Georgian townhouse render and sash windows, Newcastle-under-lyme

What did the customer need?

The customer needed the whole front of the building brought back to a sound, smart finish. It is a three-storey Georgian townhouse with a menswear shop on the ground floor, so the frontage is also the shop's first impression. The painted render had failed in patches across every floor, and the timber sash windows and front door were looking tired. The brief covered the full elevation: render repairs, masonry paint, sash windows, sills, plinth and the panelled front door under the fanlight.

What condition was it in?

The render was in poor condition, with loose, cracked and blown areas on every floor. Blown render has come away from the wall behind it, so it sounds hollow when tapped and eventually falls off. The old paint was chalky and streaked from years of weathering. Several timber sash window cills had wet rot, with soft, blackened wood showing through cracked paint. Down at pavement level, the plinth paint was flaking, with moss growing and older coats showing through.

What preparation was needed?

Preparation was the biggest part of this job, and a lot of hours went into it. This was a Full redecoration because the failing render had to be cut back and repaired before any paint could go on, not just cleaned and recoated.

Which paints and materials were used?

I used a breathable masonry paint on the render, in a soft pink-lilac, and exterior paint on the timber. The sash windows and door surround are white, and the stone sills and plinth are black, which frames the windows and hides splashback at street level. The four-panel front door is finished in a deep aubergine high gloss that picks out the mouldings. A stabilising solution and exterior filler went on before any paint, so the finish sits on a sound base.

What was the result?

The facade now has a solid, even finish from the plinth to the top floor, with no sign of the patchwork underneath. The white sash windows stand out cleanly against the pink-lilac walls and black sills, and the glossy aubergine door under the Georgian fanlight gives the shop a proper entrance. Because every repair was taken back to sound material and stabilised first, the new paint is bonded to a surface that will hold, rather than one that will keep shedding.

Questions about this job