Flint, brick and timber in the village core
The heart of Angmering is old, and its walls show it. Arun District Council's 2026 appraisal of the Angmering Conservation Area describes buildings of flint, laid coursed, as whole flints or knapped, with red brick dressings, alongside brick, some of it painted, and render. Several of the listed houses are older still underneath. Brocketts on the High Street is a timber-framed building of the 17th century or earlier, with its framing and plaster infill visible on the east side; Chants Cottage is timber-framed with red brick infilling; and Wayside Cottage is faced with cobbles. The appraisal notes that the Romans were drawn here partly by the local timber, flint and clay.
Walls like these behave very differently from modern blockwork. They are uneven, often built without a damp proof course, and they rely on being able to dry out. Before any old plaster comes off, we talk with you about what the wall is made of and what backing will let it breathe. If the house is listed, check with Arun District Council first, because replacing historic plaster can need listed building consent.
Station Road and the 1930s streets
Away from the conservation area, brick walls are the norm. The Angmering Neighbourhood Plan describes Station Road as having grown gradually from the 16th century to the present day, with detached and semi-detached houses set back from the road, and the 1930s streets around Palmer Road, Arundel Road, Mill Road and Lansdowne Road as a mix of terraced, semi-detached and detached houses and bungalows. After decades of alterations, a wall in one of these houses can be too far out of line for a skim. Where plaster has been hacked off for a rewire, a removed chimney breast or a new opening, the brickwork is floated flat and set to match the rest of the room.
Extensions and new blockwork
New block walls in an extension, a garage conversion or a new build are the other main use. A floated wall is denser and harder than plasterboard, takes heavy fixings for kitchens and radiators without hunting for studs, and sounds solid when you knock on it.
The sequence, in brief
Loose material is cleared and the background wetted or primed so the first coat does not dry too fast. Beads go on corners and around openings. The float coat is spread and ruled off with a straight edge, deep hollows being built up in stages, then scratched to give a key. When it has firmed, the setting coat is trowelled smooth. A wall plastered this way holds a lot of water, so allow longer before painting than you would after a skim.
Damp comes first
Much of Angmering is prone to groundwater and surface water problems, and plaster that failed because a wall was wet will fail again unless the cause is dealt with. Our page on damp proofing in Angmering covers that, while plastering and skimming in Angmering explains when a skim is enough. The method in full is on our float and set service, and our other work in the village is on the Angmering page. For a free, no-obligation quote, call 07824 165672.
