Building problems we diagnose and fix across Yorkshire
Most of the problems we deal with have one thing in common: water is getting in somewhere it shouldn't be, or air is moving through a junction that should be sealed. Below are the specific failure types we work on every week. Click through to find out what causes each problem, how it's diagnosed, and how it's fixed correctly.
Find the problem you’re dealing with
Mortar joints erode, crack and open over time - particularly on exposed elevations and older buildings where cement has been used on stone that needs lime. Once a joint is open, wind-driven rain has a direct pathway into the masonry.
Cold air through a closed window or door almost always means a failed compression gasket, perished sealant, or a degraded draught seal. The source matters - a gasket failure and a sealant failure need different repairs.
Jointing between paving slabs erodes, washes out and cracks over time - particularly in Yorkshire's wet winters. Once joints open, weed roots follow, slabs begin to move, and the surface becomes uneven and increasingly difficult to repair with a simple top-up.
Surface cracks, spalling stone faces and loose masonry units all represent a breach in the external skin of the building. Some are cosmetic; some indicate water has been getting in for a long time. Correct assessment before repair avoids both under- and over-specification.
Internal damp that appears or worsens after rainfall is almost always caused by water entering through the external envelope - failed mortar, open sealant joints, or saturated masonry. The internal patch is the symptom; the external defect is the cause.
Mortar that drops out of joints - particularly on older buildings - has usually reached the end of its service life, or was never the right product for the building. Simply filling the voids with new mortar on top of what remains is not a lasting repair.
If your external wall darkens rapidly in rain and stays wet for hours, the masonry is absorbing water faster than it can manage it. This is often a sign that pointing has eroded or that the masonry has lost its natural surface resistance.
If water appears at a window board, at a door threshold, or on a reveal wall during or after rain, the perimeter sealant joint - the bead between frame and masonry - has almost certainly failed. This is a direct entry point that gets worse with every storm.
Compression gaskets on UPVC, timber, aluminium and steel frames harden, crack and lose compression over time. Once the seal is gone, both draughts and water ingress follow. Replacement is straightforward when the right profile is sourced.
Failed internal sealant around baths, showers, sinks and wet room panels allows water to track behind tiles and under fixtures. Combined with the inevitable mould growth that follows, this is one of the most common and most avoidable internal moisture problems.
Why diagnosis comes before repair
Many of these problems look identical on the surface. A damp patch on an internal wall could be caused by failed pointing, a split sealant joint, a blocked cavity, or a plumbing issue. Repointing a wall that has a sealant problem wastes money and leaves the cause untouched.
We identify the source before any repair work begins. On straightforward jobs, that assessment happens at the quoting stage. On more complex properties - particularly older solid-wall buildings with long histories of repair - a formal inspection is the right first step.