25/02/2026
Welsh stone houses don’t like paint and cement…
When I bought my own home, which is an 1830’s stone terraced house, ubiquitous to Wales, a previous builder had painted the stone, rendered with cement, “damp-proofed” with slurry and drylined the inside with gypsum plasterboard. I knew at the time what I was taking on, which is a long-term headache of cold, damp walls and spooling paint, cracking cement and mouldy, peeling gypsum skim. After 8 years living and breathing this house, undoing as much of this person’s well-intentioned work as possible, and understanding first hand how solid wall houses work, I only wish an Architect had advised them of the importance of lime-based render, breathable plaster and traditional pointing. The cost to undo all of what was done is in the 10’s of thousands, and, so I live in a compromise. A cycle of constantly repainting, and overpaying on heating bills until I can justify blasting all the modern stuff off. Yet, when I look around, I constantly see the same mistakes being made by well-intentioned experienced builders and DIY’ers alike. If you’ve inherited a Welsh stone house, congratulations, welcome to the joys of high ceilings and bay windows, unsurpassed by anything that came after it, but before you rush into anything you might regret later when the builder is long gone, getting advice from an impartial Architect or Designer with local experience is the best decision you’ll ever make for your house.
