Silicone render tends to suit the parts of Worthing built after the First World War better than the Regency and Victorian centre. The suburbs that filled out between the 1920s and the 1970s, in Goring, Durrington, Broadwater, Offington and Findon Valley, were built when painted render, pebble dash and plain brick were the usual finishes, and when those start to look tired, owners want something that lasts. Many such walls are sound underneath, which makes them good candidates for a thin, through-coloured coat that does not need a paintbrush every few years.
Why through-colour matters near the sea
A painted render on a house close to the seafront takes a beating. South-westerly wind and rain, salt in the air and strong sun on a south-facing wall all work on the paint film until it chalks, fades and flakes, and repainting a two- or three-storey front means scaffolding every time. A silicone system carries its colour right through the top coat, so there is no paint layer to fail. The silicone makes the surface water repellent, so rain beads and runs off rather than soaking in, while the coating still lets vapour escape from the wall behind. That combination helps keep a coastal elevation looking clean between occasional gentle washes.
Covering pebble dash and old render
Plenty of houses from that era carry pebble dash or a cement render that has been painted several times. If it is still firmly bonded, it does not have to be stripped. The wall is tapped over to find hollow patches, which are cut out and filled, loose paint is removed and the surface cleaned. Beads go onto corners, around windows and along the base of the wall, then a basecoat with reinforcing mesh pressed into it gives a flat, stable layer. A primer tinted to suit the colour follows, and the silicone top coat is applied thinly and worked to an even grain. Where an old coat has failed over a large area, it comes off before anything else is done, because a new system is only as good as what it is stuck to.
For houses that would benefit from insulation as well, the same finish can go over boards fixed to the walls; see our external wall insulation page for Worthing.
Where silicone is not the right answer
Not every Worthing front should be given a modern finish. In the stucco terraces of Marine Parade, the Steyne or Park Crescent, the light painted stucco and its mouldings are part of what the conservation areas protect, and a number of those buildings are listed. A thin-coat system would change their character and is unlikely to be acceptable there. The same goes for the flint cottages of West Tarring or Broadwater, whose flintwork is best left on show. Older solid walls generally do better with lime, which our rendering service in Worthing covers. If your house is in a conservation area, check with the council before choosing a new finish or colour.
Getting the timing right
Silicone systems have temperature and weather limits set by the manufacturer and need dry, frost-free days to cure. The working season runs roughly from spring to autumn, and exposed elevations near the sea are best done on calmer days. Booking a survey early in the year gives the most choice of dates.
For more on how these systems work, see silicone rendering, or browse the other services we cover in Worthing. Call 07824 165672 for a free, no-obligation quote.
