Professional Builder’s Lee Jones talks to master of plaster, Philip Gaches about his distinguished company and career
His work adorns some of our most treasured Royal Palaces and his knowledge is in demand amongst craft professionals around the world. Master plasterer, Philip Gaches is a passionate advocate of the timeless beauty of lime and decorative plasterwork. We caught up with the proprietor of Gaches Traditional Plastering on the re-rendering of an imposing 19th century country residence which is destined to be used as a wedding venue.
It is a build that represents an excellent example of just why lime is the perfect choice in many period properties, as Philip explains: “On a property like this lime is always the more harmonious choice. “The house was originally constructed from a soft red brick with a lime-based bedding mortar, and lime render. All of those materials are inherently breathable and work together to allow the movement of moisture from the ground and the air through the walls, keeping the house relatively dry and damp-free.”
“In the middle of the twentieth century the exterior of the house was re-plastered with a hard, non-porous cement render. That caused all sort of problems with increased moisture levels within the core of the wall, which led to interior decorative damage, but also some decay to the structural timbers. By reverting to a lime render we will now redress that balance.”
Indeed, lime plaster in now making inroads into the mainstream. On a typical cavity wall constructed new build, lime plaster wouldn’t necessarily be specified for its breathability, but there are its aesthetic qualities to consider. Lime has a visual appeal that cement render or gypsum plasters can’t match and that’s why it’s equally finding favour in contemporary projects. It’s natural ability to keep humidity levels in a property consistent – as well as its bacteria and mold repellent characteristics – also offer health benefits, whilst it’s worked in much the same way as gypsum, with all the familiar hawks, trowels, straight edges and floats utilised in its application.
Not only that but Philip is adamant that using lime is well within the competence of any skilled tradesman: “It’s my firm belief that we can take a modern plasterer more used to skimming plasterboard and, with one hour of instruction, you could teach them to successfully complete a lath and lime plaster ceiling. As a company, however, we go much further than that. The ethos of the Gaches Traditional Plastering business is to employ exactly the same techniques that would have originally been used on old buildings. It is through that method that we achieve the same finish that our forbears in the trade would have realised.”
In the finest traditions of the building industry this is a family firm in the truest sense. Philip is the second of three generations of Gaches, with more than forty years of time served with a trowel and counting. His father, Gordon started the business back in 1948, and Philip’s uncle, brother and brother-in-law have all worked together at various points since. Philip is now joined on site by his two sons, William and Jude, but his own bright enthusiasm for the trade shows no sign of dimming.
“Ours is a creative process, and a traditional skill, and there’s always more to learn,” continues Philip. “As a company we produce highly ornate interiors in styles from the 16th century to Georgian and beyond. It’s actually a complicated process that requires a number of different skills sets depending on the period. At the same time there’s regional variations to consider, with pargetting much in evidence in Suffolk, for example, as well as Roman Cement work, so it’s a process of continually engaging with different styles and aptitudes.”
Philip is making his own telling contribution to keeping the art alive by offering courses in traditional plastering. Indeed, for the last thirty years he has taught for organisations ranging from local authorities to the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, as well as around the world. “Working with the Turquoise Mountain Trust we’ve visited Transylvania several times,” he reveals “and put on courses as far afield as Myanmar and Afghanistan. We’ll be going to the south of France later this year and the Lebanon.”
“I do believe that society is waking up to the value of what I call ‘makers’, concludes Philip. “That means the people with the practical hands-on craft skills needed to repair and maintain our housing stock – both old and new. It’s often the case that we only realise the importance of something when it’s almost lost, and some of the skills that we can draw upon ourselves have come very close to vanishing. We want to help ensure that doesn’t happen.”
For further information on Gaches Traditional Plastering visit https://gachesplastering.co.uk/
