We have a 1940s semi detached house, with a cavity wall.
It currently has pebble dash render which is in a poor state, lots of cracks etc.
We get a lot of driving rain and wind on one side of the property, and this side we are experiencing damp on the interior walls.
New roof recently done, gutters checked , no issues there.
We have had the old cavity wall insulation removed (it was very damp), getting old wall ties replaced shortly and we are looking to re render.
But on this type of property should we be hacking off the render and concentrate on treating bricks and repointing instead? Leaving as a brick wall? Or would hacking off and new render be suitable?
One guy recommended silicon render over the top, and advised not to hack off the existing, but im concerned all the damp would be trapped and take forever to dry out, but i literally have no idea.
Thanks
Are you a tradesperson and able to answer this question?
removal of the render providing the brickwork is in good condition & repointing were necessary would suffice, if how ever the bricks are compromised then it would require retendering,
to render over the existing render would increase the width & overhang of the wall creating possible areas for water ingress behind the new render that is why it is always advisable that all old render should be removed back to the brick, bricks are porous some more so than others that was one of the main reasons for the cavity in the first place, now we seem to be hell bent on creating damp houses for the sake of insulation, dampness in your wall insulation will create a colder house with a higher humidity level but it least it will comply with the latest government directive.
good luck Alex
Answered27 September 2023
1
Anonymous user
I would take all render of let brick dry out for couple of days then add air vents to wall to let air through then re render 👍
Answered27 September 2023
1
Anonymous user
From our understanding, we could see that stripping the render from the wall and observing the condition of the bricks would be a first and necessary step, then if the mortar has deteriorated a repoint could suffice as enough to fix the condition of the wall and allow for the wall to be rendered again. However if it is the bricks that have been compromised this would need to be tended to and properly analysed before any further action is to be taken by a contractor.
