Property maintenance in Appleby-in-Westmorland

Appleby is Eden Valley proper: red sandstone, riverside lanes, and houses old enough to have opinions of their own.

Those buildings are why hot lime pointing matters here - sandstone pointed in hard cement spalls and holds damp, and Appleby has seen enough wet years to know what water does when a wall cannot breathe. Repointing in lime, plastering that follows an uneven wall instead of fighting it, and joinery scribed to rooms without a right angle are the staples of Eden Valley work.

Dave is over from Penrith regularly - it is a short run down the valley - and Appleby customers have had everything from complete jobs finished to exacting standards while they were out of the house, as the review below tells it better than we can.

Work that suits Appleby’s houses

• Hot lime pointing - the right mortar for sandstone; spring to early autumn is the season for it.
• Plastering - patching and skimming that respects a wall that has moved for two centuries and will keep moving.
• Joinery - doors and windowsills scribed to openings that were never square, plus repairs after wet winters.
• Decorating - breathable finishes where the wall needs them, clean lines everywhere.
• Maintenance - gutters and external upkeep matter more on old fabric than anywhere else.

The villages around the town - Kirkby Thore, Long Marton, Dufton, Warcop and Bolton - are all part of the same Eden Valley round.