Guildhall, YorkThe Challenge The ambitious and challenging £21.7m project to refurbish and remodel York’s 15th-century Guildhall and adjoining building required heritage building materials that would complement the existing structure. The Guildhall complex is owned by City of York Council and is made up of Grade I, II* and II listed buildings built around a large 15th Century Guild Hall. The building had suffered significant bomb damage during the second world war and received only reactive repairs since it was reopened in the 1960s, putting the building’s future at risk. The …

Damp can be a persistent problem in older properties if not tackled correctly. With much of the UK’s social housing provision coming from the repurposing of older properties. One of the biggest challenges for local authorities and housing associations is finding cost effective ways of keeping damp at bay.

Social housing is a valuable and sizable component of UK housing stock, providing much-needed shelter to families across the country. However, due to lack of funding compared to the private sector, cost is often a key purchasing trigger when specifying building materials. Plaster is one of the most extensively used materials, yet compromising quality over cost can lead to long term property maintenance issues. Here, Tom Emery, Specification Coordinator for Tarmac’s Limelite range, puts forward the case for alternative plaster use in social housing.

Flood damage is costing homeowners, local authorities, and landlords hundreds of thousands of pounds a year in repair costs, despite the fact that specifying a more suitable plaster could provide a long-lasting solution for flood risk properties.

A change of approach to plaster choice could help housing associations significantly cut annual maintenance bills, and help manage the impact of the legislation introduced to reduce social housing rent prices.

The UK plaster market has been heavily shaped in the last 50 years by the rise in predominance of both gypsum plaster and plasterboard. Quick to install and cheap to buy, they have become the go-to solution for plasterers up and down the country. However, this dominance has led to their perception as a one-size-fits-all solution. As such, they are often used ahead of more appropriate solutions in some commonly occurring situations.