Materials that age well: lime, oak and brick

When we choose materials, we ask a simple question: what will this look like in thirty years? Some finishes are at their best on handover day and decline from there. Others weather, soften and mend, and look better for being used.

Lime

Lime plaster and mortar breathe, letting moisture move through a wall instead of trapping it. They’re softer than cement, so they can be repaired in patches without leaving a scar.

Oak

Oak silvers outdoors and deepens to honey indoors. A solid oak floor can be sanded back several times over a lifetime, and a worn threshold tells the story of a house.

Brick

Good brick is close to permanent. Laid in lime mortar, it can even be taken down and reused, which is how several walls at Aldric Mews were rebuilt.

The cost question

These materials can cost more at the start. Over the life of a building they usually cost less, because they’re repaired rather than replaced.