Most Heritage buildings require their mortar, render and plaster repairs to be implemented with lime putty and sand based building materials.

If heritage repair is executed utilising traditional materials, working methods and maintenance schedules, such buildings may last in their elegance for many centuries more than they have been.

As I am frequently contacted to repair only problematic areas of a buildings structure, it is rare to be the first person conducting such repairs, it is also unlikely to find the previous repairs to be of adequate original mimicking materials, and, also rare to find appropriate sub-straight and structural mitigation works completed. Hence - a home is more likely to require repair again. Remember, render and plaster will mostly only fall off the wall if the wall has a problem with it. and this is usually structural movement.

Regular steps to completing adequate heritage home repair can be:

• Thorough assessment and consultation of the potential degree of works repaired.
• Break our of all damaged plasters and renders to view extend of sub-straight and potentially structure mitigation required.
• Asses and have structural mitigation carried out by appropriate structural engineers and trades people.
• Carry out appropriate sub-straight repairs, this may include replacing cracked bricks with original mimicking bricks, brick stitching and re-pointing to make the sub straight sound for repair.
• Implement render and plaster repairs with appropriate mimicking materials, working methods, curing techniques.

as one can clearly see, much of the work is sub-straight mitigation. This is costly yes, and absolutely necessary.

Unfortunately I believe much of the building wisdom of past generations is lost, and was shuffled aside in the haste to build quicker. When it comes to building and repairing with lime putty and sand mediums tolerance for slower, yet high quality working methods is absolutely necessary.

Lime putty material is required to be applied one coat at a time with necessary drying times and curing methods between. In warm seasons this may be over a few days, but in cold seasons it may be ten days or more before applying subsequent coats. Once the application process is completed the curing process is still required for two to four weeks.

Where the project is a single room or small repair this seems long winded, but is far easier to implement where a larger project or whole home is to be renovated or plastered.

With applying the benefits of lime based building materials such as vapour permeability, some elements where heritage buildings were suffering can not only be repaired but, potential ongoing future damages lessened. For instance where rising damp may be an issue, by implementing drainage mitigation and vapour permeable building repairs when dampness occurs next in the soil it may rise into the buildings structure, and simply permeate out through the walls until the dampness lessens. This is rather than the rising dampness become trapped again, build up again, damaging the buildings structure and visible decorative finishes that line its walls.

See my services offered for many building elements that can be repaired using traditional lime putty based materials and working methods.