Traditional materials

Working on a listed building involves sensitivity to the materials used in the original building and a good historic knowledge of appropriate materials. Building materials have changed considerably over the centuries, and work on a listed building often involves dealing with materials that are no longer used. Repairs must be made using appropriate substitutes.

Thatch was a common roofing material in the UK until the end of the First World War, and Britain has more thatched roofs than anywhere else in Europe. Thatch is vegetation - often straw, sedge or water reed. Traditionally, straw thatch is renewed by layering new thatch on top of the old, leading to some roofs with a layer of thatch two metres thick and dating back 600 years. Rethatching is necessary around every 50 years, with re-ridging around every 15 years.

Old walls may be made of wattle and daub, a mix mud, clay or even animal dung mixed with horsehair, spread over a latticework of split sticks. The technique has been used for at least 6,000 years. We can remove and re-use wattle, mixing with fresh water and supplementing with lime and fresh dung!