One of the biggest factors of damp problems in old houses throughout Cornwall is the continued use of paint on top of the stonework.
The paint does not allow the outside surface to breathe. I’m sure that when our Cornish ancestors built our already picturesque properties, they didn’t envisage their handiwork being covered up.
So when a customer contacted us with the problem of dampness seeping into the gable end of their home in St.Ives, we knew what had to be done.
The problem was once again the stonework being covered in bitumen and emulsion paint.
As I mentioned, this leaves the surface unable to breathe, resulting in damp problems. We removed the old cement and used a needle gun to remove the bitumen and paint residue, ready for the lime bag finish.
The job is really coming along now…In these pictures of the technique call the Lime Bag Rub, we are using hessian to protect the building from the elements.
The finished project complete with newly rendered chimney stack…Must not forget to remove the scaffolding!!!
