A modern render that does not need painting
Silicone render is a thin-coat render system with the colour mixed right through it, so the finished wall never needs painting. The silicone in the top coat makes the surface water repellent, so rain beads and runs off rather than soaking in, which helps the wall stay cleaner for longer. At the same time it lets water vapour out of the wall, so moisture inside the masonry can still escape.
Pro Finish Plastering applies silicone render systems to homes and commercial buildings across Worthing, Littlehampton, Brighton and the rest of West Sussex, in a wide choice of colours and finishes.
Recent silicone render jobs
Two of our own recent projects show the finish well. In Saltdean, a reconfiguration and extension project was finished externally with a silicone render system in the colour Prosecco, bringing the original house and the new extension together under one clean, even coat. In Waterlooville, a property was finished in the colour Platinum. Photos of both are on this page.
What goes into a silicone render system
A silicone finish is only as good as the layers underneath it. A typical system is built up like this:
- Preparation. The wall is checked and made sound: loose or hollow render hacked off, cracks dealt with, and the surface cleaned.
- Beads. Corner, stop and bell-cast beads are fixed so the edges, window reveals and the base of the wall are straight and protected.
- Basecoat and mesh. A basecoat goes on with reinforcing mesh bedded into it, which helps the finish resist cracking.
- Primer. A tinted primer to suit the top coat.
- Top coat. The through-coloured silicone finish is applied thinly and worked to an even texture.
The exact products depend on the system and the wall, whether that is brick, block, existing render or insulation boards.
Over old render and pebble dash
You do not always have to strip a house back to brick. Where existing render or pebble dash is sound and well bonded, it can often be prepared and covered with a new silicone system, which is a common way to modernise a tired 1960s or 1970s exterior. Where the old coat is hollow, cracked or coming away, it needs to come off first. We will check this before quoting, because covering failing render only hides the problem for a while.
Silicone or traditional render?
Sand and cement render is a hard, traditional finish that is usually painted. Through-coloured renders such as K Rend and monocouche, and thin-coat silicone systems, are coloured all the way through so they never need painting. Silicone systems give the thinnest, most even finish and the strongest water repellence. Our main rendering page covers all the renders we apply, inside and out, and if you would like the walls insulated at the same time, see external wall insulation and cork render.
Weather and timing
Render systems have temperature and weather limits set by their manufacturers, so they are applied in suitable conditions and protected from rain and frost while they cure. That makes spring to autumn the main season for external rendering, and it is worth getting a quote in early. Call 07824 165672 for free, no-obligation advice and a quote.
