Hay Mills sits along the Coventry Road in east Birmingham, between Small Heath, Yardley and Tyseley, beside the River Cole. The housing is mostly late Victorian and Edwardian terraces on the streets off Coventry Road and around St Cyprian’s church, with some inter-war semis towards South Yardley and post-war homes near the Cole Valley. RCR Connections Ltd is a plastering and rendering company based in Solihull, a short drive along the A45, and we take on plastering work across Hay Mills, South Yardley, Small Heath, Tyseley and Acocks Green.
Plastering services
- Skimming walls and ceilings ready to decorate.
- Re-plastering where plaster has blown or been damaged by damp.
- Ceilings: over-boarding or replacing lath-and-plaster.
- Plasterboard for rear extensions, loft rooms and new partitions.
- Patch repairs after rewiring, heating or kitchen work.
Terraced houses and damp
Most Hay Mills terraces are solid-walled, and many have had damp problems at some point. Lower walls often have blown, salt-stained plaster. Before re-plastering, the cause needs dealing with. Common culprits are raised paths or yards bridging the damp-proof course, leaking gutters and downpipes, and old cement renders. If a damp specialist has injected a damp-proof course and specified a plaster system, we follow it so their guarantee stays valid.
Lath-and-plaster ceilings
Original ceilings in these terraces are usually lath-and-plaster. If they’re still firmly fixed, over-boarding with new plasterboard screwed through to the joists is the cleanest fix. If they’re sagging or cracked badly, they may need to come down first. We seal the room off and protect everything before doing that.
Landlords and rented homes
There’s a lot of rented housing in Hay Mills and Small Heath. Between tenancies, we can patch damaged walls, repair ceilings and skim rooms so decorators can get started. WhatsApp photos are usually enough for a guide price.
Preparing the room
Clear the room or move furniture to the middle, take down curtains and pictures, and have an electrician loosen sockets and switches. Parking on terraced streets can be tight, so let us know where we can park and mix.
How a job works
- WhatsApp photos to 07453 614095 with rough room sizes.
- We send a guide price and visit if needed.
- We protect floors, stairs and furniture.
- We plaster and leave the room swept, with aftercare advice.
Drying and painting
A skim needs a few days to dry, and backing coats longer, especially in solid-walled houses in colder months. Use a mist coat first.
Planning and rendering
Hay Mills is in Birmingham, so planning and building control go to Birmingham City Council. We also apply sand and cement, silicone, K-Rend/monocouche and insulated render (EWI), which can help solid-walled terraces feel warmer. See our K-Rend and monocouche page and rendering in Solihull.
Chimney breasts
Many Hay Mills terraces have had chimney breasts removed or fireplaces blocked. Once a builder has made it structurally safe, we plaster or board the wall flat. Leave a vent in blocked fireplaces to keep the flue dry.
Free quote
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm. Call or WhatsApp 07453 614095 or email rcrconnectionsltd@gmail.com. See also plastering in Birmingham, our Acocks Green page, and Coventry.