A Guide to Rendering for Beginners

Rendered walls are a popular option up and down the UK. But if you’ve never had your walls rendered, or you’ve bought a house with rendered walls, it’s understandable that you won’t know all the ins and outs of rendering.

In our guide to rendering for beginner’s, we’ll explain what it’s all about, the benefits of rendering and a few different options available to you…

Beginning with the basics

At the most basic level, rendering refers to covering an exterior wall with a cement-based mixture. In doing so, you’ll achieve a smoother finish which was often used to cover poor brickwork in years gone by.

Aesthetic benefits aside, render is used to provide protection for external walls. It stops bricks being weathered and eroded by rain, wind and snow. Rendering can also improve the function of walls, depending on the type of product you choose.

Below, we’ll run through some of the types of render available and their benefits…

Cement or lime

Cement render is the traditional choice, with a sand and cement mortar applied to walls in a grey cement colour. It can be painted or have pigment added to the mortar for a change of colour. While it provides some protection, it’s not the most long-lasting, weather-resistant or aesthetically appealing product.

On the other hand, using lime and sand in the mortar creates a lime render. It’s more flexible than cement, making it less prone to cracking and more long-lasting, as well as having a natural finished look. However, that comes with a higher price tag and longer application process.

Acrylic or silicone

Rendering can also be enhanced by adding man-made materials. The most popular options are acrylic resin and silicone. Both add water-resistance to the cement-based system as well as more flexibility and durability.

Silicone render has the advantage of being breathable to reduce the chance of damp issues with walls. However, both of these options are far from eco-friendly, with both silicone and acrylic taking a long time to degrade after render has completed its lifespan.

Cork render

Many rendering beginners will be asking: why not add something natural to the render to improve its qualities, rather than a man-made solution?

That’s where cork render takes to the stage. Instead of silicone or acrylic, it uses a cork infusion which is both natural and sustainable. There’s no need to fell trees to strip the cork-rich bark, which actually absorbs carbon as it grows back over the next decade or so.

Cork lends a myriad of properties to the render, including flexibility, breathability, thermal insulation, noise insulation, improved adhesion and even fire resistance.

How much does rendering cost?

No guide to rendering for beginners would be complete without some insight on costs. In truth, the cost of rendering can vary massively depending on a number of factors:

• The size of your home or the walls being rendered
• The condition of the walls or existing render
• The type of render being used
• Access to your property

Find out more about cork rendering

If you’re a rendering beginner, it’s fair to say the different types, benefits and cost considerations can be overwhelming. Corksol is on hand to help with honest, expert advice. If you would like to find out more about our sprayed cork render, simply contact our team on 01484 442420 or email [email protected].