We have to make sure our homes look and hold up exceptionally well over the years. From an exterior perspective, house rendering is the technique for treating both of these qualities when they’re due for a touch-up. Yet, beyond this solution, there are several types of house rendering materials, each of which splinter into their own set of benefits.

So how do you choose the right material for the task? Here, we analyse the full sweep of rendering bases, and why they might be suitable for your property.

Cement

This is the perfect starting point, since cement home exteriors are the most widespread and easily applicable. Traditionally it’s made up of six parts sand/one part cement/one part limestone, the last of which makes it more malleable.

Cement rendering can be coloured in the mixing process, turning your structure pink, orange, yellow, pastel blue or any shade you can reasonably ask for. Adhesion is generally good, but your rendering service will still need to strip away any dirt or grime from the wall before they begin.

Polymers & acrylics

More advanced forms of rendering have embraced other, synthetic materials. These include silicones, acrylics and crack fibres, which enhance colour consistency over several decades. They’re also good for weatherproofing – if your property is regularly exposed to harsh wind, snow or rain, polymer render systems are the main choice to combat it.

Furthermore, they’re less prone to being damaged from a heavy impact, such as a thrown stone or kicked ball in the garden.

Scratch materials

You get a little from both of our previous bases in a scratch render, which combines silicone and cement elements. That means you have an easily-applied, reliable surface that’s able to let the wall ‘breathe’, allowing some moisture through to the under-layer.

In real terms, you get a home that’s fairly safe from the build-up of damp and mould, yet doesn’t constrict the wall itself too heavily, maintaining its ability to evacuate air and moisture from the inside of the property. If this doesn’t happen, then the interior may become slightly stale and musty. Go for scratch materials if you want an all-rounder that doesn’t lean too heavily in either direction.

Monocouche

The very latest house rendering material is called monocouche – a French term for ‘single layer.’ Unlike the other bases on our list, it’s far less labour-intensive, so you can push for a structure-wide rendering application in a fraction of the time.

That ‘single coat’ quality is the main reason why: each level of monocouche is typically 15mm thick. A hand-trowel coating can give you the same results as a machine spray for other materials in our roster, during a comparable treatment period. This is offset by price, but remember that the investment will pay off, as you won’t need to re-touch it again if you’re planning on staying at your property for a number of years.

Hopefully we’ve scratched away any mystery surrounding house rendering, depending on the property you’re seeing to. However, don’t make any rash decisions – call MK Rendering today for your ideal wall coatings partner. We’ll come to understand you and your requirements before we embark on any domestic project in the UK.