Cracking Render and Damp

[Guest]

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[CHURCHY]

Good Afternoon,

In short I have begun to remove the cracking render from the walls in the attached photos.    There used to be a chimney many years ago on this end of the house and a flower bed up against the external wall (I removed this as soon as we moved in!)

The cracking render is a mix of lime (hooray!) but it has been patched with cement, sand & cement, horrible pink plaster etc etc.    All of which has been painted with modern paints not limewash.    I could smell the damp when I began to remove the existing render.  

We have some damp showing internally on the lower walls and on the remaining hearth stone.  

My biggest fear are the cracks that I uncovered thus I have taken an extended tea break whilst I seek futher advice.    I am guessing that with the wrong render and paint the wall is trying to breath but forcing any moisture to the internal walls and thus showing as damp internally because it cannot escape through the external wall?

The slate tiles also appear an odd addition - unsure how long they have been in situ for, should I remove or leave well alone?

Really I would like to know -

1.    Should I hack off both walls completely including the slate tiles, fill and limewash until next Spring?
2.    Hack off and repair cracks as I go then limewash and re render over the coming weeks?

I have done some reserach around use of cob tiles and stitching the wall but unsure if the wall in question requires this or more or indeed less - if less how should the cracks be repaired or filled?

The internal wall at 1st floor level has been fully re lime plastered as we discovered exposed lathes and cob there also when doing the internal works.  

Any help or advice on materials, techniques etc would be gratefully received.  

Regards and thanks
Rob Church

[Kevin]

You are right that the cement and other renders are not allowing it to breathe and that also the subsequent cracks have allowed even more water to enter the walls.
The remedy is to remove the render and re render with lime mortar haired and unhaired where necessary and then coat with at least four coats of limewash.  You may find however that some of the cracks maybe much more substantial and will need more than just filling.
As to when you do it, I would recommend asap before the weather turns and make sure it is all completed before there is any hint of frost.  As you have gone to far with the stripping to leave it through another winter. 
Would recommend if you have not done this before that you get a specialist in, as with cob you need to be able to see any structural problems and repair them correctly or you could find all your hard work comes to no avail.

[CHURCHY]

great thank you for your reply - yes keen to work on the advice of a specialist - the trouble is when you contact 3 companies twice each and only 1 gets back to you over the course of 2 weeks you begin to wonder! Maybe they do not need the work!

I am off to the lime centre (hxxp: www. thelimecentre. co. uk/) tomorrow armed with photos to seek their advice.

cheers
Rob

ps if you know of any specialist builders in the andover / salisbury area then please do let me know.

[Steve]

Hi rob

We are a nationwide company if you would like a quote.
Please email us the details, eg sizes, and we shall give you a quote