This grade II listed cottage near Ludlow was suffering from all kinds of problems. This inglenook fireplace should have been a stunning centre piece for the room, but had become a dangerous mess. The plaster was falling off the walls, the bricks were unstable and subsidence meant there was a good chance the room upstairs could come crashing down into the fireplace!
Unfortunately, the plaster had been patched up with gypsum-based equivalent, and cement mortar had been used on the bricks. This had compromised breatheability and accelerated the decline of the fireplace.
We propped the ceiling to support the floor upstairs, removed the plaster and replaced it with lime plaster. We also raked out and re-pointed the brickwork.
We put reclaimed flagstones in the hearth and re-pointed the stonework around the fireplace, restoring the inglenook fireplace to its former glory.
Throughout the rest the room, we removed the ancient lime plaster and the gypsum repairs, and re-skimmed with new lime plaster.
