Abacus Stone Conservation

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• 4 stars

  Steve Durston

  Street, Somerset

  2 Dec 2025

  I found Rob of Abbacus Stone Conservation to be pleasent and very understanding. His work was very good and he paid a lot of attention to detail. I would certainly recomend him.

• 5 stars

  Harvey Platter

  Exeter

  21 Nov 2025

  Good solid workmanship and reliable timekeeping.

• 5 stars

  Russell Kirby

  Dunkeswell

  5 Aug 2025

  The quality of Davids’ work is exemplary. He spent two days ensuring our wall was safe and solid again, having been ‘fixed’ by an amateur previously. A tidy artisan who quietly gets on with the job, highly recommended

• Amanda Barry

  Axmouth

  6 Dec 2024

  Would highly recommend Dave and Rob. They were both polite, friendly and professional, working long days with early starts to get the job done. They were very organised and tidy in their work and we’re pleased with the result. Thank you.

• Matt Jones

  Kenton, Devon

  18 Dec 2023

  I am so incredibly glad we asked Dave to do this work for us. It was the removal of cement render on an old cob house and the application of a new line render and appropriate paint. As the work went on, we discovered unknown complications, but Dave was thorough, gentle, cautious and supportive throughout. His expertise shone through and reassured us that we were in safe hands. No surprises, no unexpected costs, none of the other issues one sometimes encounters when working with unfamiliar contractors – just good, honest and high quality work accompanied by a good, regular and… [read more]

  detailed flow of information. We cannot recommend Dave highly enough.

• Peter Peddell

  Sidbury, Sidmouth

  14 Jan 2023

  Dave Cornick did an excellent job in repointing areas of the rear wall of my stone barn conversion. He was diligent and took time to asses the work that needed to be done. The work was completed in accordance with his plan over 2/3 days and the rubble etc., was collected, cleared up and removed. Highly recommended.

• Fortfield Chambers Ltd

  Sidmouth

  1 Aug 2022

  Neat, tidy and professional job as your previous works, thank you.

• Sam D

  Exeter

  25 Jul 2022

  Dave and his team have completed extensive repairs and improvements to our stone and cob walls over recent weeks. They have been unfailingly helpful, polite and professional and we are absolutely delighted with the work. I would recommend Dave and Abacus Stone without hesitation, indeed we’ve already given their details to our neighbours!

• Viv Brown

  Exeter

  21 Apr 2022

  Dave did a great job in rebuilding a section of our stone faced bank that had partially collapsed. The result looks good. He worked efficiently and tidied up well afterwards. He has a good eye for the stones and he’s a good chap!

• ph

  (by letter)

  12 Nov 2020

  It is always difficult to find someone with the expertise and experience required for such work, especially given the unknowns and constraints of this particular job.Thank you very much for excellent work and for your comments and advice for the future.

• Sarah Addington-Hall

  Exeter

  28 Jul 2020

  We had an area of lime pointing completed and it looks lovely, it blends really well with the rest of the pointing.

• Emma

  Moretonhampstead

  9 Dec 2019

  We live in a listed cottage so really wanted someone sympathetic to old buildings with an artistic eye. Dave did a fantastic job building up our two chimneys with granite hand cut and dressed from our garden. He was also very helpful with making sure we achieved the right colour for the lime pointing. We are very happy with the chimneys as the stone work and pointing blend in with the cottage and the surrounding landscape, which is just what we wanted.

• Barnaby Phillips

  Exeter

  27 Aug 2019

  Dave has undertaken several small jobs on our period property and I’m always very impressed with the care he takes and the knowledge he has to produce great results. Always leaves the place spotless too, no mean feat in his line of work!

• Diana Scherr

  Colyton

  15 Mar 2019

  Dave has recently repaired parts of our crumbling stone wall and it was a pleasure to have Dave & his team on site. The work he has done is to a very high standard, he kept us up-dated on progress through-out the job, he liaised with other contractors and he left the site clean and tidy. Dave is professional, knowledgeable, hard-working, honest, friendly and a perfectionist – what more could you ask for? I would have no hesitation in recommending Abacus.

• Mr McBarnet

  East Budleigh

  31 Oct 2018

  Abacus Stone Conservation provided a knowledgable and expert service to repair an interior lathe and lime plastered wall. Reliable, courteous, clean and efficient, I was thoroughly satisfied with the end result and would definitely use them again for any future work.

• Mark Digby

  Exeter

  30 Aug 2018

  Excellent job completed to a high standard and on time.

• Jane Lucas

  Colyton

  28 Aug 2018

  Dave has repaired large sections of our old stone wall over the last year or so using traditional lime mortar. He has done a thorough job of cleaning up the crumbling mortar and some old poor quality repairs. We are very please with it and can highly recommend Dave and his team who have all been very professional and polite, always left the area clean and tidy.

