Maintaining Historical Structures

Over the last week, the team have been working extensively with heritage sites and restoration work. Samuel Sheldon Ltd has plenty of experience working to the high standards a heritage site requires, having done work with English Heritage in the past. Heritage restoration work is harder than one might expect. You must employ traditional building and maintenance methods such as lime mortar and sourcing traditional materials that match the overall theme of the original structure. 

The main job this week has been St James’ Church, which the team have been restoring. The job has been split up into phases, with the project currently in its third phase. The first phase involves repairing the damaged sandstone with locally sourced bricks to lay the foundation for the upcoming phases. The second phase refers to the brickwork and damp proofing of the structure. Some of the walls have deteriorated, as such, they may need to be replaced, and we have been using locally sourced bricks to do this. We believe in supporting local businesses as we work. 

Currently, in the third phase, we will be using modern damp-proof membranes to prevent water from leaking through the older parts of the structure. We will be replacing the damaged sections of brickwork on various parts of the building using locally sourced, matching bricks that have specifically been made in the traditional way to match the building’s appearance and colours. These are being embedded and painted by using lime mortar to maintain the heritage of the building further. We are additionally repainting a Lakeland stone gable using traditional mixed lime mortar and restoring the existing leaded windows on the church. We hope that by the end of the project, the church will be structurally sound while still maintaining its ancient roots. 

We believe that historic buildings need to be maintained. There are many traditional techniques that have laid the foundations of modern constructions used within these buildings, and failing to keep these structures from collapsing would be equivalent to allowing the history of construction to fade away. Whether you have an old property that you want to restore while maintaining its historical feel or you are an architect seeking a construction team to restore a heritage site, Samuel Sheldon Ltd will match the feel of the building and ensure it is structurally stable for years to come. If this is a service you need, contact us on 01229 773295 or email us at enquiries@samuelsheldon.co.uk. We would love to keep the history of your property alive.