Heritage Builders in Lancashire specialising in Lime Mortar Pointing and Lime Plastering.
Preserving Lancashire’s Traditional and Period properties with authentic historic materials and time-honoured techniques.
If you’re seeking out heritage Builders in Lancashire, then welcome to Outram Building and Restoration. We specialise in traditional lime mortars, lime plastering and heritage building repairs and alterations across Lancashire including the Chorley, Preston and Blackburn areas.
A lot of older buildings weren’t designed for modern cement – they were built with lime enabling them to breathe. When the wrong materials are used, it traps moisture, causes damp and decay which slowly damages the structure.
That’s where we come in. We use proper, traditional breathable lime materials that work with your property, helping it stay dry, stable and true to its original character.
We’re skilled heritage builders in Lancashire – lime experts that are committed to using the correct lime mortars and lime plasters – carefully matched to your property’s original character and traditional construction. Outram Building and Restoration are proud to use locally sourced heritage building materials from across Lancashire, just as it would have been done originally.
Lime mortars and plasters allow moisture to move through your walls naturally, helping prevent damp, mould and long-term damage.
Unlike hard cement, lime moves with your building – reducing cracks and protecting brick and stone over time.
Traditional buildings were made for lime mortars and plasters. Using the right materials keeps them strong, healthy and looking as they should.
Our services include lime plastering, lime pointing, lime rendering, lime mortar matching, chimneys repairs, sympathetic building alterations and limewashing — all tailored to preserve the character and performance of traditional buildings. If it involves lime, Outram Building & Restoration has it covered.
Careful removal of failed mortar and repointing using the correct lime mix — helping your walls breathe and preventing further damage.
Traditional three-coat non-hydraulic lime plastering for walls and ceilings, using breathable materials that help manage moisture and protect your property from damp.
A breathable, traditional finish that protects your walls while enhancing their natural character. Limewash allows surfaces to breathe and age beautifully over time.
Getting the right mortar mix is key to both performance and appearance. We carefully match new lime mortar to your existing building, ensuring repairs blend in and work as they should.
Heritage builders in Lancashire providing sympathetic repairs and alterations for older properties, using traditional methods that respect the structure and character of your building.
Chimneys take the brunt of the weather. We repair and rebuild damaged stacks using the right lime materials, keeping them safe, stable and in keeping with your property.
Customer satisfaction is at the heart of everything we do. We’re committed to providing the best possible level of service whilst delivering sympathetic repairs to heritage and period properties across Lancashire.
At Outram Building & Restoration, we don’t just ‘use lime’ – we understand it properly and appreciate the true craft of slaking our own lime and making our own mixes.
We specialise in hot mixed, non-hydraulic lime mortars and lime plasters, made right here in Lancashire, using traditional methods that have stood the test of time. This isn’t bagged, off-the-shelf material, all of our plasters and mortars are carefully mixed on-site using the right lime, the right aggregates, and the right techniques for your building.
Every property is different. That’s why we take the time to match our mixes to suit the structure, exposure and original materials ensuring the work performs properly and looks right.
Hot mixing creates a more workable, breathable mortar that bonds better and performs as it should. It’s the traditional method — and for many heritage buildings, still the best.
We select sands and aggregates to match your existing mortar in both colour and texture, so repairs blend in naturally rather than standing out.
Where needed, we incorporate locally sourced natural hairs such as horse hair and cow hair fibres into plasters, improving strength, reducing cracking and staying true to traditional methods
Not all lime is the same. We use a range of materials depending on the building, including non-hydraulic lime and NHL 2 or 3.5, chosen based on exposure, strength and setting time.
You might have heard terms like ‘non-hydraulic lime’ NHL 2, 3.5 or 5 – these refer to different strengths of lime.
Softer mixes (like non-hydraulic or NHL 2) are ideal for sheltered or older buildings, while stronger mixes (like NHL 5) are used in more exposed areas such as limecrete flooring.
The key is using the right one in the right place, and that’s where experience matters.
Luckily, Outram Building and Restoration have loads of it.
We regularly post all of our daily updates and content on Instagram and Facebook, including job showcases and informative content on working with Lime.
Check us out and give Outram a follow to keep up to date with all of our current projects.
Every property and every job is a unique story, requiring an in-person survey to enable us to give you the best advice. To arrange a tailored on site quote, please use the form below or give us a call to get in touch.
