Mud bricks, sun dried bricks made from earth and water
Occasionally we are asked to help fix the damp problems in an old house when we take a look to analyse the situation it becomes clear that the house or part of the house has been constructed of mud bricks, sun dried bricks made from earth and water.
This may sound like a very eco-friendly way of building a house and something that is be be encouraged.
The main issue is that we don’t live in or use a house like our ancestors did. In the old days people didn’t know that you could have a dry house so they did things like leaving the doors and windows open and burning a fire all the time. Their furniture wasn’t modern laminated furniture which splits and warps when it gets damp it was just a few rough benches and a straw bed that was replaced when it got damp.
This photograph shows a house wall made of mud bricks, sun dried bricks made from earth and water. The “cement” holding them together is also mud. The reason that the lime render has fallen off the outside is that the house has not been lived in for a while so that the damp has not been kept at bay and the result is that the damp weakens the mud bricks and the render has nothing to stick too.
Because its impossible to control the damp to an acceptable level for modern habitation the best thing you can do is remove and replace the walls including a damp proof membrane. This could be a massive task. If you are thinking of buying a house with mud brick construction our advice is to have it surveyed first before you pay a deposit. A survey will give you an idea of how much remedial work you have to do.
Contact www.casteloconstruction.com for advice on Mud bricks, sun dried bricks made from earth and water
