Homebuyers Report: Dampness

The usual start is to look at the sources of the damp. Showers, roof leaks, boiling food at excessively high settings, all can be much improved in many cases. Theres also dehumidifiers, which work out cheaper than ventilation, though some vent is of course needed.

NT

Reply to
meow2222
Loading thread data ...

formatting link
seems to imply otherwise. It's a mixture of cement, lime, perlite and fibres to stop cracking. And at £18.52 per 25kg bag (on one site thrown up by Google) not cheap!

Reply to
Tony Bryer

Cement does not inhibit porosity - your problems start if they have mixed in Sika or similar. In any case, as someone wrote, Limelite contains lime.

Maris

Reply to
Maris

It was never cheap!

Maris

Reply to
Maris

I read the page and it doesnt say the opposite at all, it confirms its cement based, as you just have yourself. It also confirms its lack of breathability.

Lime and sand are =A36 and =A31-2 a bag respectively, and will not do the long term damage to soft brick and stone that cements often do. Being genuinely breathable they will allow evaporation, which is enough to keep most damp walls dry. To maintain this evaporation of any dampness one should avoid non-porous coatings such as emulsion, instead using distemper or similar.

I could talk about the use of EML and its effects on cracking, but enough for one post. In short one should not assume that everyone claiming conservation expertise actually has it, nor that what they do have is sufficient to choose the best options in any given situation. Even today there are still companies cement rendering wood framed buldings.

NT

Reply to
meow2222

Someone is going to pull us up for off-topic soon (well uk.legal, anyway)! Just found a very useful thread discussing the various plastering options on

formatting link
which seems to be a very useful website. Anyway, the forum was:-
formatting link

Reply to
Maris

Where did you see the bit about lack of breathability? All I can see in the item referred to is designed to 'control damp passing through walls'. Are you assuming that means blocks it entirely? Had a more in depth look at the

formatting link
website and it is awesome in the debates on dampproofing. Limelite, of course, is mentioned frequently. Also got to hear about Dryzone for the first time. I thought that something like that existed but couldn't find anything till now.

Wrong. Avoid vinyl-based emulsion. My lower ground floor problem room is painted with this crap and it's a bugger to get off.

Maris

Reply to
Maris

elsewhere, cement based renders have too little porosity to be realistically described as breathable.

heh, its one of those topics that never ends.

I thought thats what I just said :)

NT

Reply to
meow2222

yes it does

even worse

and cement. Cement content reduces water movement. Cement lime mixes do not have anywher near the porosity of lime mortars.

Ask SPAB or period property forum etc about ime and cement.

NT

Reply to
meow2222

Breathability and porosity of cement based mortar depends on the cement strength. At 1:6, there's no problem, but you need to add a waterproofer to prevent the pores also wicking water through. (Contrary to what you suggested, this won't work as tanking, as any significant pressure of water will pass through the pores regardless of their water repelling coating.)

Matt emulsion is breathable (vinyl isn't).

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

Enough of it does..

- your problems start if they have

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.