Cornices and medallions
Cornices and medallions, cleaned, mended and recast from what is left
Decorative plaster is the first thing to disappear in a bad repair and the hardest to bring back. We clean it, re-attach it and, where a length is gone, make it again from the part that survived.
A cornice that looks plain is often a detailed profile under decades of paint. We clean a test area first to see what is there. Missing lengths are cast from a mold of a good section, or run in place with a profile cut from the original, so the new work shares its lines with the old.
We reproduce what was in the house. We don't invent ornament that was never there, and we don't paint or gild.
What is included
Cleaning paint build-up from ornament by wet methods
Re-attaching loose sections of a cornice or medallion
Making a mold from a good section and casting missing lengths
Running a plain cornice in place from a profile cut from the original
Repairing or recasting a ceiling medallion
What changes the job
What shapes the scope
Cost follows scope, so the written survey names each of these before you see a figure.
Length and complexity
A plain run is quicker than an enriched one with leaves and beads. We cast the second kind in sections.
How much is missing
The more that survives, the more we have to copy from. A medallion with half its face gone is a recast.
Paint build-up
Layers of paint soften detail. Wet cleaning takes time, and we test a small area before committing.
Room height
High ceilings need scaffold, and scaffold needs floor protection and setup time.
How it goes
Four steps, in order
- 01
Step 1: Document and profile
We photograph the run, trace the profile with a template and note every missing length.
- 02
Step 2: Clean and consolidate
Paint is removed with wet methods, loose sections are re-fixed and cracks are filled.
- 03
Step 3: Mold, cast or run
A mold is made from a good section and the missing lengths are cast, or a plain run is pulled in place.
- 04
Step 4: Fix and finish
Cast lengths are fixed with plaster, joints are filled and the repair is primed.
Rules
Permits and rules
Interior plaster ornament is generally your own business. If the house is in a local historic district or a condominium with design rules, check whether interior work needs review. We write the scope in the form a board or association asks for.
Examples
Sample scopes
Written the way a survey writes them. Your own scope will name your own rooms.
- Sample
Stair-hall cornice
A 9-foot length missing after a leak, cast from a mold of the run beside it.
- Sample
Parlor medallion
Cleaned of six coats of paint, two cracked leaves re-attached, finish left as found.
- Sample
Dining-room cornice
A plain run pulled in place from a profile cut from the old one, after a ceiling repair.
Sample content.
Before you call
Questions about cornices and medallions
Can you copy a cornice from another house?
We work from your own house first. If a profile is entirely gone, we look for matching runs elsewhere in the building and show you before anything is made.
Can you save a medallion with a crack?
Usually. A crack is re-attached and filled. If sections have broken away, we recast those from the intact ones.
How do you scope cleaning ornament?
It depends on how deep the paint is and how fragile the plaster underneath is. The survey tests a small area, so the scope is based on what actually comes off.
Do you gild or paint ornament?
No. We leave it primed and ready for your painter or restorer.
Book a wall survey
Tell us what the wall is doing. We will come and read it, then write down what we found.