External Rendering

[Anonymous]

Hi,

We live in a victorian village cottage with a two up two down extension attached. This, we have been told is about 50 years old.

the render is 20 years old and showing a number of cracks. When it rains the external wall in the kitchen is visibly darker and the cupboards do have the damp smell about them.

Upstairs where the plaster has been removed is darker when it has rained.

Does removal of exterior render damage the bricks underneath and could re rebuild the exterior skin to avoid rendering again?

Kind regards,

Allistair

 

[Anonymous]

50 years old is a bit young for a Victorian cottage, but it sounds like you could with removing all the cement render. If the bricks then turn out to be in poor condition, which is likely, re-render it but with lime this time. Lime render absorbs a little water while it’s raining but then allows the wall to dry out as it is much more vapour permeable, or ‘breathable’, than Ordinary Portland Cement. Rebuilding the exterior skin would be a bigger job and probably not needed.

 

[Anonymous]

Hang on - is this a 19th century cottage with a 20th century extension covered with cement render? And it's this 20th century extenison which is causing the problems?

 

[Anonymous]

I assumed the '50' was a typo for '150'.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi,

The cottage is 153 years old with an extension with an approximate age of 50 years.

 

[Anonymous]

This is a bit surprising then, as I would have thought an extension of that age would be cavity wall.

Have you checked simple things like guttering? It may be that when it rains these are leaking - possibly sending water down the wall and into the cavity, and seeping throgh cracks into the render.

Cracked cement render isn't good - it will allow in water and it can't get out again. However, if this is a cavity, unless it's had cavity wall stuff piped in, I can't see how this is bridging over into the inside.

Until you try prising/hacking off any render, it's difficult to know what's under it. It may simply have been slapped on top of the underlying material, or that may have been hacked about to provide a key.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Evelyn.

Will take a closer look at the guttering as the sofit boards look in need of repair too.

Is it possible that the beading around old 70's aluminium windows would allow water ingress? I have noticed a gap at the foot of the window in the upstairs room.

I assumed that the beading was for decoration but I guess the answer would be to either remove and investigate or fill it.

 

[Anonymous]

I very much suspect the old windows could well be a problem. Certainly worth checking out. Buildings move, inflexible beading doesn't - it takes a very small gap to allow water in.