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Plastering & Rendering

What plaster to use for Victorian terrace house

Anonymous user 03/03/2024 - 3.03 PM

Hi. Am purchasing a Victorian terrace which needs substantial work. In particular, many of the walls need replastering. There is some damp issues - not everywhere, mainly on the internal dividing wall downstairs, and I understand that this is (probably) due to poor ventilation caused by things like double glazing, the council having rendered the front of the house, central heating and insufficient air-bricks. My question is what plaster should be used. Research to-date seems to point me at something called NHL3.5 - a hydraulic lime plaster? Is that right or am I misunderstanding? And should this be used everywhere or, as it's more expensive, can it just be used downstairs where the damp is? I also want to convince my builder/partner that laying a concrete floor downstairs with a DPM is a BAD idea... but again, am I right? Any help appreciated!

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1 Answer

Plastering 4u

Rating: 5 out of 5

Margate

Where there are damp issues, I would advise removing the damaged areas and replastering with lime plasters. While lime mortars are porous, concrete and sand and cement are non-porous. Older buildings, in particular those made of brick and stone, need to breathe so that moisture can pass in and out of walls, maintaining their stability. The application of impermeable plasters and renders often means moisture can become trapped, often causing cracking and problems with damp and moulds. Because lime is porous, it balances the moisture content in the internal atmosphere within the building thus avoiding problems with condensation but also with the excessive dryness often associated with modern dry-lined buildings.

Answered19 November 2013