Owning a period property in Leicestershire or Nottingham is a privilege. Whether it is a red-brick Victorian terrace in West Bridgford or a Georgian townhouse in Leicester city centre, these buildings possess a character that modern new-builds simply cannot replicate.
However, decorating these homes requires a very different approach than painting a standard modern room. We have spent over 40 years working on heritage properties, and we have seen the damage that well-meaning but incorrect decorating choices can cause.
If you treat a 100-year-old wall the same way you treat a modern plasterboard wall, you risk trapping moisture, damaging the plaster, and ruining the finish. This guide explains why period properties require specialist care and how we approach the unique challenges of historic decoration.
Why Modern “Plastic” Paints Fail on Historic Homes
The most common mistake we see in period properties is the use of standard, high-sheen vinyl paints on solid walls. To understand why this is a problem, you have to understand how your house was built.
Modern homes are built with cavity walls and damp-proof courses. They are designed to be sealed units. Historic homes, generally those built before 1919, were built with solid walls using lime mortar. These walls are designed to “breathe.” They absorb moisture from the ground or rain and release it naturally through evaporation.
When you apply a standard vinyl silk or high-gloss paint to these surfaces, you are effectively wrapping your walls in a plastic bag. The moisture that naturally enters the brickwork hits the impermeable paint layer and gets trapped.
The result?
- The paint bubbles and peels as the moisture tries to escape.
- The plaster underneath effectively turns to mush / powder.
- Damp patches appear that no amount of cleaning will remove.
For historic masonry, we prioritise microporous (breathable) paints. These advanced formulations allow water vapour to pass through the surface while still repelling liquid water from the outside. This keeps your walls dry and your paint finish intact.
Identifying and Repairing Lath and Plaster
Before we even open a can of paint, we assess the substrate. In many local Victorian and Edwardian homes, the internal walls and ceilings are not plasterboard. They are “lath and plaster.”
This traditional method involves nailing thin horizontal strips of wood (laths) across the wall studs and covering them with a mixture of lime, sand, and horsehair. Over decades, the “keys” (where the plaster squeezed through the gaps to hold onto the wood) can break.
Signs Your Plaster Needs Attention
- The Tap Test: If you tap the wall and it sounds hollow or loose, the plaster has likely detached from the laths.
- Cracking: Fine hairline cracks are normal, but large cracks that follow the lines of the laths indicate movement or failure.
- Undulating Surface: A slight wave is part of the charm, but significant bulging suggests the plaster is losing its grip.
We do not simply patch these with standard modern fillers, which are often too hard and brittle for flexible lime plaster. Instead, we use specialist filling compounds that move with the building. For areas of significant failure, we can secure the plaster back to the laths using washer systems or spot repairs, preserving the original fabric of the building rather than tearing it all down.
Repairing Cracks Without Losing Character
One of the biggest anxieties our clients face is the fear of losing the “perfectly imperfect” texture of their old walls.
A modern wall should look like a sheet of glass. A Victorian wall has history. When we repair cracks in period properties, our goal is structural integrity, not erasing history.
Our Repair Process:
- Raking Out: We carefully widen the crack into a “V” shape. It sounds counterintuitive to make the hole bigger, but this ensures the filler has enough surface area to bond correctly.
- Stabilising: We apply a primer or stabilising solution to stop the old, dusty plaster from sucking the moisture out of the new filler too quickly.
- Filling and Profiling: We fill the gap, but we are careful to match the surrounding texture. A super-smooth patch on a textured lime wall stands out more than the crack did.
Preserving Cornices and Ceiling Roses
The crown jewels of many Leicestershire period homes are the ornate plaster mouldings. Sadly, many of these beautiful features have been lost under dozens of layers of paint applied over the last century.
When paint builds up on a cornice or ceiling rose, it clogs the fine details. Crisp floral patterns become undefined blobs.
If we notice that a feature has lost its definition, we may recommend a “poultice” paint removal system. This is a paste applied to the moulding that softens the old layers of paint, allowing us to peel them away gently without damaging the delicate plaster underneath.
Once cleaned (or if the existing detail is sharp enough), we avoid using heavy rollers or thick emulsions. We use fine brushes and thinned paints or specialist mineral paints to ensure the intricate shadows and highlights of the moulding remain sharp.
Conclusion
Decorating a period property is about more than choosing a colour scheme. It is about understanding the physics of the building and respecting the materials used by the original craftsmen.
If you own a historic home in Leicester or Nottingham, you need a decorator who acts as a custodian of your property. We combine traditional knowledge with the best modern breathable materials to ensure your home looks beautiful and stays healthy for decades to come.
