lime rendering costs

[jason61c]

You need to talk to a local old boy builder. You either replicate the old way and have big chimney breasts, open hearths, and cooler rooms or go the modern route and use vapour barriers. Only someone who can see the house and knows what they are talking about can advise you.

Thats what I've had. 'vapour' barriers would surely just trap moisture in the wall causing it to eventually fail? The cement render would eventually fail also due to moisture underneath?

You have two choices. Go the old route and ventilate or go the new route and create a damp free environment inside the house. No-one on here can tell you which is best as they can't see your situation.

After the specialist inspections it seems the best route and only route is to put the house back to as intended. Consensus amongst the pro's seem to be that applying modern methods will only remove the issue as it'll be hidden, which would cause lots of problems further down the line.

Better to sort the cause of the issues out.

So lime render per sq m!? Either that or I guess I can use an air powered applicator which will give a dimpled finish?

 

[joe-90]

Beware of experts that have a vested interest. If you go original - then you'll also have to have the original lifestyle. Open chimneys and cold rooms. I grew up in an old cottage from the age of 13 to 16 - never again. No thanks. It's also really bad for children's health. You can chuck as much money at it as you like - if the house isn't draughty as fook - you'll have damp.

 

[Micilin]

Beware of experts that have a vested interest. If you go original - then you'll also have to have the original lifestyle. Open chimneys and cold rooms. I grew up in an old cottage from the age of 13 to 16 - never again. No thanks. It's also really bad for children's health. You can chuck as much money at it as you like - if the house isn't draughty as fook - you'll have damp.

With joe on this, there is no happy medium with going old style, having also lived in an old house that had a fireplace 5'x 7' in the front room.

My brother is currently doing up that old 300+ yo house. His solution is to make the inside totally damp proof, draught proof and let the outside of the stone walls do what they like with repairs, repointing and no render at all.

No need to worry about only sealing the inside unless you think frost etc will affect the outside without render.

He also has an air /heat exchange system for air circulation.

Time will tell if it is the right way to go, but it makes more sense to me than deliberately living in a damp, draughty house.

 

[joe-90]

My brother is currently doing up that old 300+ yo house. His solution is to make the inside totally damp proof, draught proof and let the outside of the stone walls do what they like with repairs, repointing and no render at all.

Yep. Couldn't agree more. Keep the damp out of where people live. It's a serious issue and very bad for health.

 

[jeds]

Beware that removing cement render can cause a lot of damage. Try a small area first and see how it goes. Cost of re-rendering in NHL will depend on the surface. I'd say minimum £100/m² but if the stone is damaged and it needs a lot of dubbing out you could be looking at £150

Quite honestly, unless your cottage is historically significant or special, I wouldn't consider NHL render. Use a modern silicate based alterative instead. Much cheaper, much more durable and basically maintenance free. NHL render needs constant lime washing and is very soft so prone to mechanical damage. Breathability is the same.

Spend the saved money on insulation. Dry line the inner surface of external walls with a thermal laminate. This acts as a vapour layer and will prevent a lot of moisture getting into the walls. The majority of damaging moisture in old stone walls comes from the inside out - not the outside in. And most of it comes from occupation - very little comes from the structure of the building.

It is, however, important that moisture can evaporate from the external surface. If the cement render is hard and impermeable moisture will build up within the wall and cause internal dampness problems.

 

[jason61c]

The house has been empty for a year, current condensation etc is caused from a total lack of ventilation. Current damp isn't caused by living there.

I'm not rushing to get all the cement render off, I've got to take it off the lower area of the house(as per old pics, 2 ft worth), up to the drip edge, expose the lower part of internal walls. Leave for 6-9 months and see where I'm at.

The only part I've got to do sooner is the chimney end of the house as the render is falling off, and has bubbles etc in it, that'll be left to dry out till late spring next year before covering again.

The house was totally dry 10 years or so ago....

 

[EFLImpudence]

The house has been empty for a year, current condensation etc is caused from a total lack of ventilation. Current damp isn't caused by living there.

Then you have a leak.

 

[jason61c]

The house has been empty for a year, current condensation etc is caused from a total lack of ventilation. Current damp isn't caused by living there.

Then you have a leak.

Yes, through the walls at a lower level. 4 people can't find any leaks, all water has been off for 18 months, specialist tests show where the lower part of the stone is 'wet'.... I've been told its quite common with the type of stone used for construction, its basically a slightly harder sandstone.

 

[joe-90]

Typical know nothing experts. You've been given the right advice by Micilin and Jeds. Both are the opinions of very clever people that know their stuff. Ignore them at your peril.

Do a test. Take some of the render you've taken off and drop it in a bucket of water. If you see loads of bubbles rising and when they stop you take it out of the bucket and break it in half. If the inside is wet - it was breathable all the time and you are wasting your time and money. Old and weak render is often just as breathable as lime render is.

 

[jason61c]

Typical know nothing experts. You've been given the right advice by Micilin and Jeds. Both are the opinions of very clever people that know their stuff. Ignore them at your peril.

Do a test. Take some of the render you've taken off and drop it in a bucket of water. If you see loads of bubbles rising and when they stop you take it out of the bucket and break it in half. If the inside is wet - it was breathable all the time and you are wasting your time and money. Old and weak render is often just as breathable as lime render is.

I'd agree a couple were no nothing types.

This guy was anything but....

http://www.exposuresurveying.co.uk/

 

[joe-90]

He didn't know why your walls were wet did he?

 

[jason61c]

He didn't know why your walls were wet did he?

Yes he did Hence the list of jobs I need to do to sort it out

 

[joe-90]

Yeah but that isn't the reason.

 

[jason61c]

Yeah but that isn't the reason.

Ok its not, the tests haven't shown it, the previous owners saying it started getting damp at low level after they had the front and side of the house re-rendered 5ish years ago, the other independent who said the same cause but without the tests to identify it.

What i'll do is dry line it, inject a dpc, line the outside of the house

 

[jason61c]

Seems like the suggested fix is the right fix