Malta’s built heritage is extraordinary — from prehistoric temples to Baroque palaces, our buildings tell a 7,000-year story. But many of these irreplaceable structures are being damaged by modern repair methods that ignore the original building science. Historic Maltese buildings were constructed with breathable materials: lime mortar, lime plaster, and natural stone. These materials work together as a system, allowing moisture to move through the building fabric and evaporate harmlessly. When well-meaning owners or contractors apply cement render, impermeable paint, or synthetic sealants, they disrupt this natural moisture management system. Moisture becomes trapped behind the modern finish, salt damage accelerates, and the historic fabric deteriorates far faster than it would if left alone. The tragedy is that this damage is often irreversible. Once salt has destroyed the surface of Globigerina limestone, that material is gone forever. Conservation-grade lime systems are the only appropriate approach for historic buildings — they maintain breathability, respect the original materials, and actually improve with age as they gradually carbonise and strengthen.