Building Conservation Professionals

“To whom it may concern, I was looking for a professional tiler to complete the installation of a victorian style black and white ceramic tile Floor in the hallway of my Edwardian house. As I am sure you will be aware there are a significant number of trades people available at differing rates with different levels of experience. Two of the worlds most successful people (Warren Buffet and Steve Jobs) did not set out to be rich but rather they focused on doing what they enjoyed and were good at to the best of their ability and the success came as a bi product. I feel this analogy is appropriate for Steve he has a deep passion and desire for his profession and as a result is very successful (and very busy with a significant order book). Steve is not focused on money or doing a quick job for a fast buck as is often sadly the case. For people who understand the difference between cost and value Steve is probably one of the best professional trades people you could meet. The value of his total offering is extensive and extends way beyond mere labour and contacts. He prepares and delivers training material and has a vast range of reference and portfolio material. If Steve doesn't believe he can help you he will be honest and say up front. I am a Chartered Mechanical Engineer and as my wife refers regularly to me as a nightmare with my unreasonable expectations and insistence on detail and quality (it takes my 4hrs to was my car)! I can honestly say Steve surpasses all my expectations, he even offered me advice for questioning other trades people who gave me quotes. One of the most important things I learnt was the unique nature of Victorian tiling ( contrary to one other tiler who visited me mistakingly highlighting "tiling as tiling mate")! The criticality' of the subfloor structure, the surface prep requirements and the fact that you often don't use spacers (owing to the tolerance variation and stack up of a large number of small tiles) Steve had a very funny tale about a job he did for a mathematics professor who initially disagreed with Steve on this matter. After much research and visits from three other tilers I decided that the only person who I would want to complete my project was Steve. Unfortunately by the time I had made my mind up he was booked for the slot he had provisionally offered me (he was tiling the Swedish national museum)! Coincidently I then had some time between jobs and I decided to attempt the tiling myself (which was not my initial intention as I have never done any before). To put it into perspective and show how skilled Steve is my job took my father in law and I 9 weeks (compared to Steves estimate of him alone doing it in circa 10 days)! I would never have been able to finish this without Steve and whilst the finish of my work is good I still could not achieve in 9 times longer what had could have done in a fraction of the time. I actually gave Steve a token for my appreciation which he didn't ask for but I felt the time and info he offered was invaluable. I very much doubt I will have another long period for which to undertake any more tiling so the only person I would have lay a tile in my house is Steve. I can't recommend him highly enough; if you are meticulous, have exceedingly high standards, value expert knowledge and appreciate the time and effort it takes to acquire then heritage tiling will not disappoint. Comparing an Ebay £250 "runabout" with a Bentley would have synergies when considering Steve as merely a "Tiler". Robert Rugen 18/04/2016”

“Very friendly service and extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of building design, construction and use of materials. Identified the problem, asked for a quotation, received proposal very quickly and now plan to use H & D to carry out the survey. Very Highly recommended.”

“Repair and improvement work to decking area. Martyn and his team were great to deal with from quotation to job completion kept me informed and did a great job at a good price.”

“Used Liam at Yorkshire Lime and Clay to apply lime plaster to wood fibre internal wall insulation as part of a renovation project on a solid walled Victorian property. Liam was a pleasure to work with. From his communication before and during the project to the hard work ethic, attention to detail and craftsmanship, I was impressed.”

“We had a fantastic experience working with TVBRC. They were attentive and interested in every part of our project - and explained to us plainly, simply yet professionally what it took to make our bay front look and be restored in the best way. The work was completed on time, on budget and we couldn't be happier. The house now looks as it was originally intended, the bay windows are sharp and crisp and look great and we are so happy we undertook the project and worked with the team - highly recommend.”

“Aura were recommended by our architect. As soon as I met Stuart, I was impressed with his knowledge, friendliness and professionalism. We had a number of repairs required to our grade II listed cottage, including rebuilding a chimney, rebedding ridge tiles, repointing, pinning a lintel and masonry repairs to a stone window jamb, all of which were carried out to the highest level of quality and competence using materials approved for listed buildings. The project was completed to budget and ahead of schedule. I would definitely use Aura in the future and am happy to give them a 5-star review.”