Horgan & Webb

Horgan & Webb specialises in the conversion, alteration and restoration of traditional, listed and historic buildings. We are able to undertake most work associated with a period property, from advice and consultancy to project management to hands-on building and restoration.

Britain is unique in Europe in the number of its traditional buildings still standing, ranging from humble brick terraces to great mansions, and from imposing farmhouses to small cottages.

All of them require special treatment if they are to be fit for the 21st century and yet remain faithful to their origins. Horgan & Webb is committed to helping you do just that, using the materials and techniques which will ensure that they survive.

We use traditional materials, coupled with a modern approach, to ensure that our work is not only sympathetic but meets all modern building requirements.

Old buildings with solid walls were meant to breathe, and damp was kept at bay by good drainage, ventilation and the use of breathable materials. The biggest cause of damp, decay and cracking in traditional buildings is the unsympathetic use of the wrong materials.

We avoid using cementitious materials, preferring instead to use lime. All wall coverings, renders and paints we specify and use are breathable and flexible, to allow an old building to regulate its moisture content and 'move' with the seasons as it was designed to do.

If you have bought, or are thinking of buying, an old house, see our advice page.

We particularly specialise in the use of lime in traditional building, offering repointing and masonry work, rendering, roughcast, lime plastering and limewashing.

We have undertaken a number of projects in and around West Wales, ranging from conversions to restorations, including the incorporation of modern elements such as limecrete floors. References and testimonials are available.

Horgan & Webb is a member of the AECB, the sustainable building association, the Institute of Historic Building Conservation, the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings and The Building Limes Forum.

The work on our own house was featured in the BBC2 series Restored to Glory, where John Yates a former chairman of the IHBC, commended the "textbook conservation techniques" and Ian Constantinedes of St Blaise Ltd commented, "England's loss is Wales's gain".

The project has also been featured on the Period Property website and in the 2006 SAVE Buildings at Risk register. More recently Gervase Webb was asked to speak at the annual conference of the The Building Limes Forum on the implications of new building regulations for those working on traditional buildings. He has also been featured in the property section of the Independent newspaper.

Capable

From our base just outside Cardigan we can undertake work in West Wales and, if necessary, farther afield. We have the facilities and manpower to tackle most domestic projects. Our reports are aimed at prospective buyers and at those who feel competent enough to tackle their own work. Our courses help them achieve that level of competence.

Reliable

From the tentative first contact to the completion of a project, reliability is critical. With traditional buildings there will always be the unforeseen, but our philosphy is to keep the client fully informed at all times, and to keep our costings and time estimates as accurate and realistic as possible.

Affordable

We never forget that work is being carried out with the client's money. Restoration and conservation are never the cheapest options in the short term, but we believe our prices are highly competitive and that, in the long term, they offer the best possible value for you and your property.

Gallery

These are a few of the projects on which we have worked: