Testimonials
Cornish Lime CompanyCornish Lime Company
We've worked with Leslie Cornell Building Restoration Ltd for many years now and are delighted to supply them with their Lime and associated products. Over the last few years we have spent time with Leslie and his Team at the Royal Cornwall Show where we both exhibit, and, despite supplying them with lots of materials throughout the year it's only at this event that we really get to see the evidence and better appreciate what they do, and do very well indeed.We hope we'll meet again at this year's Show in June in the Countrywide Skills Area, where we will see what they have been up to over the last year. Their speciality is for Cob buildings and we wholeheartedly congratulate them for the sterling works they have carried out over the years. We applaud their passion and focus on this very traditional material that may appear simple to many, but Leslie and his Team, like Cornish Lime, know and appreciate the consequences of what can go wrong when even simple materials are treated inappropriately. Leslie Cornell Building Restoration Ltd are Specialists in this area and we look forward to supplying them with materials and assisting in their future.'
Ben WinstanleyLime Pointing Golant
Leslie Cornell Building Restoration came highly recommended to us and we’ve been very happy with their work. They work diligently to address issues and are proactive in finding solutions. They have been flexible and able to accommodate addition requests as they arose during our repointing work. They have good communication and can keep you informed from a distance via phone calls, pictures videos etc. They also work well with other construction / building teams. We’ve been very happy with the quality of work and the follow up.
Lisa and Matt, TruroLime Pointing and Lime Rendering Truro
Matt and I wanted to say a huge thank you for making our time with your company such an incredibly easy, stress free experience.Your professionalism has been outstanding right from the moment I made the initial call. We have been genuinely blown away by your management of the whole job, the communication, efficiency, attention to detail, middle-manning the scaffolder! Not to mention the finished result is beautiful.
In addition all of the lads that you have working for you are a real credit to your company - such friendly and professional guys.
Maybe in the next few years we will be in contact re some internal work, but in the meantime we wish you all the very best and sincere thanks to you, the lads and Teresa.
Liz and Laban, BodminLime Pointing Bodmin
We were recommended to approach Leslie Cornell Building Restoration after a good deal of our house restoration had already been completed. We had had the house re-roofed, electrically re-wired, a central heating system installed and a good deal of general building work completed. The house had suffered from decades of trapped moisture caused through a lack of heat and ventilation but primarily because the original lime mortar, when it had failed years earlier, had been replaced with cement then further exacerbated by the coating of a non-breathable render and white paint. The task of rectifying this problem seemed like a mountain to climb. From our very first meeting with Leslie he patiently listened to our concerns and quickly put us at ease with his passion and knowledge for the skills required in dealing with stone-built properties. We were provided with a detailed costed breakdown of the work phases involved and made certain we understood the processes involved, which add to our confidence that we were in good hands. The actual work phase was far less daunting than we had imagined, given that the house had to be stripped back to bare stone and all the old cement joints removed before the new lime mortar could be applied. Leslie has instilled a very strong knowledge base and work ethic across his entire team, who were always polite and worked conscientiously throughout the day – they were a joy to have around. Their care, attention to detail and respect shown to our property was a real breath of fresh air. At the end of the day either Leslie, or the senior member of his staff, would ask us to inspect the work completed that day and make certain we were happy with the tidiness of the whole site before leaving. Leslie and his team have transformed the exterior of our house and returned it to its original 200 year old look – it is now absolutely stunning! Leslie and his team have restored our faith in Cornish builders and we would have no hesitation in recommending them in future – thank you all.
Mr & Mrs Rowe, St AustellInsulating Lime Render Cornwall
We first heard about Leslie Cornell Building Restoration Ltd by word of mouth. We were due to renovate a listed building that would be our home and so we wanted a professional and trustworthy team to complete the work for us. We wanted outstanding workmanship and we found it with Leslie and his team. We contacted Leslie and made arrangements for him to come out to look at our property to discuss what needed to be done. He knows all about restoring properties, just like ours, which came across during his first visit. He explained to us the different options that were available and after the appointment he sent across a clear and coherent breakdown of costs. We had no hesitation instructing Leslie and his team to carry out the work at our property. On the start date of the job, the team arrived promptly and parked their vehicles respectfully. Leslie greeted us and introduced the team and then ran through the job with his team, after which they remained busy for the duration of the job. Clearly, Leslie has high expectations and they all know the standard he expects. They all have a great knowledge and skill and each member of the team carried out work to a high standard, whilst leaving the work space clean and tidy and ready for the next day. At the end of the job the team cleaned the area before leaving. They made sure to speak to us before they left. They made us aware that during the drying process the Lime may crack in places and to contact Leslie if we needed them to return and repair any areas. We did need them to return and they did so with immediate effect and rectified these small areas. Again, we were impressed with the level of care and professionalism the company have. Overall, we have had a 5-star experience with Leslie Cornell Building Restoration Ltd and would not hesitate to recommend them to others. We are going to instruct them to carry out further restoration at our property in the future.
Rob, TruroLime Rendering and Mineral Paint System Truro
Cornell Cob Lime rendered the front of our house in the Spring of 2020. They have done a fantastic job. The removal of the old render was carefully done, without mess or damage. The new render was expertly applied, after a number of appearances/options were explained and offered. Their depth of experience in both Lime and Cob was clearly demonstrated. The team were friendly and very considerate to the comings and goings of a busy young family. The high-level of attention to detail that Leslie and his team show has paid off: the finished product is eye-catching and still draws compliments from passers-by. Highly recommended.
