Damp, blown plaster and failing render are common complaints in Leicester's older housing. Because so much of it is built from mud and stud walling and exposed to the moderate but frost-prone Midlands winters, the fix is nearly always breathable lime rather than another coat of cement. We deliver that work throughout Leicestershire.
Damp in Leicester homes is usually caused by the wrong material rather than a faulty building. Where cement render has been applied over mud and stud walling, stripping it back and re-rendering in lime normally resolves the damp within a single drying season.
The older parts of Leicester are dominated by limestone cottages, ironstone farmhouses, Victorian brick 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.
Using lime in Leicester is a conservation requirement as often as a technical one. It keeps the property eligible for heritage consent, preserves original detailing, and gives a soft, hand-finished surface no modern board can replicate.
You get a single point of contact from survey to final coat. We agree the specification for your Leicester property in writing, prepare and apply the lime in the correct build-up, and advise on breathable decoration once the work has cured.
Every Leicester property is surveyed individually, but these examples show the kind of Leicestershire buildings and use-cases we are called to most often.
Victorian brick terrace — Weather-facing walls of a Victorian brick terrace taking the full force of the moderate but frost-prone Midlands winters. We specified NHL 2 or hot-mixed lime with aggregate matched to the local stone colour, built the render up in generous coats and protected the work while it carbonated to avoid shrinkage cracking.
mud-and-stud cottage — Consented repairs to a listed mud-and-stud cottage in Leicestershire. 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.
ironstone farmhouse — Blown gypsum plaster and tide marks on the ground floor of an ironstone farmhouse in Leicestershire. 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.
Yes. We take samples of the surviving mortar or plaster from the ironstone and limestone rubble first, then match aggregate, colour and texture so the repair blends into the original rather than patching over it.
Yes — stripping failed cement render and replacing it with a breathable lime render is one of the most common jobs we carry out in Leicester. It is usually the fastest way to resolve persistent damp in a solid-wall building.
Yes. We regularly work on listed and conservation-area properties across Leicestershire and can supply mix specifications and sample panels for Leicester conservation officers where consent is required.
Send us the details of your Leicester property through the contact form and we will arrange a free survey. You will receive a written specification and quote with no obligation to proceed.
Our lime plastering, render and pointing teams also cover these towns and cities close to Leicester in Leicestershire and the wider East Midlands area.
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