The overall exterior aesthetics of any home are sometimes referred to as its curb appeal, and maintaining it is vital to both the value of the property and how homeowners are regarded by their neighbours. You should always keep your home looking good and protect it against the rigours of the weather. Many homeowners are now choosing to improve the appearance of their property by coating the brickwork and other exterior walls with a mixture of sand, cement and other materials called render. This short piece will detail the tools needed, outline the rendering process, and describe the different types of render available for all good building suppliers.
Getting The Right Tools
You can either purchase or hire the tools you need to render your property, most good hire stores will stock these tools and offer the option of a specialist rendering machine which eases the mixing stage of the process. The other tools needed are as follows –
- Stainless steel trowel – a comfortable, well-balanced example is the best choice.
- Square notched trowel – essential to ensure the first or basecoat is applied correctly.
- Bucket trowel – used for moving wet render when needed.
- Plastic and Sponge floats – used to smooth out any imperfections or apply a textured finish if required.
- Corner trowel – vital if needing to render around difficult corners.
- Speedskim – Not essential, but a great timesaver.
When rendering, you will need the appropriate personal protective equipment, hard hat, boots, and eyewear as a minimum and always have a first aid kit handy for any possible incidents.
Looking At the Rendering Process
To render the walls of your home, you will need a couple of fine, dry days, so plan with one eye on the weather forecast. Alternatively, have a large tarpaulin to hand if it does rain. The process of rendering then follows these steps –
- Preparation of surfaces removing any loose debris or dust.
- Mixing or preparing your pre-mixed render – always carefully follow instructions.
- Apply the first coat of render using the correct tools.
- Scratch the first coat for a better bonding solution with the next coat.
- Application of further coats of render.
- Floating and sponging down the final coat.
This is a basic description of the rendering process, and further online research will give you a full understanding of the work required.
What Type of Render to Use?
At the outset, you will have to decide which type of render you are going to use; it is available in smooth, patterned, and textured finishes and a range of colours. The render in use today falls into these main groups –
- Lime renders – normally used in older homes, it is flexible and breathable.
- Cement renders – this cheaper option is normally mixed on-site and needs multiple coats and frequent repainting.
- Polymer-based renders – they use a lime or cement render base and added polymers to prevent cracking; coloured options avoid the need for painting.
- Acrylic renders – often used as a topcoat over other finishes, silicon is added for longevity.
Building suppliers can provide polymer, and acrylic renders that are available pre-mixed, simplifying the mixing part of the rendering process, which might be an advantage to the beginner.
Now with a good understanding of what rendering entails, you might have the confidence to render your own home. Take a further look at rendering today.