Our historic building stock has been built using ancient techniques. Builders have often used locally available building materials, which now provide an array of styles and influences across the United Kingdom. Buildings from the sixteenth Century Yeoman homes of Kent and the seventeenth Century homes built by wool-producing families in West Yorkshire to specialist model Victorian villages were built and designed using local materials in a style which reflected the way people lived.

However, whilst styles may vary over time, in the same region and throughout the UK there are some common characteristics. They were often built with solid walls, designed to shed water and also to let any out that entered the structure.

Lime often played a fundamental part in the construction of homes in every region of the country. It was used for foundations, in stone and brick constructions, for rendering stone and cob buildings, for plain and decorative internal plasterwork and for lime wash finishes. Lime is now readily available in this country and the different types and strengths are detailed on our product pages.

Linseed Oil and waxes were used to feed and protect internal and external timber and to seal timber windows and doorframes. Womersleys supplies Linseed Oil based Burnt Sand Mastic to an original Georgian recipe as a natural alternative to modern incongruous Polysulphide mastics. Linseed Oil also forms part of the base for carefully formulated natural wood finishes for all situations.

Natural rosins, waxes and mineral-based pigments were once used to decorate historic homes. The introduction of petrochemical based paints led to their demise in the 1960’s. These traditional paints, which now avoid white lead and dangerous ingredients, are available again with a guarantee that they are 100% natural and many allow historic buildings to breathe.

Finally, all the ancillary materials, from timber lath and hair to builder’s and decorator’s tools are also available from Womersleys.