Common Building Repair Mistakes ⬇️ Starting with a common issue in older buildings that have solid stone or brick walls: the use of CEMENT RENDER. Old and historic buildings with solid external walls rely on breathability – meaning any moisture that gets into the wall (externally from rain, or internally from condensation) can naturally evaporate back out. This helps keep the structure healthy, dry and often well performing for centuries. But, sand and cement render is largely impermeable, so it traps that moisture inside the wall and removes this breathability. An analogy is like putting on a plastic bin bag to go running; you’ll sweat, but I can’t escape. 💧 This leads to damp, internal damage, and decay 🧱 Cement render is also often too hard for traditional materials like stone or soft brick 🕣 Over time, this causes erosion, cracking or spalling, and the render can literally pulls the face off of softer materials beneath Much of our repair advice to historic building owners involves carefully removing such incompatible materials and replacing them with breathable alternatives, such as traditional lime renders, that work with the building, not against it. Follow this series for more examples of modern materials to avoid in older buildings, and how to put things right. #heritage #conservation #repair #buildingconservation #buildingrepair #buildingmaintenance #retrofit #adaptivereuse #architecture #architect - @initiatearchitecture