Venetian plastering in Newbury

Zavoré provides Venetian plastering in Newbury and the villages of West Berkshire. We supply and install authentic Italian lime based Venetian plaster, as well as Marmorino, limewash, tadelakt, microcement, clay plaster and more. Zavoré is based in Birmingham, and our own applicators make the trip to every installation. A sample board in your colour is a good first move, or email photos of the room to sales@zavore.co.uk.

From the photos we can usually tell you whether the walls look ready, and then we arrange a survey to price the job properly.

Canal side streets, villages and new homes around Newbury

Newbury grew as a cloth and coaching town on the River Kennet, and the Kennet and Avon Canal still runs through the middle of it. Northbrook Street and the Market Place keep many Georgian and Victorian frontages, with brick shops and houses that have been altered and extended over the years. A walk off the main streets brings you to Victorian terraces and villas with solid brick walls.

Around the town the countryside of the North Wessex Downs is dotted with villages of brick and flint cottages, farmhouses and converted barns. Newer housing has gone up around the racecourse and on the edges of Newbury and Thatcham, mostly built with plasterboard walls inside.

A flint cottage, a Victorian terrace and a new house next to the racecourse could hardly be more different underneath. Old masonry holds and releases moisture, so it wants a lime finish. New plasterboard is flat but needs its joints reinforced. We work out what the wall is made of first and choose the finish second.

Finishes that suit Newbury homes

• Limewash for brick and flint cottages and barn conversions, where a breathable, softly clouded colour suits thick, irregular walls.
• Clay plaster for bedrooms and snugs in older houses, giving a warm, natural matt surface.
• Venetian plaster for the living rooms and hallways of Georgian and Victorian houses, polished to as much or as little sheen as you like once the walls are true.
• Tadelakt for showers and bathrooms on a properly waterproofed wall, which is where we would use it in place of Venetian plaster.

Barn conversions often have large open walls and high ceilings, which can show off a hand trowelled finish well, provided the backing is sound and flat.

How a Venetian plastering job in Newbury runs

Our survey covers the substrate, flatness, any cracks, damp or movement, how the room will be used, and the access and protection we will need. If you are planning a barn conversion or extension, it helps to talk to us before the plastering stage, so the backing suits the finish. Where a wall must be skimmed, stripped or treated for damp first, we will say so.

Once the sample and price are agreed, we book the dates. Material is tinted to your approved sample in Birmingham and travels ready mixed in your colour. As Newbury is some way from our base, the work is set out as a block of days so the team can stay on site and lay each coat in turn.

Fresh plaster and screed need to dry fully first, and a warm, ventilated house helps every coat cure evenly. Village lanes can be narrow, so tell us where a van can park. Read more on our Venetian plaster installation page.

Materials and courses

If you would rather use your own decorator, we sell the plaster, primers and wax tinted to your colour, with tracked delivery to West Berkshire. Our Venetian plaster courses run in Birmingham for decorators who want to learn the finish.

Further reading includes our guides to clay plaster and lime plaster and preparing walls for Venetian plaster. You can also see every area we cover.

Questions about Venetian plastering in Newbury

Do you travel to Newbury and Thatcham?

Yes. Our own applicators travel from Birmingham to Newbury, Thatcham and the surrounding villages, working in a block of days once the sample and price are approved.

Which finish suits a brick and flint cottage near Newbury?

Limewash or another lime finish, because old masonry needs to breathe. Acrylic products form a film over the surface, which old masonry does not like.

Can you plaster a barn conversion?

Yes, as long as the backing is sound and flat. It helps to speak to us before the walls are plastered, so the base suits the finish you want.

Can I order the materials and use my own decorator?

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

Call 07592 929191, Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm, or send photos, approximate measurements and your postcode to sales@zavore.co.uk. You can also order a sample board to try your colour.