We recently carried out some lime plaster restoration work at Claremont Fan Court School. This project was distinguished by the requirement to re-make some decorative mouldings in Roman Stucco, a fast-setting mortar that takes the appearance of stone.
Claremont House is a Grade I listed mansion building located near Esher in Surrey. It is occupied by Claremont Fan Court School, an independent school for boys and girls aged from 2 to 18.
The scope of works included removing decorative mouldings, including an acanthus leaf ceiling centre, from the external soffit of the tetrastyle portico canopy at the front of the building, before removing and replacing defective lime plasterwork.
After taking a squeeze of the ceiling rose and panel mouldings, all the defective lime plasterwork was removed and the timber structure beneath inspected and repaired to assure its integrity. New riven laths were installed followed by three coats of lime plaster, before the decorative mouldings could be reattached on top.
The mouldings were re-cast in our workshop using the squeezes taken from the originals, first by manufacturing a rubber mould, and then laying up the Roman Stucco cast stone plaster. The images below show some of the project work in progress, as well as the finished soffit area beneath the portico, with mouldings in situ.
For more information on the work involved in this project, or to discuss traditional plaster conservation and restoration for your heritage building, please contact us.
Main image credit and history of Claremont House: Jacqueline Banerjee, PhD – Victorian Web