When constructing a home, rendering your walls is often part of the process that is overlooked or not taken as seriously as it should be. We’re here to explain what exactly is meant by rendering a wall and why it is extremely important to do it. Read through our detailed step by step guide which will explain the process from start to finish.
What Is Rendering?
Rendering a wall is the phrase used to describe applying a material to a wall to add a crucial layer of protection. The difference between rendering a wall and plastering a wall is that rendering is generally the term used to describe work on exterior walls, while plastering tends to refer to work on interior walls.
Benefits of Rendering a Wall
You might wonder why you should render your walls or check if they need to be done. Here are some of the main benefits of rendering your walls.
Protection For the Building
It goes without saying that the walls are a crucial part of the structure of any building, so looking after them should be a key priority. Rendering the exterior walls helps protect the bricks from the wear and tear caused by harsh weather conditions over time. Thus, the structure of the building is protected for a longer amount of time.
Protection From Damp
As well as protecting the brickwork from the elements, rendering your walls can also help keep damp out of your property, as the layer acts as a barrier. Solid brick walls are particularly prone to damp, and by keeping moisture from forming and penetrating the brickwork you will also protect the home’s structure from issues like cracked and crumbling bricks.
Insulation
By adding an extra layer to the exterior, it will help keep heat from escaping the property as easily as it would with fewer layers. There are different types of rendering materials to use, which we discuss later, but if you use an insulating render then the heat loss is significantly decreased even further. Render can also be added over the top of any external insulating materials, which can act as a waterproof cover too.
Looks Better on the Eye
While the other benefits we have listed tend to be along more practical lines, you can also improve the aesthetics of your home by rendering the walls. Many people tend not to like their external walls showing off the plain bricks, so by rendering these walls you can add a sleek layer of paint for a much cleaner appearance. By rendering, you’re able to do a lot more with the external style of your home. It’s also a great alternative to the pebble-dash style, which many people see as outdated.
How To Render Your Walls – A Step by Step Guide
1. Prepare The Wall
An important step that can’t be overlooked, preparing the wall has to be done ahead of anything else. You’ll need to remove any render that had been added previously, as well as any dust, dirt and debris. The most effective way to do this is to add a cleaning solution to the exterior wall which can help remove any mould or debris and use a hose to make sure the wall is completely clean.
You’ll need to make sure to leave the walls to dry before starting, which may take a few days. It’s best to check the weather forecast too, as any rain would cause problems and could prevent the render from successfully adhering to the wall.
2. Mixing the Render
After buying the render mix such as Weber Rend Aid, add it into a bucket and mix according to the instructions on the relevant packaging. It’s commonly around 20kg of render mixed with 8 litres of water. After mixing with water, the material should form a paste-like substance. After using a shovel or power drill to fully mix the render, make sure to wash your tools otherwise the render may dry and harden.
3. Apply The First Coat
For this step, you will need a trowel. Add the mixed render to the trowel and press it onto the wall, moving it upwards and keeping the coat as even as possible on the wall. The first coat of render should be around 5mm in thickness.
After ensuring the surface is even, use a scratching comb to create horizontal lines onto the surface, which provide a surface for the second layer of render to adhere to. Then, leave the render for two hours so that it’s able to harden and dry.
4. Apply The Second Coat
After the first coat is completely dry, you can then move onto applying the second coat to your exterior wall. The method is the same, though the thickness will be double that of the first coat (10mm). After leaving the second coat to dry for around half an hour, you can then even out the coat to ensure it’s all even.
5. Anything Else That’s Needed
By this stage the hard work is pretty much done. This is just a case of taking a slightly wet sponge and gently scrubbing the wall to make sure that the surface is smooth. After this, leave the wall for 24 hours so that it can dry out. Then, each day for the next week, spray the wall gently with lukewarm water to prevent the render from drying out and causing cracks.
What are the Different Types of Render
Now that you’ve learned how to render to your wall, it’s time to take a look at different types of finish for your render.
- Lime Render: Often used on older homes, lime render is flexible and breathable enough to help prevent damp problems.
- Cement Render: The most common choice for most external walls, cement render is fairly cheap to buy but can take two or three coats. You’ll also need to make sure to repaint it quite frequently to keep a refreshed look.
- Polymer Render: Polymers or other plastics are added to these renders to help stop cracking from occurring.
- Monocouche Render: Only one coat is required here similar to Weber Pral M, which can help save time and effort. They tend to be more expensive than the other types of renders though.
- Acrylic Render: Used as a top coat over existing finishes, silicone can be added to add a bit of longevity, as well as taking away the need to cleaning.
So, there you have it, follow our guide and you can successfully render your external walls. When done correctly. It should also improve the overall value of your home, too.
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