London Stucco

London Stucco

Roman cement repairs to 19th century building in a London Square

This is work on the rear of an early 19th century  building in Sutherland Square just off Walworth road in South East London.The stucco  was originally completed in a Roman cement mix but over the years repairs in Portland Cement have caused problems with the substrate, notably damp and decay of the soft stock brickwork.There has been the complete loss of the typical run string course at the top of the render/Stucco.

I hacked off the existing cement render and look what I found.We rendered the brickwork with a Roman cement mix and re ran the string course moulding and here are the results

I am becoming convinced that this type of mix was used extensively in London during thelate 18th and 19th century. Its ability to breath and less hard, dense surface benefits the substrate.It is also very useful for running and casting mouldings

Typical London Stucco

  Contrast the brickwork previosly covered 

with render and the bare brickwork 

Note the state of the soft 19th century stock brick

 brickwork previously covered with portland cement mix

fragment of render taking face of brickwork with it

scratch coat in Roman cement

Float coat 

floated surface

top coat and run string curse

Finished work with Roman Cement top coat

Note the reddish colour of the  Roman Cement moulding