Adur District Council's appraisal of the Shoreham-by-Sea conservation area makes a point worth repeating: painted render or stucco is the most popular finish on the town's groups of terraced houses because it gave the walls of what was then a coastal village protection against the weather. That is still its job. Queens Place is singled out for its stucco terraces painted in a run of different colours, while closer to the centre the colours are quieter whites, creams and browns. Around them, earlier buildings show off flint, cobbles and pebbles with brick quoins, and those are best left on show.
Weather from the sea and the river
Shoreham sits on flat, low land on the north bank of the Adur, with the shingle spit of Shoreham Beach between the river and the open Channel. Houses on the beach take the weather straight off the sea, and the old town's own history records waves from the south-west eroding its eastern end. Rain driven against a wall finds hairline cracks, open joints around sills and the tops of parapets, and once water is behind a hard render it has nowhere to go. That is when render starts to sound hollow and lift. The wettest months, October to December, are when the damage shows, and spring to early autumn is the season for putting it right, because render cures badly in frost or heavy rain and dries too fast in strong wind.
Lime, cement or something modern
On the older solid walls in the conservation area, including stuccoed cottages and terraces, the general rule is to match like with like. A soft, breathable lime render moves with old masonry and lets it dry out; dense sand and cement patches on those walls tend to crack around their edges and trap moisture behind. The council's appraisal of neighbouring Kingston Buci makes a similar point about walls, contrasting older flint walls bonded with lime mortar with modern ones in cement.
Post-war houses on Shoreham Beach and the newer homes north of the railway are a different story. Cavity walls and modern block take sand and cement, K Rend, monocouche or pebble dash happily, and for a finish that never needs repainting, a silicone render system in Shoreham is worth a look.
Painting, render and consent
Church Street has had an Article 4 Direction since 1996 that removes permitted development rights for a range of external changes facing the street, which is a big part of why the council's appraisal calls it the least altered street in the old town. The 2021 appraisal of Old Shoreham suggests similar controls be considered there, including on covering walls in render and painting surfaces that were previously unpainted. Adur District has seven conservation areas in all, including Shoreham-by-Sea, Old Shoreham, Kingston Buci and Southlands. If your house is in one or is listed, check with Adur and Worthing Councils before re-rendering or changing a colour.
Render and damp
Render taken down over a damp proof course, or bridged by a raised path, can draw ground moisture up into a wall. Where damp inside lines up with cracked render outside, the two are fixed together; see damp proofing in Shoreham.
More on each system is on our rendering service page, and our other services are listed for Shoreham-by-Sea. Call 07824 165672 for free, no-obligation advice.
