Salisbury property owners come to us when a modern finish has failed. Cement render and gypsum plaster trap moisture inside local limestone and sandstone, 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 Wiltshire.
Damp in Salisbury homes is usually caused by the wrong material rather than a faulty building. Where cement render has been applied over local limestone and sandstone, stripping it back and re-rendering in lime normally resolves the damp within a single drying season.
Around Salisbury 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.
In the wet, wind-driven rain typical of the South West, an impermeable render is a liability: water gets in at cracks and reveals and then cannot leave. Lime render on a Salisbury wall handles that water, releasing it back out through the surface instead of pushing it deeper into the structure.
Every Salisbury job begins with diagnosis: identifying where moisture is entering before any plaster goes on. We then remove failed material, prepare the local limestone and sandstone, 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, Salisbury throws up a particular set of problems. These are representative examples of how we resolve them in lime.
stone-built chapel conversion — Cracked and cement-patched panels on a stone-built chapel conversion in Wiltshire. 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 — Persistent ground-floor damp in a Regency terrace in Salisbury previously treated with injected DPC and waterproof render. Once the real moisture path was identified, the walls were replastered in lime and the damp resolved without chemical treatment.
harbourside fisherman's cottage — Eroding masonry faces on a harbourside fisherman's cottage in Salisbury caused by hard cement pointing. We raked out by hand to the correct depth and repointed in a soft lime mortar matched to the original aggregate and colour of the cob.
Yes, but it must be finished with a breathable product such as limewash, clay paint or mineral silicate paint. We advise on suitable finishes for each Salisbury project so breathability is not lost at the final coat.
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.
Send us the details of your Salisbury 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.
External lime work is best carried out between spring and early autumn so it can carbonate before the first frosts. Internal lime plastering in Salisbury can be done year-round with adequate heating and ventilation.
Our lime plastering, render and pointing teams also cover these towns and cities close to Salisbury in Wiltshire and the wider South West England area.
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