The pinnacle of zinc craftsmanship

The quality of their workmanship has been recognised throughout Western Europe for over 175 years, but VMZINC craftsmen are now establishing a similar reputation in the UK.

Commissions for Harrods, Eton College and the Wallace Collection have raised the profile of handmade zinc ornaments, re-awakening demand for the time-honoured metalworking skills used to produce them.

As part of ‘Les Ateliers d’Art Français’, the French restoration professionals’ network, VMZINC craftsmen routinely create bespoke items from original drawings and photographs.

Among diverse projects undertaken are bullseye and dormer windows, decorative guttering and downpipes as well as items such as the horse’s head illustrated. Standard commissions include any of over 300 finials, weathervanes, ridge caps and shingles.

Zinc is also being used increasingly as an alternative to lead, most notably for church roof renovation. St Mary’s Church, Plas Power, near Wrexham is a Grade II* listed building which is unusual for the period in having been built with a zinc sheet roof. The original covering remained in place, but a combination of thermal movement and repairs carried out in the 1970s (including screw fixings through the sheets) were causing it to leak.

Architect Tim Ratcliffe commented, “We used traditional solid roll joint details, but made the sheets narrower and longer than the original ones, in order to avoid future problems with damage from thermal movement.”

For further information visit www.vmzinc.co.uk