During our unseasonably hot summer of 2018, we commenced on a programme to resolve the issue of plasterwork falling off the walls of the nave.
Having sought expert advice on the problem, we subsequently contracted a building company specialising in Victorian plastering techniques to undertake the project. The first phase of the work involved the careful removal of all plaster from both walls of the nave. This was a slow and tedious task, undertaken with the use of hand chisels, to avoid unnecessary stress on the walls or causing damage to the stained glass windows.
Several layers of lime based plaster were subsequently applied to the bare walls, allowing time for drying out between each application. All plastering was completed by early September.
The repainting of the walls was deferred until November to allow the plasterwork to fully dry out.
The final phase of the programme involved the application of five coats of a white lime based paint thereby completing the restoration work to the original Victorian standards that were typically used during the construction of the church extension in 1870.