Project: Chimney Repair Contract, Dalkeith Palace

Client: Buccleuch Building Services

The durability of any stone wall relies on it’s capacity to breathe, and release any water vapour it has absorbed from external rainfall, moisture or internal condensation migrating through the wall fabric. This is a stable and continual background process which goes on throughout the lifetime of the wall. Special sealants, paints, or cement renders, despite being applied with the very best intentions, can be virtually impermeable to the passage of water and often interrupt this important process. The ingress of moisture may be reduced in the short term, but all other moisture becomes trapped behind this barrier and cannot escape. This very often accelerates the rate of stone decay leading to a variety of possible failures of the walls integrity. In contrast, lime based mortars, whether course stuff pointing mix or harling, lime putty or Lithomex repair mortar, all ‘breathe’ much like the stone itself, and are altogether much more suitable products to be used.