FAQ           How do I know if I own a period property? Nearly all properties built before the 1940s were built using softer, natural traditional materials such as timber, soft brick, stone and most importantly - lime. If you are living in such a property it is highly likely that it was constructed using traditional materials and methods. Period properties were built directly onto the ground, with little or no damp proof membranes used - as the object was to let any moisture encountered pass through the building unobstructed - see section on breathablilty.             I can fix my damp problem by letting moisture into my building’s structure. How can that be? Damp is concentrated or trapped moisture attempting to escape through the most breathable area of a building's material Impervious materials will concentrate and force moisture into certain areas of a period property. By removing these impervious materials, the building is now allowed to take in and release moisture naturally when it needs to before damp is allowed to form (see plastic bag             Why should I bother replacing the concrete,cements and paint with traditional materials, I may as well just replace it with more of the same. Many people think that a period property is in a state of decay because of its age - this is not so, as most of the decay is due to the use of modern materials over the recent decades. If you continue to use modern materials on Period Properties, decay will continue to occur until the Property is beyond repair. We have been using modern materials on Period Properties for the last fifty or sixty years - this is long enough to do considerable damage to many properties which have stood for hundreds of years all ready. Many of our Period Properties are now in a very poor condition because of this. If we continue to use modern materials on them we will loose them forever.             Isn’t it more expensive to use traditional materials? If Traditional materials are used, then a Period Property will largely maintain itself, as now it can breath naturally, when and if it needs to - making subsequent repairs largely unnecessary. The continued use of modern materials will simply continue the spread of decay and destruction of materials present in these properties - meaning more and more repairs need to be undertaken, leading to escalated costs over time.             I heard that traditional materials aren’t as hard wearing as concrete and cement. Is this true? In a sense yes - however this is beneficial for a Period property. A softer traditional material allows moisture to pass through it uninhibited and its flexibility also allows for essential movement that occurs within a period building. Alternatively, a harder, brittle modern material is more susceptible to cracks occurring as a building moves. These cracks will now channel moisture into the building where it will be trapped by the impervious material, causing decay.