Serious winter rain
It rains a good deal more here than in Vilamoura or Faro. A roof that just about copes on the coast will leak in São Brás at the first storm. This is where we push hardest to get the roof done before October.
Limpezas, obras e manutenção em São Brás
São Brás is the gateway to the hills: higher, cooler and wetter than the coast — and it is that difference in climate that defines the kind of work we do there.
We get there in about 30 minutes · Municipality of São Brás de Alportel
What building and maintaining a house is like in São Brás
Ground rising towards the Serra do Caldeirão, with cork oaks, whitewashed houses from the cork-trade tradition, and a winter dampness far more pronounced than by the sea.
Traditional Algarve houses with roof terraces and lacework chimneys, limewashed walls and barrel-tile roofs, many being slowly restored by people who moved in from elsewhere.
In São Brás the most common request is restoring a traditional house: roof, damp and exterior paintwork, almost always together.
We also work in: Centro, Alportel, Machados, Peral, Mesquita Baixa.
What you need to know about houses in São Brás
Chimneys and roof terraces that need a careful hand
The lacework chimneys and traditional parapets break easily and cannot be bought ready-made. Repairing them means recreating the existing pattern, not swapping in a catalogue part.
Limewash rather than plastic paint
On traditional walls, sealing the surface with impermeable plastic paint traps the moisture inside and blows the render off. These houses need products that let the wall breathe.
Our services in São Brás
Each page explains how the work is done in this particular area.
Painting and Decorating in São Brás
Interior and exterior painting, with the preparation done before the first tin is opened.
Roofing in São Brás
Cleaning, repair and waterproofing of roofs before the water reaches the ceiling.
Natural Stone and Walls in São Brás
Natural stone cladding and walls built to last, with drainage done properly.
Projects in São Brás
Traditional house: paintwork, pergola and Santa Catarina tiling
Exterior paintwork in deep ochre red, a new solid timber pergola and the Santa Catarina floor tiles brought back.
Cleaning a roof taken over by moss
Removal of moss and lichen built up over years without maintenance, with treatment to slow its return.
Perguntas frequentes — São Brás
How long does it take you to get to São Brás?
We set out from Loulé and get there in about 30 minutes. The assessment visit carries no travel charge.
Is the visit and the quote chargeable?
No. We come and look at the job in São Brás, measure what is needed and send an itemised quote. There is only a cost if you go ahead.
What is the most common problem you find in São Brás?
Serious winter rain: It rains a good deal more here than in Vilamoura or Faro. A roof that just about copes on the coast will leak in São Brás at the first storm. This is where we push hardest to get the roof done before October.
Do you work in houses that are empty?
We do, and it is a significant part of our work. With the owner's written authorisation we hold a key, let ourselves in, carry out the work and send photographs of it. Many of our clients are not in Portugal while the work happens.
Why do you insist on doing the roof before October in São Brás?
Because it rains a good deal more here than on the coast. A roof that would still hold on for a few years in Vilamoura will leak in São Brás at the first storm. And once the rain starts, everybody calls at the same time.
Can you repair a traditional lacework chimney?
Yes. They cannot be bought ready-made, so the repair means recreating the existing pattern piece by piece. It is slow work and it is not solved by swapping in a catalogue part, which shows from a distance on a traditional house.
Can I paint my traditional house with ordinary plastic paint?
You can, but it is a bad idea. Plastic paint seals the wall and traps inside it the moisture the wall needs to release, and the result is render blowing off before long. These walls need mineral or lime-based paints, which let them breathe.
Need a hand in São Brás?
We will come and look at the job. We get there in about 30 minutes and the quote is free.