Venetian plastering in the East of England

Zavoré supplies and installs authentic Italian lime based Venetian plaster, and we offer Venetian plastering in the East of England for homes, flats and commercial interiors. We are based in Birmingham, and our own applicators travel to the job, lay every coat themselves and use plaster that has been tinted to your approved sample before it leaves us. To start, order a sample board or email photos of the walls, rough measurements and your postcode to sales@zavore.co.uk.

The region is large and its buildings change a great deal from one county to the next, so we survey each address on its own merits rather than offering a standard package. If you want something more specific, the county pages linked below go into Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex, and you can see every area we cover.

The homes we plaster across the East of England

The East of England takes in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, and the housing follows the landscape. In the villages and market towns of Suffolk and Essex you find timber framed houses, many with plastered or colour washed fronts, and a tradition of pargeting, the moulded and combed decoration worked into exterior plaster. Those old frames were built to breathe and to move a little with the seasons.

Norfolk is known for flint and brick, and towns such as Norwich, Cambridge and Ely have centuries of building layered together, from medieval lanes to Georgian town houses and Victorian terraces. Behind a plain front there is often a solid wall, an uneven floor and a ceiling that has been patched more than once.

Then come the twentieth century towns. Hertfordshire has the garden cities of Letchworth and Welwyn Garden City and the new towns of Stevenage and Harlow, and there are commuter estates, seaside homes from Southend on Sea up to Southwold, and a great many converted barns on farmland in between. Newer houses have plasterboard walls and older ones are solid, so the preparation differs from one house to the next.

Finishes that suit the homes of the region

• Limewash for timber framed cottages and village houses, where a soft, chalky surface with a little movement suits an old plastered wall.
• Marmorino for solid walled Georgian and Victorian houses in Norwich, Cambridge, Ely and the market towns. It is lime based and breathable, and it gives a gentle sheen without the hard look of a film.
• Polished plaster for flat walls in newer houses and apartments, where the surface is true enough to carry a deep shine.
• Concrete effect for open plan barn conversions with tall ceilings and plenty of wall to fill.
• Tadelakt or microcement for bathrooms, because we do not recommend Venetian plaster inside a shower.

How a Venetian plastering job in the East of England runs

We begin with photos, measurements and the postcode, and for most jobs we then survey the walls before pricing. That means checking what they are made of, how flat and sound they are, and whether there is damp, cracking or movement. If a wall needs skimming, stripping or a damp problem sorting first, we say so plainly.

Once you have signed off the sample and the price we agree dates. Because the region is some way from Birmingham, we plan the work in blocks of days, so the team stays on the job and lays each coat in order instead of travelling back and forth. If your house is down a narrow lane, or your flat is in a block with lift booking, tell us early so loading and protection are planned.

Buying the plaster or learning to lay it

If you have a decorator of your own, we can supply the materials, tinted to your colour, with tracked delivery to any address in the region. Decorators and plasterers can also join our Venetian plaster courses in Birmingham, and trade accounts are open for repeat orders.

Further reading on old walls is in our guides to lime or acrylic Venetian plaster and preparing walls. You can also see our page on Venetian plaster installation.

Questions about Venetian plastering in the East of England

Do you cover the whole of the East of England?

Our own applicators travel from Birmingham to jobs across the UK, and that includes this region. Send us the postcode and we will explain how the work would be planned, usually in blocks of days.

Which finish suits a timber framed house in Suffolk or Essex?

A breathable lime finish such as limewash or Marmorino sits best on an old plastered frame, and a sealed acrylic coating can trap moisture. We survey first, because frames move and old plaster may need repair.

What works in a converted barn in Norfolk or Cambridgeshire?

Barn conversions usually mix new plasterboard with old brick or flint, so we plan each wall by its surface. Concrete effect or polished plaster can suit big open rooms, once the walls are flat.

Can I buy Venetian plaster for my own decorator in the East of England?

Yes. We tint the plaster to your colour and send it tracked, with the base coats, wax and advice your decorator needs.

To talk about your walls, call 07592 929191, Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm, or email sales@zavore.co.uk. Order a sample board and choose your colour first.