heat and protect or schedule for the right window.
Do you have heritage references I can see?
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Yes - past projects in Titchfield, Winchester and across the Meon Valley including listed cottages and period villas. Happy to share addresses and put you in touch with previous clients on request.
Often booked alongside this work.
Local to you across Hampshire.
Can't see your village? Call 07907 511080 - we cover the surrounding ring as well.
Lime work, done properly, on the buildings that need it.
Heritage-grade specification, hand-applied, conservation-officer compliant. Honest written quote.
Checkatrade · Permaguard · Fully insured · 30+ years on the tools