Buying an old house is never easy!

[Tania]

It says 'lime based'. It doesn't say what else it contains, and I doubt it's a better option than the real thing. It sounds another of those products, like Limelite Renovating Plaster (cement based) which is trading on people's lack of product knowledge.

'PC' at Premier Heritage will give sound and impartial advice on damp. He is not a general building surveyor. He is a member of BWPDA. I have read his many posts here over a number of years and would trust him to not rip anyone off, indeed he has on many occasions saved clients a gret deal of cash, and to have an understanding of period buildings.

Removal of plaster and injection of a DPC is damaging (and possibly not required) and should require LBC.

Ensure any building surveyor has the appropriate expertise re period buildings from RICS. Not all have, despite being RICS members.

http://www.wcp-surveyors.com/surveyor.asp

http://www.wcp-surveyors.com/

That's one firm which can be relied on.

You are probably right about the paint. It just sounded so good I should know by now that if it sounds too good to be true it most probably is

Thank you for the recommendation. I believe that the surveyor I have chosen this time to do the damp & timber report is the right one. I really should have employed a period building expert to do the original full survey and if ever I am in this position again I will learn from the mistake and do it the right way the first time. I'm kicking myself every hour on the hour for my initial stupidity.

 

[Nemesis]

There's a data sheet and more information, but it still isn't terribly clear what's so much better and what additives it has.

http://www.paintedpast.co.uk/more.php?paint=43

Composition
Elite Nostalgia is a water dilutable and solvent free lime paint for interior and exterior application. Unique
properties are achieved due to the complex formed by the binder system, which bauds for a hydrophobic
behaviour and excellent vapour permeability,

Yes well.



The 'Heritage' Paint says:

Matt & Satin finish interior paint, solvent soluble.
Binder : Modified oils
Pigment : Rutile titanium dioxide (Ti02)
Solvent : Odour free alphatic solvent
Elite Heritage can be applied without an undercoat, primer or sealer of any sort, directly onto coherent
substrates stained with nicotine, soot or water marks.

I note that the client list includes Ronald MacDonald - no mention of genuine heritage applications.