Exmouth property owners come to us when a modern finish has failed. Cement render and gypsum plaster trap moisture inside cob, and in the wet, wind-driven rain typical of the South West that shows up as damp patches, salt blooming and rotting timbers. We put it right with breathable lime across Devon.
Damp in Exmouth homes is usually caused by the wrong material rather than a faulty building. Where cement render has been applied over cob, stripping it back and re-rendering in lime normally resolves the damp within a single drying season.
Around Exmouth you will find cob and thatch cottages alongside later Georgian and Regency terraces. Both were built with lime, and both suffer when a modern impermeable finish is applied over the top — the moisture has to go somewhere, and it goes into the masonry and the timbers.
Softness is the point. Traditional Devon walling of cob is weaker than modern cement, so a hard mortar concentrates stress and moisture into the masonry face. Lime is deliberately the weaker material, and that is what makes it correct for Exmouth's older homes.
Every Exmouth job begins with diagnosis: identifying where moisture is entering before any plaster goes on. We then remove failed material, prepare the cob, and build the lime up in coats, allowing each one to cure before the next.
Because cob, rubble stone and granite make breathability non-negotiable, Exmouth throws up a particular set of problems. These are representative examples of how we resolve them in lime.
cob and thatch cottage — Blown gypsum plaster and tide marks on the ground floor of a cob and thatch cottage in Devon. We hacked off the gypsum, applied a haired lime base coat and a lime putty finish, and specified clay paint so the wall could keep drying.
limestone rectory — Cracked and cement-patched panels on a limestone rectory in Devon. Failed infill was cut out, laths and staves renewed where rotten, and the panels made good in haired lime so the frame can move without splitting the finish.
Regency terrace — Consented repairs to a listed Regency terrace in Devon. Sample panels were prepared for the conservation officer, mortar analysis informed the mix, and the historic surface was conserved and patched rather than replaced wholesale.
We do. Exmouth is one of our core areas and we travel throughout Devon and the surrounding parts of South West England for lime plastering, lime render, lime pointing and heritage repair.
Where damp is caused by trapped moisture in a solid wall — very common in older Exmouth properties — replacing cement or gypsum with lime allows the wall to dry out. We always identify the source of moisture during the survey before recommending work.
Yes. We regularly work on listed and conservation-area properties across Devon and can supply mix specifications and sample panels for Exmouth conservation officers where consent is required.
External lime work is best carried out between spring and early autumn so it can carbonate before the first frosts. Internal lime plastering in Exmouth can be done year-round with adequate heating and ventilation.
Yes. We take samples of the surviving mortar or plaster from the cob first, then match aggregate, colour and texture so the repair blends into the original rather than patching over it.
Our lime plastering, render and pointing teams also cover these towns and cities close to Exmouth in Devon and the wider South West England area.
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