Nash Terrace Apartment Exterior Restoration — Outer Circle

The Challenge

Crown Estate approval for works on the Nash Terraces involves a multi-stage submission process: initial method statement, material data sheets and colour references, and a sample panel assessment by the Crown Estate's surveying team before full works can commence. This added six weeks to the project programme before any site work began. The stucco facade had developed a pattern of fine hair cracks running horizontally between the window courses — evidence of ongoing seasonal movement — which needed to be addressed with a flexible repair system capable of accommodating further slight movement without cracking through the topcoat. Scaffold on the Outer Circle required careful planning around the road's curvature and the proximity of the adjacent terrace section, which was occupied by a neighbouring leaseholder who needed reasonable access maintained throughout.

Our Approach

We prepared and submitted a full Crown Estate method statement and material schedule, specifying Sandtex Trade Smooth Masonry Paint in Brilliant White — the only masonry coating product currently accepted under the Crown Estate's Nash Terrace specification for this section of the Outer Circle — alongside a lime-based repair mortar for crack and defect remediation. Approval was granted following the sample panel review. Scaffold was designed to follow the Outer Circle's curve, with a bespoke configuration that maintained pedestrian access and minimised encroachment on the adjacent apartment's terrace. The facade was washed with a biocidal cleaner and all surface coatings inspected under raking light to map the full extent of cracking. Cracks were raked out, treated with a consolidating primer, and filled with Toupret Exterior Flexible Filler before being finished flush with the surrounding stucco. A full stabilising primer coat was applied, followed by two coats of Sandtex in Brilliant White, applied by roller and finished by brush on all moulding details to ensure full coverage of profiles and reveals. All work was photographically documented at each stage for submission to the Crown Estate's completion file.

The Result

The completed facade section integrates seamlessly with the recently restored adjacent section of the terrace, achieving the uniform brilliant white that the Crown Estate requires across the full Nash composition. The Crown Estate surveyor approved the works at a single inspection visit, noting the quality of the crack repairs and the precise brush-finishing of the window mouldings. The scaffold was cleared within the agreed programme, restoring full pavement access to the Outer Circle. The client expressed particular gratitude for the management of the Crown Estate approval process, which they had expected to be significantly more burdensome.