House & Building Construction in Alfama
In Alfama every job starts with the same practical question: how do the materials get in. The streets are narrow, many are steps, the gradients are steep and there are buildings no delivery vehicle can reach at all. On top of that sit buildings with centuries of successive alteration, timber structures, irregular masonry and damp arriving from the ground and the sky in roughly equal measure. We work here with the method the neighbourhood demands: understand the building before demolishing, plan the access before ordering, and agree everything with the neighbours before starting. In Alfama the jobs happen on top of each other, so good manners are part of the method.
25K+
Interventions
4.8
Average rating
98%
Satisfaction
10+
Years experience
About our service in Alfama
These buildings cannot be read from their appearance. Behind the plaster there may be stone masonry, braced timber framing, tabique partitions carrying nothing at all and, very often, alterations made by whoever passed through with little structural logic left behind. The first phase is inspection and observation: where the joists bear, how the beam ends are faring beside damp walls, which walls are load-bearing. Only then does anyone draw. Demolishing first and thinking afterwards is, here, the fastest way to turn a renovation into an emergency structural job. Where the design touches the structure, the engineer is involved from the beginning. Damp is the second permanent theme. It comes from the ground, by capillary action, in walls with no barrier; it comes from the rain, through roofs and exposed facades; and it comes from inside, through condensation in poorly ventilated homes fitted with new airtight windows. Each origin has its own treatment and confusing them guarantees the problem returns. We diagnose before quoting, treat the cause and use mortars and finishes that let the wall dry, rather than sealing it with cement and plastic paint, which is the most common and the most expensive mistake. We always show you what we found before proposing how to deal with it. Logistics is solved with planning and manpower. Where no lorry can reach, materials come up by small van to the nearest point and continue by hand or with lifting equipment installed for the purpose; rubble goes down the same way, in bags, as it is produced. We apply for road occupation where possible, agree times with neighbours and the shops, and leave the street clean at the end of each day. All of it is in the quote from the start, because it is real work and not a detail to discover later.
In Alfama we regularly handle:
Services Included
- Inspection and structural assessment before any demolition
- Strengthening or replacing decayed timber floor structures
- Diagnosing and treating rising damp and infiltration
- Deep renovation of flats with services replaced
- Work in streets with no lorry access, with transport planned
Areas We Serve
We work in Alfama, Castelo, Mouraria, Sé, Santa Apolónia and Graça, including the steps and alleys of the old quarter.
Work Gallery
Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back. If something has been badly executed, we return to correct it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What people ask us in Alfama:
My street is all steps. Can the work still be done?
It can, and it happens more often than you would think. Materials come up by small van as far as possible and then by hand or with lifting equipment set up for the job, and rubble goes down the same way, in bags, as it is produced. What matters is that this work is counted in the quote from the start, because it has a real cost and a timescale of its own.
My floor creaks and has dropped in one corner. Is that dangerous?
It is a sign worth assessing quickly. In these buildings the floors sit on timber joists whose ends rot where the wall is damp, and a drop in one corner usually indicates exactly that. We open up, look at the real condition of the timber and strengthen or replace what is needed, with sizing by an engineer. It is not a job to postpone.
The flat is permanently damp. Will new windows fix it?
They may well make it worse. New airtight windows reduce natural ventilation, and in a home that already had damp the moisture condenses on cold walls instead of escaping. The route through is to diagnose the source, treat the cause and ensure adequate ventilation. After that, replacing the windows makes complete sense and works far better.
Other services in Alfama
Location
Coverage Areas
What Our Clients Say
Reviews from satisfied customers in Alfama and surroundings
"Trabalho muito bem feito. Profissionais dedicados e simpáticos."
Paulo O.
Alfama
"Serviço excelente e profissional. Recomendo vivamente!"
Francisca F.
Alfama
"Profissionais competentes e pontuais. Voltarei a contratar."
Bruno G.
Alfama
"Serviço de qualidade a um preço justo. Superou expectativas."
António A.
Alfama