About Me
Thirty Years in Traditional Building Restoration
Long enough to know what good work looks like — and to have seen far too much of the alternative.
The Story
Why I Do What I Do
I have been in traditional building restoration for over thirty years. In that time, I have seen some horrific repairs — work done quickly, cheaply, and without any understanding of the materials or the building. Cement slapped over lime. Gypsum forced into gaps it was never meant to fill. Whole ceilings ripped out when a careful patch would have served perfectly well for another century.
It is that experience — of seeing what goes wrong when people don't care, or don't know — that drives the way I work. Lime plaster is a remarkable material. It breathes. It moves with the building. It ages in a way that modern materials simply don't. And when it's damaged, it deserves to be repaired properly, not ripped out and replaced with something that doesn't belong.
Patch repair is a skill that takes patience, an understanding of how old plaster behaves, and years of practice matching textures and finishes so the repair disappears into the original surface. Most tradespeople don't want to do it. It's fiddly, it's time-consuming, and it doesn't pay as well as a full replacement. But for the owners of period and listed properties, it matters enormously.
The original plaster is part of the building's history. Replacing it wholesale — when a careful repair would do — is a loss that can never be undone. After thirty years, I still believe it's worth the extra care.
Experience & Expertise
What I Specialise In
Lime plaster
Years of experience working with traditional lime plaster — understanding how it behaves, how to mix and apply it correctly, and how to match repairs to original surfaces.
Gypsum plaster
Cracks, holes, damp damage, impact damage — gypsum repairs done with care and precision, matched to the existing finish.
Period & listed buildings
An understanding of the particular demands of older buildings — the materials, the methods, and the care required to preserve what's already there.
Patch repair
The specialism that defines my work. Repairing the damaged area rather than replacing whole ceilings or walls — cost-effective, respectful of the original, and done properly.
My Approach
How I Work
I give honest assessments. If a patch repair will do the job, I'll tell you. I won't recommend a full re-skim to make the job bigger.
I work carefully and quietly. Most jobs are in people's homes, and I treat them accordingly.
I take pride in the finish. A repair should be invisible. That's the standard I hold myself to.
Service Area
Based in Winstone, Cirencester
I cover Gloucestershire and the surrounding Cotswolds area — Cheltenham, Gloucester, Cirencester, Stroud, Tewkesbury, and the villages in between. If you're not sure whether I cover your area, just get in touch and ask.
Got a patch that needs attention?
Get in touch for an honest, no-obligation assessment. I'll tell you what I think it needs — and what it doesn't.