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Damp & external insulation ยท Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire

Healing an Early Victorian Gable with Diathonite Lime-Cork Retrofit

The cement render was the cause, not the cure. Taking it off showed what it had been hiding: a crack running through the wall structure and brickwork spalling where trapped moisture had frozen behind the cement.

The brickwork was structurally stitched with helical bars first. Diathonite Evolution lime-cork-clay render was then sprayed straight onto the repaired face in coats, levelled, and finished with an Argatherm lime smoothing coat and a breathable top coat. The wall is now insulated and, more to the point, able to dry.

Photograph Sorting out dampness and cold walls on the gable wall of this beautiful early Victorian property Sorting out dampness and cold walls on the gable wall of this beautiful early Victorian property
02Cement render caused dampness on gable wallCement render caused dampness on gable wall

Cement render caused dampness on gable wall

03Crack on cement renderCrack on cement render

Crack on cement render

04Cement render being taken downCement render being taken down

Cement render being taken down

05Crack turns up on wall structure after cement render taken offCrack turns up on wall structure after cement render taken off

Crack turns up on wall structure after cement render taken off

06Spalling victorian brickwork due to cement renderSpalling victorian brickwork due to cement render

Spalling victorian brickwork due to cement render

07Brick wall structurally strengthened with helical bar stitching before insulation appliedBrick wall structurally strengthened with helical bar stitching before insulation applied

Brick wall structurally strengthened with helical bar stitching before insulation applied

08External wall insulation being installed with Diathonite Evolution lime-cork-clay insulating renderExternal wall insulation being installed with Diathonite Evolution lime-cork-clay insulating render

External wall insulation being installed with Diathonite Evolution lime-cork-clay insulating render

09Spraying Diathonite Evolution lime-cork insulating render on spalling brickworkSpraying Diathonite Evolution lime-cork insulating render on spalling brickwork

Spraying Diathonite Evolution lime-cork insulating render on spalling brickwork

10Spraying Diathonite Evolution lime-cork-clay insulating renderSpraying Diathonite Evolution lime-cork-clay insulating render

Spraying Diathonite Evolution lime-cork-clay insulating render

11Close-up Diathonite Evolution lime-cork insulating renderClose-up Diathonite Evolution lime-cork insulating render

Close-up Diathonite Evolution lime-cork insulating render

12Sprayed first coat of lime cork renderSprayed first coat of lime cork render

Sprayed first coat of lime cork render

13Diathonite levelled on external wallDiathonite levelled on external wall

Diathonite levelled on external wall

14Diathonite Evolution lime-cork-insulating render levelledDiathonite Evolution lime-cork-insulating render levelled

Diathonite Evolution lime-cork-insulating render levelled

15Argatherm smoothing coat render applied to insulated wallArgatherm smoothing coat render applied to insulated wall

Argatherm smoothing coat render applied to insulated wall

16Argatherm lime coat render applied over DiathoniteArgatherm lime coat render applied over Diathonite

Argatherm lime coat render applied over Diathonite

17Breathable top coat applied to insulated wallBreathable top coat applied to insulated wall

Breathable top coat applied to insulated wall

18Render edge finishRender edge finish

Render edge finish

19Render edge finishRender edge finish

Render edge finish

20Wastewater pipes re-fittedWastewater pipes re-fitted

Wastewater pipes re-fitted

21External wall insulation with Diathonite lime-cork render and breathable render finish on a Victorian property in Hemel HempsteadExternal wall insulation with Diathonite lime-cork render and breathable render finish on a Victorian property in Hemel Hempstead

External wall insulation with Diathonite lime-cork render and breathable render finish on a Victorian property in Hemel Hempstead

Is your house like this one?

If one wall of your house is damp and the render on it is cement, you are probably looking at the reason.