Repointing
When dealing with period properties & listed buildings, it is vital to find someone with an understanding of traditional building methods and materials. Most modern tradespeople have no understanding of how these buildings work and will recommend solutions that will do more harm than good. A keen eye for detail and understanding of materials are required to properly carry out repointing work. Check out our blog for more on lime mortars.
Traditional masonry
Repaired & built differently from modern masonry. Solid walls work in a completely different way to modern cavity walls, they are living, breathing things that allow for movement and fight damp/mould.
Breathability
Your walls need to be able to let moisture pass freely through them. Sealing them will trap the moisture in the walls and exaggerate the damp issues. If your walls are working perfectly there should be minimal need for ventilation.
Materials
Cement based mortar is a death sentence for soft bricks, it allows no movement & traps moisture in the wall.
Spalling occurs when the mortar is harder than the bricks, the bricks lose their face & allow an increase of water ingress .
Solid walls
Using the wrong materials reduces your wall's ability to evaporate moisture correctly, trapping it in the walls - damp walls are colder, unsightly and prone to mould.
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Be cautious when dealing with damp specialists and look into the products they are trying to sell you - it might be possible to cover a problem up but there's no guarantee that it won't return and it could magnify the costs involved with putting it right later down the line.
Avoid;
Cement/Gypsum products
Plastic/Resin products
Tanking
Sealants
Injection DPC
Damp proof paints