Sincerely, Sarah & Mark RobersonLime Pointing Grampound
We had chosen your company to carry out renovation works at the our property because of the good reputation and high regard that many building professionals had given us in Cornwall. The works undertaken was to renovate the front of the house by helping and advising us in the removal of the concrete render and then to perform the pointing in a lime mortar on the original stonework. Included in the works, was the new wooden lintel above the front door and the re-pointing of the chimney stack. We are the proud owners of a beautiful looking home that has been superbly restored to its former glory. We are extremely grateful to Leslie and his team of consummate professionals for the outstanding workmanship and attention to details. Leslie and his team are friendly, polite, hardworking, knowledgeable, trustworthy and reliable. We would not hesitate calling upon their high-quality services again and cannot recommend their services enough.
K & A, FoweyLime Rendering and Breathable Paint Fowey
We were delighted with the work done on our Victorian terraced house in Fowey in 2019. Leslie’s team took great care with our property, and that of our neighbours and particularly cleaning up every day, which is difficult with our property having a very small patio and garden. Our house is circa 1890 and the render had blown, allowing water ingress and we were recommended to use a specialist in Lime render. They are clearly passionate about the conservation of old properties and both the Lime render team, lead work contractor and the specialist painter were superb. We would not hesitate to recommend both them and their contractors to anyone else. Leslie communicated with us almost on a daily basis and the whole re-render took over three months because of adverse weather. The result is stunning.
Mr & Mrs Woods, St KeyneHistoric Grade II Listed Mill Restoration Cornwall
We are renovating a listed building and contacted Leslie Cornell Building Restoration Ltd to undertake major works to a mill which had been derelict and structurally unsound for many years. The knowledge, skill and dedication Leslie and his team have brought to the project has been outstanding and always in a timely and professional manner. The craftsmanship is magnificent, and the building now stands proud again and is admired by everyone who sees it. Having worked with Leslie and his team we can’t recommend him highly enough. He has been with us every step of the way and was as determined as us to make our project a success.
Patrick, Bodmin MoorLime Pointing and Land Drainage, Bodmin Moor
Leslie Cornell was a pleasure to work with, and we are delighted with the work that they have completed on our property. The entire village commented on how hard-working and efficient the team was, and on how wonderful the finished repointing looks. They have been unfailingly accommodating and professional, and we look forward to continuing working with Leslie and his team on the remaining part of our project. We would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a building company specialising in traditional materials and historic buildings.
John and Angela MasonLime Pointing and Lime Plastering West Cornwall
Our Listed cottage in Cornwall needed major damp problems addressing. We researched cob specialists in Cornwall, on-line and had several quotes. We were very impressed with Leslie Cornell's knowledge and passion for historic buildings and felt we were in safe hands. Leslie and his team arrived each day with enthusiasm and worked with good humour. Leslie was always just a phone call away if we had any worries or needed advice. The project was finished on time and within budget. We would absolutely recommend Leslie Cornell Building Restoration Ltd, and almost wish we had it all to do again, just to have them back!
Charles & Jayne Noblet, LostwithielLime Rendering and Breathable Paint Systems Lerryn
Two years ago, we contacted Leslie Cornell to repair our internal walls. It needed a specialist in Cob & Lime restorations. They had done a superb job. Earlier this year, we contacted Leslie and his team to address the external walls this time. We knew Leslie would provide the best advice as to what needed to be done to repair and give a new face lift to our old cottage. As before, they have done a fantastic job and very timely. The site was always tidy, the crew always on time and the updates were regular (via photos). Leslie also undertook the co-ordination of the scaffolding and the roof repair, which saved us a lot of additional logistics and co-ordinations. We are extremely pleased with the work and would definitely recommend Leslie Cornell and his team. Our cottage looks amazing inside and outside!
Larissa and Cynthia WakefieldFull Historic Building Restoration – St Marys, Isles of Scilly
Leslie Cornell Building Restoration Ltd was superb in meeting all challenges of restoring a Grade II* Listed 18th Century former storehouse in the remote and windswept Isles of Scilly.
Leslie Cornell clearly has considerable expertise in all aspects of historic building restoration. We were very impressed from the start and throughout the project at their dedication and commitment to ensuring that all restoration work was sympathetic to the historic nature of the site.
Leslie Cornell Building Restoration Ltd did everything – from drawing up and submitting the application for Listed Building Consent, navigating the complex logistics of transporting the team, materials and equipment to and from the islands, undertaking external and internal repairs to walls and windows, flues and waste pipes, organising and coordinating scaffolding, roofing and carpentry, to the completion of works (including making sure all evidence of their activity was removed from site) within our timeframe, in spite of inclement weather isolating the islands for days at a time – all with good will and excellent level of hard graft and professionalism.
We knew from our first meeting with Mr Cornell that we could trust him implicitly; this was particularly important to us as we knew we would be off site for most of the three-month project, except for two very brief site visits. The quality of their workmanship is excellent and we were also delighted to see Leslies' expertise, skills and ethos being passed on to hard-working apprentices. Leslie Cornell Building Restoration Ltd has our highest recommendation.