Should the front of my Victorian house have render over the brickwork, and if so what kind?

[bw99]

I have recently come into ownership of a Victorian terraced house on the south coast, with the front wall quite elevated and facing the sea (though at a distance of 200m or so) so it is subject to a lot of severe weather.

The back of the house has exposed brickwork on the first floor and painted brickwork on the ground floor. However, the front of the house appears to be covered with render of some kind. (I've attached photos of the front and back).

I've been reading quite a bit about Victorian houses, how they are pointed with lime mortar and how the mortar needs to breathe. I've read that many coatings, like modern, plastic-based paints are harmful to Victorian walls as they trap moisture.

So now I'm worried about what my walls have been covered with. Is it ok for the front to be covered with render like this, and if so, what sort of render should it be? I've read that cement render is bad from a breathability point of view, so what is the correct sort?

Many thanks for any guidance!

 

[JohnD]

walk up and down the road looking at similar houses. If they were rendered long after build it was probably to hide defective brickwork. I think I can see rust stains in your front pic which is very undesirable.

My coastal house has one wall slate-hung which is good for shedding water in storms, and breathable, though it comes of the bottom like a waterfall.

 

[sxturbo]

Lime render should be installed ideally, which allows the walls to breath.

You will then require a breathable external paint like this https://earthbornpaints.co.uk/product/ecopro-silicate-masonry-system/

Taking the old render off will be a pain.

But also need to know when the render was installed, if its original then nothing to worry about

 

[bw99]

@JohnD Thanks for your reply. Interestingly, the house next door has a balcony where the front wall is protected by hanging slate. I think the rust is coming from some old external rusty light bracket that someone must have fitted at some point. All the houses in the row have a white painted render finish, all built around 1890, but unfortunately I've no idea if the render is concrete or lime or when it was done. I'll try to take some close-up pictures, maybe that will give someone enough information.

@sxturbo Thank you, that's very useful. I will try to find out if the render is original or some later concrete addition. There are major damp problems within the house, but there is also a lot of penetrating damp - a high patio right under an airbrick etc. I think it's going to be a question of sorting out the obvious sources of water first and then tackling the more subtle ones like the render.

 

[JohnD]

sometimes the brickwork at the front of houses was in a different brick to the back. Usually a smart-looking one to impress passers-by.

Some Victorian bricks were very soft, and some contained fragments of chalk which expanded and burst out leaving pock-marks, so it might be that the front of the houses suffered more from exposure, and the backs were in a different brick that happened to be more durable. Visible chimneys were in the "front" brick in the houses I have looked at.

The white paint at the back of your house might have been to brighten up a conservatory or something. If so, you should see marks where it was fixed to the wall. I think I can see a flashing line below the level of the upstairs windowsill.

Once you start painting bricks, you have to carry on for ever.

 

[sxturbo]

Soil pipe needs some new brackets also

 

[bw99]

@JohnD Thank you John. Now that you mention it, I think there did used to be something against that wall, some kind of lean to.

@sxturbo Ah so that's what that is! Thank you, I've just been reading up about soil pipes after your post. We just thought it was some inexplicably poorly attached part of the roof drainage! That makes a *lot* more sense..!