Renovating old houses has never been easy. More often than not, it's a nightmare of spiralling costs, dirt, dust and extended deadlines for completion of the project. Yet in spite of this there are many people who do it, totally prepared to live with the headaches and frustration in order to restore a period house to its former glory. The key element to their success is to find the skilled experts who can add the finer touches for that authentic finish.

Anyone who has ever looked into repairing detailed plasterwork will be aware of how many variations of grooves, curves, whorls and twists there are in a cornice. Of course, you have the option of buying a plastic replica of the more usual designs from your local hardware superstore. There is also the builders suppliers, such as Buckley's off the Long Mile Road, Dublin, which have a big range of plaster moulds that might do the job. The problem is where to find the craftsmen if you can't find what you're looking for and need to get a specific mould crafted.

Peter Greene runs a business called Classic Mouldings. Based in Dunloe, Co Donegal, he has been in the plastering trade for over 20 years. Although starting off as a plasterer, he soon developed a love for moulding. Working with a staff of five, he supplies customised moulds all over the country. Not only cornices, but centre-pieces, windows, pillars and archways can all be restored. Delivery and fitting can also be arranged.

To make sure the cornice is accurately reproduced, where possible a small sample of the plasterwork should be sent to him or, failing that, a tracing of the existing pattern might do. The price depends on how intricate the mould is, but for a basic cornice he charges £3 per ft for a Georgian Rope (including the mould) and for the more detailed Classic Doric mould, the price rises to £9 per ft. Orders usually take from between two and four weeks and the advantage of Classic Mouldings is that you can buy small moulds if the repair is only an inset rather than a total overhaul. The minimum order from some other organisations is usually a 10 ft length.

The biggest mistake people make in restoration is buying off the shelf, says Frank Newman, owner of Irish Fine Art Plasterwork. Situated in Dublin's North Strand he also started life as a plasterer before specialising under Michael Mulligan in decorative plasterwork. Opening the business 12 years ago as a one-man operation, he now has a staff of 18 and has successfully reproduced Georgian ceilings for the James Joyce Cultural Centre. His most expensive restoration was the ceiling in the ballroom at Powerscourt House, Enniskerry.

"People don't realise that even the most basic cornice could have 10 variations," he says, so a good photograph or trace of the mould is essential for a good outcome. Generally in his experience they end up taking down the DIY attempts so his advice is to "ask the experts before you do anything".

The cost for a basic 10 ft mould is £30, plus the cost of the mould itself which starts at £200 plus VAT for a standard one.

As the moulds are made in the factory, most of the messy work is done on site before they arrive at your home, so all that remains is for them to fit it for you. This may be a bit dusty as the plaster is cut to size at that point.

Contact List

Classic Mouldings

Dunlo. Co Donegal

075-21623

Irish fine Art Plasterwork

North Strand, Dublin 1

01-8366065

Dublin Mouldings

Parnell Street, Dublin 1

01-8786174/8554319

Mann Plaster Mouldings

Tullamore, Co Offaly

0506-52136

Irish Cornice

Headford Road, Galway

091-561919

The Old Mould

Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin

01-2842777