I have a Victorian 2 up and 1 down terraced house and the render is falling off the side "banisters". Underneath the render on the sloping part is some grey stone which is possibly bathstone. It looks like the stone has been rendered with cement and under the render the stone is wet, probably because the render cracked or was not breathable.
Firstly, what is the correct name to use for this "banister"? The structure is a wall with a flat horizontal stone, then sloping stone, then flat again as you go down the steps. Are the slabs on top called "coping" stones?
Secondly, instead of re-rendering these coping stones can I just replace them and what material can I use that would not require rendering? I would need to pain it all white to match the wall.
Last resort is patching the render but this requires a frame of some sort to get the correct shape and sharp edges and I imagine won't last long. But if I have to go this route, should I use lime-based render instead? Or can you suggest something else breathable or is cement ok? Sorry I could not load a picture, would have made my explanation easier. Thank you.
