Georgina Fairfax
Why Original Features Are Worth Saving
Georgian townhouses were built with a quiet confidence. The proportions, the tall windows, the deep cornices and the marble chimneypieces were not applied decoration; they are the building’s structure and its character. Replacing them with modern equivalents rarely saves money in the long run, and it almost always costs the house something harder to measure: its calm, its sense of history and its value. In a conservation area or a listed building, you will usually need listed building consent or planning permission before altering windows, fireplaces or external joinery. Even where consent is not required, repair is often the more economical route once you factor in waste, carbon and the loss of original fabric. A well-repaired sash window can outlast a new one by decades.
Repairing Sash Windows Rather Than Replacing Them
A Georgian box sash window is a surprisingly simple machine: two sashes, cords, pulleys and lead weights hidden inside the box frame. Most faults are straightforward to remedy, and a good joiner will treat the window as a piece of furniture rather than a hole in the wall.
- Cords and pulleys: a snapped cord does not mean a new window. Re-cording takes a couple of hours. Replace worn pulleys and weights at the same time.
- Draughts: discreet brush or blade seals fitted to the staff beads, parting beads and meeting rail make a remarkable difference. They are far cheaper than new double glazing and keep the original glass.
- Sills and cills: repair rotten timber with a scarf joint in matching timber rather than replacing the whole section. Keep the slope and the drip so water runs away from the wall.
- Putty and glazing: use linseed oil putty, not silicone. It breathes, it holds historic crown or cylinder glass beautifully, and it can be painted within days.
- Secondary glazing: a slim, well-fitted secondary pane on the room side cuts noise and heat loss without altering the external appearance. It is often permitted where full double glazing is not.
If a sash is truly beyond repair, have a new one made to match the original profile exactly. Keep the mouldings slender. The elegance of a Georgian window lies in what is almost not there.
Cornices, Ceiling Roses and Plasterwork
Georgian plasterwork was run in situ, usually in lime and gypsum, and it moves with the building. Hairline cracks are normal. What is not normal is filling them with a hard modern filler that will crack again within a season. Use a lime-based filler that moves at a similar rate to the original plaster.
For missing sections, a skilled plasterer can take a reverse profile from an intact area, cast a mould and run a new length of cornice to match. Ceiling roses can be replicated in the same way. Never sandblast plasterwork, and avoid aggressive steamers. When painting, choose a breathable paint — distemper, limewash or a clay-based emulsion — so that moisture can escape rather than being trapped. The aim is not to make the plaster look new, but to let it settle back into an even, quiet surface.
Marble Fireplaces and Chimneypieces
Marble is softer than it looks. Harsh acidic cleaners will dull the surface and eat into the veining. Clean with a pH-neutral solution and a soft cloth, then dry thoroughly. For stains, a poultice made from fuller’s earth and a suitable solvent will draw the mark out over several days. Chips and cigarette burns can be filled with marble dust mixed with a clear resin, colour-matched to the surrounding stone.
If the hearth or surround is loose, re-bed it on a lime mortar rather than cement. Cast iron inserts and register grates should be cleaned gently with a wire brush and protected with a thin coat of stove black. Have the chimney swept before use, and keep a vent open to prevent damp. A fireplace that draws properly will keep the whole room drier and warmer.
Sympathetic Materials and Finding the Right Craftsman
The guiding principle is simple: use materials that behave like the originals. Lime mortar and lime plaster are softer and more breathable than cement. Linseed paint and traditional putty move with timber. Reclaimed slate, brick and stone blend in where new equivalents would stand out.
- Ask to see previous work on similar period properties, not just photographs of new builds.
- Your local conservation officer can advise on what is acceptable before you begin — a short conversation can save months of delay.
- Employ separate specialists for joinery, plasterwork and stone. A general builder is rarely the right person for historic fabric.
- Phase the work. Doing one elevation of windows or one fireplace at a time keeps costs manageable and the house habitable.
Living With the Work — and Looking After It
Restoration is dusty, slow and occasionally frustrating. Protect floors and furniture with breathable dust sheets, and work room by room rather than opening up the whole house at once. Keep the heating low and steady during plasterwork, and allow lime to dry naturally rather than forcing it with heaters.
Once the work is done, maintenance is light but regular. Check sash cords annually, oil pulleys, touch in putty and paint before winter, and keep gutters and downpipes clear. A Georgian townhouse rewards patience. Repair it with sympathy and it will return that favour in quiet elegance for another century.
