Mountain slopes · Run-off · Stone houses
Renovating stone fincas on the slopes of Finestrat, where the mountain behind the village sends a lot of water past the house.
Finestrat sits under the bulk of Puig Campana, with hillside villas spread across the slopes and the coast at Cala de Finestrat a short drive below. For a finca owner the mountain is more than a backdrop. It is the source of the water that arrives, sometimes in large quantity, across the land above the house.
That makes water management the central question for most rural renovations here. Heat and sun matter too, but a stone house on a slope below a mountain lives or dies by where the rain goes. Roofs, gutters, drains, terraces and the base of the walls all form part of one system, and a finca that has been standing for a century has usually coped with it in ways that later alterations may have interfered with.
Our work on fincas around Finestrat tends to start there, with the water.
Water first
When we visit a finca in Finestrat, we look uphill before we look at the walls. Where does water gather in heavy rain, where does it cross the plot, and where does it end up? An old farmhouse often had a simple, effective answer to that, such as a ditch, a raised terrace or a stone channel, that has since been filled in, paved over or forgotten.
Putting that back, or building a modern equivalent, usually does more for a damp wall than any treatment applied to the wall itself. Where the house has a bank of earth against its upper side, the wall may also need waterproofing from the outside, which means digging, treating and backfilling with proper drainage.
Our damp proofing team is part of the same firm, so the diagnosis and the repair stay together.
Roofs
Exposed to sun in summer and hard rain in winter, a finca roof works harder than most. Tiles slip, mortar bedding perishes, and valleys and gutters clog with debris. A small defect lets water onto the timber below, and old beams can take a long time to show the damage.
We inspect from above and from below. Inside the roof space we look at the condition of the beams and the underside of the tiles, and outside we look at falls, ridges, valleys and the way water is carried away. Repairs range from re-bedding and replacing tiles to a complete re-roof where the structure justifies it.
If beams are damaged, our carpenters repair or replace them before the new roof goes on, and we aim to leave sound timber exposed.
Finishing
Once the water is under control, the walls can be dealt with properly. Failed cement is removed, stone is repointed in a compatible mortar, and lime render or plaster goes on where a smooth surface is wanted. Lime lets the wall breathe, which on a damp-prone slope is exactly what you want.
Inside, we rewire and replumb along routes planned to avoid cutting more of the stone than necessary, and fit bathrooms and kitchens that suit the layout. Windows and doors can be replaced with ones suited to the age and style of the house.
Whether you want a year-round home or a holiday retreat, the sequence is the same: water, structure, services, then finishes.
How it works
We visit first, walking the plot as well as the house, and listen to what you want. You then receive a written quotation, free of charge, that sets out the scope and the order of work.
While work is under way we coordinate the trades and send photographs and updates if you are abroad. The work is guaranteed, with the scope set out in the quotation.
Questions
On a slope below a mountain, run-off often reaches the walls and base of the house. Blocked drains, raised ground and cement render can all contribute. We look at the water route as well as the wall.
Often it can, by re-bedding and replacing tiles and clearing valleys and gutters. If the timber or structure beneath is failing, a re-roof may be the better option, and we will explain why.
Yes. Terraces and retaining walls on sloping plots are a regular part of our rural work, including drainage and waterproofing.
Get in touch with a short description of the property. We visit, discuss the work and provide a written quotation. The quotation is free.
Across the area
Finestrat is one of the towns with its own finca renovations page. The main Finca Renovations Costa Blanca page covers the whole service in full.
Hillside fincas and terraced stone houses above the coast, with steep plots and narrow tracks.
View Altea →Older rural houses and farm buildings among La Nucía’s hillside villas and urbanisations.
View La Nucía →Country houses behind the coast, where salt air and long absences shape the choice of materials.
View Calpe →Old village houses and country fincas, often renovated in stages, around a small inland village.
View Polop →Finca Renovations in Benissa and the surrounding area.
View Benissa →Finca Renovations in Alfaz del Pi & Albir and the surrounding area.
View Alfaz del Pi & Albir →Get in touch
Tell us where the house is and what concerns you, and we will arrange a visit.
After we have looked at the property and the plot, you receive a clear written quotation, free of charge.
Customer reviews
Genuine Google reviews from Dragon Reforms customers.
Professional Collaboration & Complete House Renovation – Calpe
“We have been collaborating for many years on projects both large and small, with excellent results. Our latest collaboration was the complete renovation of a house in Calpe. Thanks to their professionalism and reliability, they were able to handle all phases of the project. We hope to continue working together for many years to come.”
Apartment Renovation
Original Spanish review
“Hace poco reformó el apartamento. Ha quedado espectacular. Además sin imprevistos, cumpliendo los plazos y muy formal.”
English translation
“They recently renovated the apartment. It looks spectacular. What's more, there were no unexpected problems, the agreed timescales were met, and they were very professional.”
More from Dragon Reforms
Everything Dragon Reforms does in Finestrat, each with its own page.
Get a quote
Describe the finca and the work you have in mind, and we will arrange a visit and send a written quotation.
