Recent content by johna

Here is one more video, which adds a bit of extra detail on the "appearance" of rising damp, when modern materials are used on an old property.

I just found the video that I had in mind. It shows a lot of problems caused in old houses through the use of sand and cement render, gypsum plaster and modern damp "specialists" who do not use methods and materials appropriate for old buildings.

I noticed that no drip groove is visible on the top window sill. It's hard to judge from a photo, so it may be there.

If you use hot mix, there is a chance that some of the quicklime will not be fully slaked on mixing. Those granules can expand over time, causing blistering and cracks. And when I say chance, assume that this is more likely to happen than not. It's an age old problem. "Limes which are...

Just getting it done sounds like the way to go. It's a pro job turning into a DIY one, with me as the DIY'er. The bloke who put the scratch coat up has gone AWOL and I don't think that it will be finished by him. I have done internal, solid wall plastering with lime render and I think that I can...

But how long do I need to stand out in the rain? If I stand out there with my brolly for too long, my neighbours will call someone to send me off to the funny farm.

I have historic lime plaster in my home and it crumbles easily. It's actually better to have weak stuff than strong stuff on buildings that flex and move. Strong means rigid and inflexible, so it cracks when the house moves. Worse, it takes the face off your bricks.

How long of a dry spell is needed after sand and cement rendering on the top coat? The scratch coat was done in good weather and now lots of rain is forecast, but the are some dry gaps. The work is on a small patch repair, less than 2 sq metres. If the wall has some natural shelter and it's...

It's good practice to try removing a small area of the cement render to see how much damage is done to the wall. If the stuff comes of well, lime rendering is a good move. But you need to paint the wall with a suitable material. Lime wash is traditional but it need re-doing often. Silicate...