A finish for houses that are tired of paint
Many East Preston homes were rendered from the start. The village design statement notes rendered walls as a feature of the Angmering-on-Sea and Willowhayne estates and of Seafield Road, and much of the village's housing went up between the 1930s and the early 1970s, decades when painted render was a common finish. After years of repainting, those walls often carry thick layers of masonry paint that peel on the most exposed sides.
Silicone render ends that cycle. The top coat is coloured all the way through, it repels water so rain beads and runs off, and it still lets vapour out of the wall. On a bungalow, with modest wall areas and low scaffolding, re-coating the whole house in silicone can be a tidy, self-contained project.
Sea air and salt
The southern part of East Preston, mostly the two private estates, takes in the whole foreshore, and the South Walk greensward runs between the Willowhayne estate and the beach. Houses on that side of the village get the full weather off the Channel. A water-repellent, through-coloured finish keeps its colour where paint would chalk and fade, and because dirt washes off with the rain it stays cleaner. Walls facing north or shaded by trees can still pick up some green growth over time, and an occasional gentle wash deals with it. Gutters, downpipes and sills that drip onto the wall should be put right at the same time, because constant run-off will streak any finish.
Over existing render
On a house that is already rendered, there is usually no need to strip back to brick. If the old render is sound and well bonded, it is cleaned, loose paint is taken off, and a basecoat with embedded mesh levels the surface and stops old cracks reappearing. A tinted primer follows, then the silicone top coat. Areas that sound hollow when tapped are cut out and rebuilt first, because a new finish over failing render only hides the problem for a while. Downpipes, lights and other fittings are removed and refitted so the coat runs cleanly behind them.
Choosing a colour that fits the road
The design statement points out how uniform many East Preston roads and closes are, with bungalows built at the same time in similar styles and materials, and the neighbourhood plan asks that materials harmonise in colour and texture with neighbouring buildings. A bright colour on one bungalow in a matching close can jar. Soft whites, creams and stone shades tend to sit well, and it helps to compare samples against your neighbours' walls in daylight. Where a house has mock timber framing, a style the statement picks out in Elm Avenue, Golden Avenue and Seafield Road, the render panels are finished neatly up to the timberwork so the detail is kept.
When to book
Silicone systems need dry, mild weather to cure, so spring to autumn is the season. Compare it with our other rendering options in East Preston, or combine it with external wall insulation in East Preston. The silicone rendering page has more on the system, and our East Preston page lists all our local services. Call 07824 165672 for a free, no-obligation quote.
