Aggressive Damp Penetration in Exposed Seaside Cottage

Newton 503 Mesh Cures Aggressive Damp Penetration Externally In An Exposed Seaside Cottage

History

Talmine Cottage is located on the edge of the coast of Tongue Bay and the Atlantic coast. The stone structure was suffering from aggressive moisture penetration from the elements. Driving rain and salt air was forcing its way through the structure. The client had tried repointing the stonework, using traditional lime mortars, but this did not prevent the ingress of damp. Architects from nearby Thurso where asked to resolve the moisture penetration. They commissioned an extensive survey including boroscope and infra red surveys of the cottage. Their survey discovered that there was no infill of the cavity, which was the traditional means of construction at the time of the build. This meant that the driving rain was soaking through the external stone leaf and filtering through to the internal finishes, without impediment.

Methodology
The architect contacted John Newton & Company to discuss possible remedial options. Our technical department recommended installing Newton 503 Mesh to the external face of the building. This would create a physical barrier, against the elements and allow the structure to dry out, over time. A Newton Specialist Basement Contractor (NSBC)  assessed the structure for suitability of installation. They designed and carried out the installation. The Newton 503 Mesh was mechanically fixed to the structure using Newlath fixings at 150mm centres. An external 6.1.1 render was then applied to the surface in three stages. The finished coat was float finished, ready for decoration.

Result
The existing substrate is now protected from further moisture penetration  by a physical barrier. The process of drying out the structure was made possible by the 3mm air gap, created by the Newton 503 Mesh.

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