As you can imagine, as one of Lancashire’s Leading Heritage Builders and Lime Specialists, we get asked a lot of questions. We’ve cleared up the answers to some of the most commonly asked ones below.
Hot mixed lime mortar is made by combining quicklime with aggregate while still in its reactive, "hot" state — the traditional method used in historic construction for centuries. Unlike modern pre-mixed bagged limes, hot mixed mortar retains a richer binder content, greater flexibility, and superior breathability. For solid-walled stone and brick buildings, this means moisture can move in and out naturally rather than being trapped, preventing damp, frost damage, and spalling. It is considered best practice for conservation work on pre-1919 properties.
Using ordinary Portland cement on a traditional solid-wall building is one of the most common — and costly — mistakes an owner can make and as heritge builders in Lancashire - we simply don't do it. Cement is far harder and less permeable than the original lime mortar, which forces moisture to escape through the stones or bricks themselves instead of the joints. Over time this causes cracking, spalling, and internal damp problems that are expensive to reverse. Lime mortar is softer than the masonry it surrounds by design, acting as a sacrificial layer that can be repointed without damaging the stonework.
Gypsum plaster sets hard and fast, which is ideal for new-build construction — but it is vapour-impermeable and relatively brittle. Lime plaster cures slowly through a process called carbonation, gradually hardening over weeks as it absorbs carbon dioxide from the air. The result is a finish that breathes with the building, flexes slightly with seasonal movement, and is naturally hygroscopic, helping to regulate indoor humidity. For period properties, lime plaster also achieves the characteristic soft, textured surface that is near impossible to replicate with modern materials.
Works that affect the character of a listed building generally require Listed Building Consent, and most local planning authorities will specifically require lime-compatible materials to be used — meaning lime work can actually be a planning requirement rather than just a preference. Outram have extensive experience working alongside conservation officers and can advise on what is likely to need consent before any work begins. Using inappropriate materials on a listed building can result in enforcement action, so it is important to get specialist advice early.
Lime work does take longer than modern equivalents, and this is a feature, not a drawback. Lime mortar requires time between coats to carbonate properly — rush it and you risk cracking or failure. Internal lime plaster is typically applied in two or three coats, each left to cure before the next. Repointing a section of external stonework will similarly involve careful preparation and controlled drying. We always discuss realistic timescales with clients upfront, and we never cut corners to speed up a job at the expense of a lasting result.
Yes. Before any quote is issued, we visit the property to assess the existing fabric, identify the likely original materials, and understand what the building needs. There is no point specifying work without understanding the substrate — the right lime mix for a Lancashire sandstone farmhouse is not the same as for a Pennine gritstone barn. A proper site assessment lets us give you an accurate price, a clear scope of work, and honest advice about condition and priority.
Outram Building & Restoration are based in Lancashire, we’re specialist heritage builders carrying out traditional lime plastering, lime pointing and heritage building repairs across the county and surrounding areas.
We regularly work on period properties, cottages, farmhouses and listed buildings throughout Lancashire, providing traditional lime work that helps buildings breathe and perform as they should.
From small repairs to full restoration projects, we cover towns and villages across the region including Clitheroe, Preston, Blackburn, Burnley, Lancaster, Chorley and the Ribble Valley.
We also travel further across the North West for the right projects, particularly where specialist hot mixed lime work is required.
Not sure if we cover your area? Get in touch – we’re always happy to advise.
Outram Building & Restoration are a Lancashire-based Heritage Builders, specialising in traditional lime mortars, lime plastering and heritage building work. With a strong focus on doing things properly, the business has built a reputation for high-quality workmanship using traditional methods and materials.
Working across Lancashire and the wider North West, Outram Building & Restoration carry out everything from lime pointing and plastering to full heritage repairs and alterations — always with a focus on preserving the character and performance of older buildings.
Our approach is rooted in traditional building techniques, including the use of hot mixed lime mortars and carefully selected materials suited to each individual property. Every job is treated on its own merits, ensuring the right methods are used rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
Whether it’s a small repair or a full restoration project, Outram Building & Restoration are committed to keeping traditional buildings working as they should — breathable, durable and built to last.
Every property and every job is a unique story, requiring an in-person survey to enable us to give you the best advice. To arrange a tailored on site quote, please use the form below or give us a call to get in touch.
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