Roughcast, pargetting and painted brick
Render in Chichester often has a long history of its own. Summersdale's residents' appraisal describes the Edwardian houses on The Avenue with red tiled roofs, rough cast plaster walls and patterned plaster, and lists vernacular pargetting and plain rough casting among the features builders of that time favoured. Along the Lavant Road, black and white mock Tudor houses of the 1920s and 30s set white panels between dark timbers. In the city centre, many Georgian fronts are brick, some of them painted, and flint is often left bare.
Repairing those finishes is about matching them. Roughcast needs the right aggregate and throwing technique to blend with the original; panels between timbers need a mix that will not crack away from the wood; and patterned plaster may need careful patching rather than replacement.
Choosing the right render for the wall
Older solid brick and flint walls need a render that lets moisture out, which usually means lime: softer than cement, slower to cure and far less likely to trap water. Modern brick and block, such as the 1960s and 70s homes of East Broyle or a new extension, can take sand and cement, a through-coloured render such as K Rend or monocouche, or a thin-coat silicone render system. Pebble dash can be patched or applied new.
Bare flint is a special case. A flint wall that was built to be seen is normally repaired and repointed rather than rendered over, and covering it just to tidy it up rarely helps the wall or the street.
Inside as well as out
Render has its uses indoors too. Sand and cement or lime backing coats build up uneven solid walls before plastering, render protects the area around fireplaces and chimney breasts, and waterproof renders form part of tanking systems on walls that hold back soil or water.
Waterproof render at Bosham
Render also works where water is constant. On the Grand Designs featured country home at Bosham, which Pro Finish plastered for architects Studio Fuse, the work included waterproof render to the natural swimming pool. That is rendering at its most demanding: a finish that has to hold back water permanently rather than shed the odd shower. The project is described on our projects page.
Planning, exposure and timing
The city's conservation area takes in the whole Roman town inside the walls, and there is a separate conservation area around the former Graylingwell Hospital. Re-rendering, or rendering a wall that was previously bare, can need planning permission there, and listed buildings need consent for most external changes, so speak to Chichester District Council first.
Around Chichester Harbour, homes sit right beside tidal water. At Bosham, spring tides flood the lower road, and walls facing open water take the full force of wind-driven rain. A render specified for that exposure, with careful detailing at sills, copings and the base of the wall, will last longer than one chosen on looks alone.
Render is a wet trade, so external work avoids frost, heavy rain and strong sun, and each coat is given time to cure before the next.
If you want to add insulation at the same time, see external wall insulation in Chichester. Read more about the renders we apply on our rendering page, or visit our Chichester page. Call 07824 165672 for free, no-obligation advice.
