@Duncombehousediaries Testimonial
When we first tried to establish the best heritage building materials to use for the restoration of our home, we were completely overwhelmed. There was so much conflicting and confusing information that, when we came across Womersleys, we genuinely couldn’t believe our luck. It was an enormous relief to find a company that not only stocked everything we needed (and more), but also provided expert technical support, training, and most importantly, a common-sense, non-dogmatic approach.
For context, we own a derelict, stone-built, Grade II listed Georgian home. When we purchased the property 18 months ago it was so damp that mushrooms were growing from the ceilings and out of the walls. Extensive remedial works had been carried out in the late 1970s, with cement- and gypsum-based products used universally throughout the building.
Over the past twelve months we have removed the cement strap pointing and re-pointed using Ironstone Pre-Mix NHL 3.5 Old White mortar. All internal gypsum plaster and cementitious scratch coats have been removed and replaced with Ironstone fibred and non-fibred backing renders, finished with Ironstone superfine plaster. On the recommendation of Womersleys, we also added sheeps wool insulation to the loft and applied Cornerstone Insulating Render to both our solid walls and lath-and-plaster walls. As a result, we have massively improved the thermal performance of the building, cutting our energy bills by nearly 75%.
When we first discussed using lime plaster with our plasterer of 20 years, he rolled his eyes and told us it would take twice as long and not look good. A year on, he is completely converted. To the point that he now regularly asks us to order more Ironstone products because of how easy they are to use, how good they look, and how well they perform on solid walls.
Needless to say, having removed the inappropriate cement and gypsum-based materials, our home is now dry, warm, and entirely mushroom-free.
It is rare to find a company you can trust implicitly, supplying products that consistently do exactly what they promise. Having renovated properties for over ten years, I can honestly see no reason why we would ever use another heritage materials merchant.
From a technical perspective, we highly recommend Ironstone products. More importantly, as a company to deal with, Womersleys are second to none.
Jack and Jazzy - Duncombe House Diaries