Frequently asked questions

Yes. Quotes are free and there is no obligation. Send us a few photos through the quote form to speed things up.

Please do. Photos of the problem and the outside of the wall help us understand the job and often mean we can give you an idea of the cost sooner. You can add up to five photos to the quote form.

Have a look at the areas listed on this site. If you are a little further away, get in touch anyway and we will tell you honestly whether we can help.

It depends on the time of year and the size of the job. We will give you a realistic start date with your quote and keep you updated if anything changes.

Not always. Send us a few photos through the quote form and tell us where the damp is. Often we can tell straight away whether it needs a visit, and if it does, we will agree the cost with you before we come out.

It is real, but it is much rarer than some reports suggest. A lot of damp blamed on the damp-proof course turns out to be condensation or rain getting in from outside. That is why we find the cause before recommending any treatment, and we will tell you if you do not need one.

A common rule of thumb is about a month for every 25 mm (one inch) of wall thickness, so a solid brick wall can take several months to dry out completely. Salt-resistant replastering lets you decorate sooner, and we will tell you when it is safe and which breathable paint to use.

It will help with condensation by taking moisture out of the air, and it speeds up drying after repairs. It will not stop rising damp or rain getting in, because the water keeps coming. Fix the cause first.

Surveyors often flag high meter readings and recommend a specialist report. Get in touch with the survey details and some photos. We will inspect, find the actual cause and give you a written report and quote you can pass to your lender.

If the existing plaster is firmly stuck to the wall, a skim coat will give a smooth finish. If it sounds hollow when tapped, is cracking away or has been damaged by damp, it needs to come off and be replastered. We check every wall and tell you which it needs.

Wait until it has dried to an even, light colour with no dark patches: usually a few days to a week for a skim, longer for thicker coats and in cold weather. Then seal it with a mist coat of watered-down emulsion before the top coats.

Yes. We can board over it or skim it once it is prepared. Textured coatings from before 2000 can contain asbestos, so we never sand or scrape them without a test first.

Less than you might expect. We sheet floors and furniture, mix outside where we can and clear up at the end of each day. If a room needs emptying first, we will tell you when we quote.

It depends on the walls and the look you want. Modern brick and block suit sand and cement, through-coloured or silicone render. Older solid-walled buildings need a breathable lime render. We will recommend the right one for your home and explain why.

Only on suitable days. Render must not be applied in frost, heavy rain or when it is colder than 5°C, because it needs to set properly. In winter we plan around the forecast and will not risk your finish to keep to a date.

Sand and cement render is usually painted with a breathable masonry paint once it has cured. Through-coloured and silicone renders have the colour built in, so they never need painting.

Render cracks when it is too hard for the wall, when the building moves slightly, or when water gets behind it and freezes. Small cracks can be repaired, but hollow areas need cutting back and patching so water cannot sit behind them. We will show you what we find.