First impressions are important as they leave a lasting impact on the onlooker, and the first impression of your house is the façade and outer walls of your house – the exterior. So it only makes sense that the first impression that your house gives should be a good one. Apart from the aesthetics, the cladding of your house also has other potential benefits such as insulating your house and giving it protection from the elements. When choosing the cladding of your house, you are presented with many options which include brick, weatherboarding, vertical tiling, and the very popular rendering.
So what exactly is house rendering? A render is a coat of plaster that is applied to the external walls in order to give them a smooth finish. The main difference between the plaster that you can apply to your interior walls and the plaster/render you can apply to the exterior walls is that the exterior render has to be weatherproof so that protection from the elements can be provided. Rendering the exterior of your house has many benefits which include covering up the unattractive brickwork, giving a nice crisp and simple finish to modern houses, or completely transforming an old looking house into something new.
The cost of house rendering varies and largely depends on where you live and what type of rendering you go for. Additionally, the cost also depends on the offering since standard rendering is cheaper than rendering with add-ons. There are different types of renders you can choose from, which are discussed below.
Cement Render
Usually applied to rough surfaces such as bricks, concrete, stone blocks, or sometimes even painted walls that have been prepared suitably beforehand, the cement render is used to give a smooth finish to a rough surface. Cement render is the oldest and cheapest method of rendering. It is created by mixing cement, water, sand, and clay together, and this is usually done at the site. Cement renders are applied in several coats.
Cement renders are not purely waterproof, therefore once dry, they are applied with a finishing coat to make them waterproof and give them a decorative color finish. The main advantages of cement renders are that they are cheap, easy to apply, and strong and hard. However, cement renders are only suitable to apply to newly built homes where movement is less, as cement renders are prone to cracks. Since they are prone to cracks, cement renders require more maintenance compared to other types of renders.
Lime Render
Like the cement render, the lime render is also one of the oldest renders out there. Considered out of fashion until a few years back, it has started to make a comeback in the render trends. But unlike the cement render, the lime render has a huge advantage that it is very flexible, and as a result of that it does not crack up as easily as the cement render. The lime render is best suited to old houses where a breathable finish is an essential requirement for the house to work, as the lime render has the advantage of being breathable. The lime render is also aesthetically pleasing and looks especially attractive in the period homes.
However, the lime render is not a cheap option like the cement render. In fact, lime render is quite an expensive choice for a render. Additionally, it does not have a DIY application, as skilled labor is needed to apply the lime render, further adding to the costs.
Acrylic Render
The acrylic render consists of rendering material that is similar to the cement render, but acrylic is added to the mixture. The component of acrylic is added to give the render more flexibility. Acrylic render is a form of plastic added to render at the time of manufacturing. Acrylic renders are considered to be versatile, and especially effective against vapor and condensation. Another specialty of acrylic renders is that they include the ingredient of silicone, which is known to be self-cleaning, thus very little maintenance is required on the acrylic renders. Acrylic render is less likely to crack due to its flexibility properties, making it durable. It also shields the walls from water and UV rays’ damage. It also offers a faster application time and lesser drying time when compared to cement render.
Polymer Render
Polymer render is a relatively new type of render in the market. This type of render is usually sold pre-mixed in bags with either white cement or lime as the base. Polymer render uses silicone water repellent as a part of its process, and by doing so it easily repels water on its surface, but at the same time, it also allows for water vapor to pass through it thus giving it the property of being breathable. Due to its breathable capabilities, it is most suitable for homes made of bricks and wood. Polymer render is highly waterproof, weather-resistant, and reduces wear and tear on the building. Polymer renders are also usually pre-colored, so you do not need to add additional layers of paint on them.
Monocouche Render
Monocouche is a weather-resistant and breathable render, which is through-colored, one-coat, and cement-based. Monocouche renders are widely popular in Europe due to their ease of application. A monocouche render comes pre-pigmented, thus there is no need for further painting. This type of render has a crisp clean finish and comes with a nice choice of colors. Although easier to apply and more durable, monocouche rendering is an expensive choice compared to other types of rendering. It is low maintenance and does not require additional painting, but it is not crack resistant thus not suitable for buildings that are prone to movement.
Conclusion
When choosing how to decorate the exterior of your house, you can use the method of rendering and choose any of the above-mentioned types of rendering. However, you are in no way limited to using just one type of rendering – you can use more than one type of renders on your exterior if you want to do something bold and you are confident you can pull it off. All in all, renders are an excellent tool to increase the beauty and durability of your exterior.
Have you ever gotten house rendering done? What was your experience like? Sound off in the comments below!