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DAMP PLASTERING · SYDNEY

DAMP PLASTERING & SALT-RESISTANT RENDER

Treating rising damp is only half the job — the wrong plaster brings the damage straight back. We remove salt-contaminated plaster and re-render with a breathable, salt-resistant finish (and lime render for heritage homes), so your walls stay dry and paint-ready for good.

Licensed & insured Lifetime guarantee Breathable, salt-resistant Heritage lime render

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15 years' experience
1,000+ homes treated
Lifetime workmanship guarantee
Free inspections, fixed prices
Licensed in-house across Building · Electrical · Waterproofing · Ventilation — Excel Building Services t/a Rising Damp Sydney, Licence No. 366160C
Damp plastering Sydney

THE RIGHT FINISH IS WHY DAMP STAYS GONE

When a wall has suffered rising damp, the old plaster is loaded with ground salts. Those salts are hygroscopic — they pull moisture out of the air — so even after a new damp-proof course is installed, leaving that plaster in place means the wall keeps looking and feeling damp. Damp plastering is the step that removes the contaminated material and replaces it with the right breathable, salt-resistant render. Skip it or do it wrong, and the damage comes straight back.

It's the natural second half of rising damp treatment, and we do both in-house — so it's one team, one fixed price and one guarantee covering the whole job.

Signs your plaster needs replacing

White salt deposits (efflorescence) on the wall
Bubbling, blown or crumbling plaster
Paint that keeps peeling no matter what you do
Plaster that sounds hollow when tapped
Staining returning after damp "treatment"
A heritage home with original lime plaster

Not sure whether your damp has actually been dealt with at the source? A free damp inspection confirms it — there's no point re-rendering a wall that's still actively rising. Lingering salt damp is also a common driver of surface mould, which we can treat at the same time.

Our process

HOW WE DAMP-PLASTER

01
Remove contaminated plaster

We strip the salt-affected plaster back — typically to about a metre, or 500mm above the highest sign of damp.

02
Prepare & treat

The exposed masonry is cleaned and prepared, and we make sure the damp source has been properly addressed first.

03
Salt-resistant render

We apply a breathable, salt-resistant render — or lime render on heritage walls — so moisture and salt can't return through the surface.

04
Finish & guarantee

Walls are left smooth and paint-ready, the site cleaned, and the work backed by our lifetime guarantee.

Why not just acrylic render or waterproof paint? Because they trap moisture and salt against the masonry instead of letting the wall breathe — and that's the number-one reason "treated" damp reappears within months. A breathable salt-resistant system lets the wall dry outward and keeps the salts away from your paint. On older Sydney homes built with lime, we use a lime-based render so the original masonry can keep breathing as it was designed to.
Why it matters

WHY THE WRONG PLASTER MAKES DAMP COME BACK

Damp plastering isn't cosmetic — it's the step that decides whether rising damp treatment actually lasts. Use the wrong finish and the damp appears to "return" within months. Here's what's really happening.

What goes wrong with ordinary plaster

  • Standard cement or acrylic renders trap moisture and salt against the wall instead of letting it breathe.
  • Trapped salts crystallise behind the paint, blowing the new plaster off the wall.
  • The tide mark and bubbling return — and the homeowner assumes the damp-proofing failed, when it was the finish.
  • Old, salt-contaminated plaster left in place keeps feeding the problem.

The fix is a breathable, salt-resistant render system: remove the contaminated plaster, then rebuild with a finish that lets the wall dry out and resists salt attack. That's what makes a treated wall stay sound.

What it means for your home

Done properly, damp plastering restores the wall to a clean, paint-ready, lasting finish — and removes the damp, salt-laden surfaces that mould colonises. Damp and mould are well-recognised contributors to poor indoor air quality. Australian health authorities note that living in a damp or mouldy home is associated with a higher risk of respiratory issues such as coughing, wheezing and worsening asthma, along with eye, nose and throat irritation and allergic reactions — with children, the elderly and anyone with asthma or a weakened immune system most affected.

This is general information, not medical advice. If you're concerned about health symptoms, speak with your doctor.

Real results

BEFORE & AFTER

Add BEFORE photo
Before — salt-damaged, crumbling plaster on a damp wall
Add AFTER photo
After — re-rendered with salt-resistant finish, smooth and paint-ready
★★★★★

Rated 5.0 from 100+ reviews by Sydney homeowners

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FAQs

DAMP PLASTERING, ANSWERED

Old plaster on a damp wall is contaminated with ground salts that keep attracting moisture, so even after a new damp-proof course the wall can stay damp and stained until that plaster is removed and replaced with a salt-resistant render.

As a rule we remove the contaminated plaster to around a metre high, or about 500mm above the highest visible sign of damp and salt, to be sure all the affected material is gone before re-rendering.

No. Standard plaster, acrylic renders and waterproof paints trap moisture and salt against the wall, which is the most common reason damp appears to come back. We use a breathable, salt-resistant render that lets the wall dry properly.

Yes. Many older Sydney homes were built with lime and need a breathable lime-based render rather than modern cement render, so the masonry can continue to breathe. We match the finish to the building.

Yes — our damp plastering is backed by a lifetime workmanship guarantee, with a fixed price agreed upfront after a free inspection.

Yes. We handle the full job in-house — diagnosis, damp-proof course and salt-resistant replastering — so it's one team, one fixed price and one guarantee.

GET YOUR WALLS DONE PROPERLY

Free inspection, fixed price, and the right breathable finish so the damp damage doesn't return.

Where we work

SERVING ALL OF GREATER SYDNEY

From the Inner West to the Northern Beaches, the Eastern Suburbs to Penrith and the Blue Mountains — Rising Damp Sydney treats rising damp, mould, subfloor moisture and waterproofing problems right across the greater Sydney region. Free inspection, fixed price, same team from first call to final coat.

Northern Beaches North Shore Sydney CBD Eastern Suburbs Inner West Parramatta Sutherland Shire Penrith Blue Mountains

RISING DAMP SYDNEY

Sydney's trusted rising damp, mould & subfloor specialists — licensed, insured and lifetime guaranteed.

Service areaAll of greater Sydney & the Blue Mountains
Phone02 9158 9901
HoursMon–Fri 7am–5pm · Sat 8am–2pm