Damp, blown plaster and failing render are common complaints in Gateshead's older housing. Because so much of it is built from soft brick and exposed to cold North Sea winds and hard winter frosts, the fix is nearly always breathable lime rather than another coat of cement. We deliver that work throughout Tyne and Wear.
Gateshead's building stock reflects the history of North East England, and soft sandstone erodes fast when hard cement pointing forces water into the face. Applying gypsum or cement to these walls traps moisture; lime lets it evaporate freely, protecting the fabric of the building for decades.
The older parts of Gateshead are dominated by stone-built pit cottages, Tyneside flats, Georgian sandstone terraces. These are solid-wall constructions — there is no cavity, no damp-proof membrane and no vapour barrier — so the wall relies on evaporation through the plaster and render to stay dry.
Softness is the point. Traditional Tyne and Wear walling of soft brick 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 Gateshead's older homes.
You get a single point of contact from survey to final coat. We agree the specification for your Gateshead property in writing, prepare and apply the lime in the correct build-up, and advise on breathable decoration once the work has cured.
Every Gateshead property is surveyed individually, but these examples show the kind of Tyne and Wear buildings and use-cases we are called to most often.
converted colliery building — Blown gypsum plaster and tide marks on the ground floor of a converted colliery building in Tyne and Wear. 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.
Tyneside flat — A Tyneside flat in Gateshead where a cement plinth was holding water in the base of the wall. We removed the plinth, lowered adjacent ground levels, and re-rendered the base in a sacrificial lime coat designed to be renewed periodically.
Georgian sandstone terrace — Consented repairs to a listed Georgian sandstone terrace in Tyne and Wear. 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.
Yes. We regularly work on listed and conservation-area properties across Tyne and Wear and can supply mix specifications and sample panels for Gateshead conservation officers where consent is required.
Lime cures slowly by carbonation. Allow roughly a week per coat as a guide, and longer in cold North Sea winds and hard winter frosts. We protect the work and control drying so the finish cures evenly rather than cracking or dusting.
Yes. We take samples of the surviving mortar or plaster from the carboniferous sandstone 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 Gateshead in Tyne and Wear and the wider North East England area.
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