Venetian plastering in Somerset

Zavoré provides Venetian plastering in Somerset, a county of Georgian Bath, cathedral Wells, honey coloured stone villages and seaside towns. We are based in Birmingham, our own applicators travel to install, and the plaster is tinted to your approved sample before it leaves us. To start, order a sample board or email photos and your postcode to sales@zavore.co.uk.

Many Somerset jobs are some distance from our Birmingham base, so we plan them in blocks of days. The team stays and lays each coat in order, and dates are agreed after the sample and price are signed off.

Somerset's towns and the walls inside them

Bath, which sits in the north of the county, is the best known. Its Georgian terraces, crescents and squares are built of pale Bath stone, and its centre is a World Heritage Site, so the care taken over any interior work there is understandably high. Tall rooms, big sash windows and plaster cornices are everywhere, and Marmorino or Venetian plaster suits them well.

Wells is a small cathedral city, with its Bishop's Palace and a close of medieval houses. Taunton is the county town, and Frome keeps many listed buildings from its cloth making past. Glastonbury, Bridgwater, Yeovil and Minehead each have their own mix of Victorian terraces, interwar housing and recent estates.

The south of Somerset is the country of golden Ham stone, used for cottages and farmhouses around Ham Hill and villages such as Montacute. On the coast, Weston super Mare and Clevedon are Victorian seaside towns, with villas and terraces that face the Bristol Channel weather. Across the Levels and the hills there are also thatched cottages and farmhouses with thick, uneven walls.

Older solid walls need a breathable lime finish. New build homes and recent apartments need their plasterboard joints reinforced and the right primer. We decide on the finish only after we know the wall.

Finishes that suit Somerset houses

• Marmorino for Georgian rooms in Bath and Wells, where a lime finish can sit on older plaster and suit tall ceilings.
• Polished plaster for refurbished flats and newer homes, where flat walls let the sheen show properly.
• Limewash for stone cottages and farmhouses across the county, with a chalky matt depth.
• Travertino for a stone effect wall in a hall or kitchen, that nods to the natural stone of the region.
• Cornice and coving where Georgian and Victorian details have been lost over time.

How a Somerset job is organised

Photos and rough measurements come first. They often answer small questions, including whether a wall looks as if it needs skimming or a damp fix. Then we survey, checking substrate, flatness, cracks, movement, access and how the room is lived in.

Once the sample and price are approved, the plaster is tinted in Birmingham. Thin coats dry in turn, so other trades should be finished first, and a cold, damp stone room needs gentle heat. In Bath and other historic centres, steep streets and limited parking are common, so tell us early about access, lifts and any permit rules. If your house is listed, check with the council before altering the building itself.

Our full list of services is on the installation page.

For designers and for people using their own decorator

Designers and architects specifying finishes in Somerset can start at our specification page. If your decorator will do the work, we sell tinted plaster with tracked delivery, and our courses in Birmingham teach the craft.

For wider reading see our Marmorino guide and coving in Victorian, Georgian and Edwardian homes, or every area we cover.

Questions about Venetian plastering in Somerset

Do you travel to Bath and the rest of Somerset?

Yes. Our own applicators travel from Birmingham and plan each job in blocks of days, laying every coat in order.

Which finish suits a Georgian house in Bath?

Marmorino is a natural fit, because it is lime based and works with older walls and tall rooms. Polished plaster can suit flatter, newer surfaces.

What works on a Ham stone cottage in south Somerset?

A breathable lime finish such as limewash. Solid stone walls need to dry out, and sealed coatings can hold moisture in.

Can I buy Venetian plaster for my own decorator in Somerset?

Yes. We tint it to your colour and send it tracked, with base coats and wax.

To talk about your walls, call 07592 929191, Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm, or email sales@zavore.co.uk with photos and your postcode. Start choosing a colour with a sample board.