Pretoria Avenue E17

A beautifully detailed but neglected period property in desperate need of some Finelay TLC.

Project

This stunning period property had suffered decades of neglect, compounded by poor and incorrect repair work by previous owners. Restoring it to its original glory was a significant challenge, requiring meticulous care and expertise.

Years of grime and carbon build-up covered the brickwork façade, while the original lime mortar repointing had long been replaced with an unsightly cement mortar. The moulded and sculpted soft red brick bands had severely eroded, and fractures were visible across many areas of the façade.

The high-level Dutch gable’s feature panel was almost unrecognisable due to erosion, the first-floor window sills were deteriorating, and the ground-level bay sill showed extensive fractures and wear.

Painstakingly, we restored every original detail, achieving a breathtaking final result. The clients were speechless when the scaffolding was removed, revealing a façade restored to its former splendour.

This property now stands as the only one on Pretoria Avenue to have been restored to such a high standard, a testament to the exceptional skill and knowledge required for building restoration at this level.

Scope of Works

• Full brick clean: Removal of years of grime and carbon build-up from the façade.
• Brick repointing: Replaced existing cement-based pointing with bespoke heritage lime mortar, applied with a neat flush joint.
• Brick repairs: Over 300 standard flat-faced brick repairs completed.
• Restoration of brick bands: Extensive repair work to the moulded and special brick bands on the façade.
• Feature panel replacement: Removed and replaced the eroded panel in the high-level Dutch gable, incorporating a reclaimed egg-and-dart decorative border, hand-cut and mitred to fit the original insert.
• Window sill repairs: Removed and replaced defective first-floor window sills.
• Fracture repairs: Multiple Heli-Bar fracture repairs completed across the façade.
• Bay window restoration: Full restoration of the ground-level bay window sub-sill.
• Plinth brickwork: Removed cement render from the plinth, repaired defective bricks, and installed new period-style cast iron air vents to restore the area to its original natural brickwork.
• Stone repairs: Extensively repaired the joins of window heads, capitals, and new timber sash frames.

Portrait Images