• Keith Roper

  Harpford

  6 Dec 2017

  What a find! Lime mortar reprinting and some brick replacements on an 1872 house.Amazingly precise, clean, punctual, polite and extremely reasonably priced. Because the work did not take him quite as long as he thought he even reduced the price quoted. What a star!

• Tom Ashe

  Weston

  4 Nov 2017

  David and his team lime rendered the front elevation on our house, the work they carried out was excellent, David and his team were both professional and their knowledge and expertise was fantastic, David kept us updated at all stages throughout the work, which is quite refreshing on building work especially on a specialist project dealing with lime render on cobb.I would highly recommend Abacus Stone Conservation to be considered for your projects

• Sarah and David

  Woodbury

  21 May 2017

  David rerendered, repaired the underlying cob and repainted our property, repointed the chimneys and refitted underfloor ventilation in one room. This was not a simple job due to the nature of our property but Dave ensured the work was completed with an excellent finish. We have found Dave to be honest, reliable, hardworking and easy to get on with and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him or use Abacus again in the future.

• A Palmer

  Talaton

  15 May 2017

  I have no hesitation in recommending Dave of Abacus Stone Conservation. I was right to feel confident in accepting his specialist advice. He is totally trustworthy – you can be sure that work will be done to a high standard. From his initial visit, to his written quotation, to arranging scaffolding, the delivery of a skip to the clean up of the site, Dave’s attention to detail was excellent.

• Lynne Turner

  Honiton

  24 Jul 2015

  I was fortunate to find a copy of “Our Local Expert” in my mail box just at the time that I was getting pretty desperate to get some serious external brick work and rendering done to my 17th century thatched cottage.I came across Abacus Stone Masons and previously had only considered looking at builders’ websites. I took a look at their website and it appeared that Dave Cormick did just the kind of work that was needed. I emailed Dave and he contacted me the next day to arrange a visit. They say that you never get a chance to… [read more]

  make a first impression and right from the start I found Dave enthusiastic and keen to take on the project of rebuilding my chimney and lime rendering the high wall which is exposed to all the worst weather.Well Dave and his colleague have just finished and I am totally delighted. I could not have wished for such a great result and nor could I have wished for such considerate, meticulous and professional craftsman. Most of all they could not have done so much work and left the area immaculate.I have just commissioned Dave to return and expose the old flint stones on an interior wall and can’t wait for him to work his magic once again. Should you wish to look at the work he has done here – please let Dave know.

• Jenny

  Sidmouth

  3 Jul 2015

  Having moved to an Edwardian property in need of renovation and TLC, including repairs to brickwork, repointing and stonework, I was concerned to find people not only with the right skills and expertise but also a sensitivity to the history and architecture of the building to carry out the work. After a lot of researching around I came across Abacus Stone Conservation in Our Local Expert. This was back in 2010. On meeting Dave Cornick I felt I could trust him to do a good job – initially the renovation of a stone-capped brick pillar. I was most impressed with… [read more]

  the excellent results and felt no hesitation in asking him to take on all other necessary brick and stone work. I have continued to call on him with subsequent related projects.Apart from the excellent quality of his work, Dave is conscientious, helpful and happy to advise. I couldn’t recommend him more highly.

• Bob and Marie

  Christow

  16 May 2015

  We bought a converted granary which badly needed re pointing and initially called in builders who started to use Portland cement. We realised this was wrong and after some research found Dave of Abacus Stone who attended and gave us excellent advice on how to restore the walls using the correct materials.Not only did Dave repoint but also replaced a few stones that were not in keeping and the finished result was nothing short of brilliant.All our friends and visitors have commented on how nice it looks and it has definitely improved the value of our house.Dave is now back… [read more]

  with us to complete similar work on the other side of our house and we only wished we had called him in, in the first place.He has an eye for detail, very clean and tidy and can be relied upon 100% to arrive on time and provide excellent workmanship at a very reasonable price.

• Peter West

  Honiton

  29 Apr 2014

  Our thatched listed 1630 cottage had a Beer stone chimney with very worn copings. Eleven years ago a flue surrounded by vermiculite and chimney pot had been added for a wood burning stove. Since then the flaunching had cracked (only visible from above) and bits of pointing were dropping from the chimney. Dave Cornick has been brilliant. He introduced a friend who helped with the listing application and a flue expert who removed the vermiculite and inserted a longer insulation wrapped flue and taller chimney pot to bring the chimney outlet to the required 1.8 metres above… [read more]

  the thatch ridge.Dave ordered, carved and fitted four 80 Kg Portland stone copings as Beer stone is no longer available. He cleared everything with the listing authority. He also completed the flaunching and pointing of the chimney.We and our visitors and neighbours have been delighted by the whole process. They were all brilliant in every way.My only regret was my fault; I should have involved Dave Cornick sooner; before having the house re-thatched as their scaffolding needs clashed.