Colleges
Our experience and knowledge of working on listed buildings has been a major asset in our continuing work on historic colleges, where we often work closely with principal construction contractors on renovations and improvements.
Such buildings present many challenges. For example; one commission required us to refurbish historical oak panelling, which was as old as the building itself. We began by carefully removing all the accumulated dirt and coats of stain that had turned the wood dark brown. Contrary to our normal practice, we were asked to preserve certain examples of graffiti as it had been carved by historically famous alumni! A final buffed coat of traditional beeswax brought up the panelling like new and preserved it for future generations.
Refinishing traditional cast iron column radiators is another common requirement. These look wonderful but can be difficult to paint in situ when space is limited. For one project where a significant number were involved, we worked with professional services to disconnect them before taking them to a specially constructed booth on site. Here we could treat any rust and prime the radiators by hand before spray-painting them. This method allowed us to achieve an excellent finish in a short time.
Renovation projects, especially those with tight timescales, often require us to work alongside other trades so that progress can be made in parallel. We are adept at doing this and pay particular attention to controlling any dust generated during preparation – not only for health and safety reasons but to avoid affecting the work of other specialists.