Template manufacture as part of the documentation and recording process.

Example of elegant plaster embellishments.

Ceiling after consolidation.

Reinstating of riven lath to Attic room.

LTM building conservation technician applying scratch coat in lime plaster.

LTM building conservation technician applying lime setting stuff.

LTM building conservation technician applying lime setting stuff.

Finished lime plaster on lath in Attic room.

Leith Hall

Leith Hall is an 18th century neo-classical building with elegant interiors including beautiful plaster ornamentation. The Oval room ceiling follows this architect style with wonderful cast plaster embellishments ordered in a symmetrical manner. The Attic room is a plain lime plastered, on lath, room with a combe ceiling.

Scope of works

Repairs to the Oval room ceiling and replastering on lath in the Attic room. Damage had occurred to both the Attic and Oval room plaster ceiling due to water ingress caused by leaking services. Both rooms were badly damaged with the ceiling and Attic room both showed signs of distress due to moisture movement in both lath and plaster. The degree of failure in the Attic room necessitated the total relathing and lime replastering of the walls and combe ceiling.

The repairs to the Oval room ceiling required a systematic approach with recording, down taking of the damaged and loose decorated cast sections and stabilisation and of the ceiling substrate. The ceiling had been covered with a modern polymer based paint that was prohibiting the repair and would have also ultimately affected the degree to which a traditional lime based paint would have been able to adhere to the repaired substrate. The modern paint was therefore removed from the ceiling using a conservators directional steamer and small dentistry type tools. The decorative cast sections were removed during this cleaning process to enable satisfactory consolidation techniques to be undertaken.

Technical and philosophical solutions

The reinstatement of the decorative cast plaster embellishments were undertaken using traditional methods and materials.

Assessing the degree of damage was necessary to establish a sound and defensible repair strategy. The embellishments were recorded both photographically and by the manufacture of templates. Down taking of the embellishments was then painstakingly undertaken by LTM building conservation technicians.

It was decided to reinforce the ceiling by sensitive and selective fixings in those areas that had showed greatest signs of deflection, with consolidation and stabilisation of the fractures also completed.

Upon completion of the repairs to the flat plain plaster the repairs and reinstating of the decorative scheme could commence. In those areas where the cast sections had been lost new moulds were manufactured by a specialist plaster and new plaster cast pieces were produced.

The decorative scheme was reinstated using the templates and upon completion the ceiling was finally lime washed to give a uniform finish and final consolidation effect to the repair. The selected colour of the lime wash was guided by thin section analysis of original paint samples.

The water damage to the plaster ceiling had caused total failure of the Attic room ceiling. It was therefore necessary to relath and replaster the ceiling in plain lime plaster.

Sub-contractor co-ordination

Finzean Furniture Makers Ltd for manufacture and installation of sash and case window.

Project

Leith Hall, Huntly, Aberdeenshire.

Client

National Trust for Scotland.

Solutions

Plaster repairs to the Oval room and lime plastering in Attic room.