Cement over Lime - 150 yo building (remove or leave)

[DoingItOnesSelf]

Hi all,

I'm renovating a very old Coach House and one of the many issues with the building is damp and condensation. A possible cause is likely the cement repointing (which is also damaging the external brickwork all round the house).

Having chipped away some of the cement (see picture below) you can clearly see the original Lime. It's now extremely brittle and wet.

As we are undergoing so much other work, such as an extension / new bathroom / new kitchen etc we dont have the money to repoint the house yet. Therefore, my question is this:

1. Is there downside ( apart from it not looking great ) to me chipping away all of the cement pointing to expose the lime below and letting the house breathe until we can afford to repoint - which could be al long as early 2025? I'm worried that the lime feels so brittle it could be washed away with a decent downpour.

Should the cement be left on as a cap until ready to lime point?

Any advise is mjuch appreciated.

 

[JohnD]

Post photos of the entire wall, all the way to the roof, showing the eaves, gutters and downpipes, and down to the ground including any plinth, paving, drains and gullies.

Mark the position of the damp patches

And also the position of the DPC, if any.