Coving and Cornice in Greenwich

Greenwich has some of the finest Georgian and Victorian houses in south-east London, and their plaster cornice is a big part of their character. Newer Greenwich homes often have plain ceilings where a simple coving would finish the room.

New coving is fitted with an adhesive and cut accurately at the corners, so the mitres meet cleanly. Gaps against the wall and ceiling are filled and the coving is left ready to paint. It also hides the hairline crack that often appears where walls meet ceilings.

Period cornice is a different job. In older Greenwich houses it is often damaged by past leaks, clogged with decades of paint, or missing where a wall was removed. Damaged sections can be repaired, and missing lengths can be run in place with a profile cut to match the original.

Clogged cornice can be cleaned back to recover its detail, which makes a noticeable difference to a period room.

Ceiling roses are repaired or replaced in the same way, and where a ceiling is being replastered, the cornice is protected throughout.

Listed buildings and conservation areas are common in Greenwich, and work on historic plasterwork is done to respect the original.

In Greenwich conversions, where a large period house has been split into flats, the cornice often stops abruptly at a new partition wall. Returning it neatly around the new corner, or running a matching length along the partition, makes the room look as though it was always laid out that way and removes one of the clearest signs of a hurried conversion. Photos of the wall or ceiling, and a note of any cracks, damp patches or hollow-sounding areas, are enough to say what the job involves.