Cement 'rain seal'

[Jim S]

I live in a Victorian terrace house. Around the outside walls at ground level there is a sloping 'chamfer' of mortar/concrete. I'm told the function of this is to 'throw off' rainwater running down the brickwork. Some parts are cracking away. The question is "do I replace this' or reattach it with mortar or is there a better/modern way? OR did they never work in the first place and do I simply remove them and put in mortar/grout where the wall meets the concrete area next to the wall?

[Stuart Noble]

Depends how far gone it is. If it's just cracked, try Polyfilla external filler, which is a cement based powder modified with some kind of resin. Fine enough to get in the cracks and should bind the whole thing together. If chunks are coming adrift, it might be easier to re-do it. IMO some sort of skirt looks right on Viccy buildings

[The Natural Philosopher]

They do work, and work well.

pointing in a covering of lead sheet will make em work better still. You need a sharp edge to form the drips.