Construction DNA The Materials Library A technical resource for architects and homeowners. Identifying and sourcing the correct materials for period restoration.
Heritage Materials Library The Authentic Materials of NW3 Using the wrong materials will damage your heritage property. This library documents the authentic materials used across Hampstead, with sourcing information for restoration.
All Materials Bricks Mortars Renders & Stucco Timber Stone Roofing Metalwork Glass
Late Victorian • Arts & Crafts • Edwardian
Imperial Red Rubber Brick The definitive brick of Arts & Crafts Hampstead. Hand-pressed soft red bricks with a characteristic "rubbed" surface finish, made from iron-rich clay of the Home Counties.
Georgian • Regency • Early Victorian
London Stock Brick The quintessential Georgian and early Victorian brick. Yellow to brown in color with characteristic dark patches from ash content. The standard brick of London building from 1700-1860.
Georgian • Regency • Victorian • Edwardian
Lime Putty Mortar Traditional non-hydraulic lime mortar made from slaked lime and sharp sand. The ONLY mortar suitable for historic brickwork in NW3. Allows buildings to "breathe" and move.
Victorian • Edwardian
Natural Hydraulic Lime (NHL) Lime that sets through hydraulic action (chemical reaction with water) rather than carbonation. Faster setting than lime putty, used for below-ground work and exposed situations.
Georgian • Regency • Early Victorian
Lime Stucco The white or cream rendered finish of Belsize Park and Regency Hampstead. Originally made with lime putty, sand, and sometimes animal hair for reinforcement.
Arts & Crafts • Edwardian
Roughcast/Pebbledash Textured render with small stones or pebbles thrown into the wet surface. A signature finish of Arts & Crafts and Edwardian houses, originally in lime.
Georgian • Victorian • Edwardian
Softwood Sash Windows Traditional timber sash windows in Baltic pine (Scots Pine) or, more rarely, Douglas Fir. The slender glazing bars and weighted sash mechanism define Georgian and Victorian fenestration.
Tudor Revival • Arts & Crafts
Oak Structural Timber Structural oak framing and decorative half-timbering. Used in genuine structure and as decorative mock-Tudor applied to brick buildings.
Georgian • Victorian • Edwardian
Portland Stone The quintessential English building stone, from the Isle of Portland. Used for door surrounds, window heads, quoins, and decorative elements throughout NW3.
Georgian • Regency • Victorian
Welsh Slate Blue-grey slate from the quarries of North Wales, the default roofing material for London from the Georgian period through to the late Victorian era.
Arts & Crafts • Edwardian
Hand-Made Clay Tiles Traditional hand-made clay roof tiles with natural variation in color and slight camber. The signature roofing of Arts & Crafts Hampstead.
Georgian • Regency • Victorian
Cast Iron Railings Decorative cast iron railings and balconies, typically featuring classical or geometric patterns. Essential to the character of Georgian and Victorian streetscapes.
Georgian
Crown Glass Hand-blown glass with characteristic subtle distortions and variations. The slight waviness catches light differently from modern float glass, giving Georgian windows their unique character.
Arts & Crafts • Edwardian
Leaded Light Glazing Small panes of glass joined with lead cames (H-section lead strips). Characteristic of Arts & Crafts windows, often in geometric or nature-inspired patterns.