I have a client whose house is rendered, pale coloured. I am proposing replacing a substantial timber faced retaining wall in full view from sliding doors, with split level retaining walls forming raised beds, and was going to use rendered blockwork to give a very crisp contemporary look which will also tie in with the house. However my client is very sensitive to any staining on pale render and I am wondering about using an alternative material/finish which will be more resistant to staining and/or easier to clean. The walls will have planting beds underneath and inevitably there will be some splashback from the soil, and I don't want the plants damaged by bleach and pressure washing.
Budget is fairly generous, and I am wondering about either using a very pale cream brick (eg Ibstock's Vitessa White) with matching pointing, or stone tile facing, maybe a travertine, or a high quality reconstituted stone. Has anyone else had any experience of using pale brick? or any thoughts about the problem generally?
thanks! and Happy New Year to all -
Rose
www.chameleongardens.co.uk
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Replies
Rose,
Sorry to go off thread a little but pre-coloured render such as monocouche is great and would last a long long time if installed to manufactures advice and clean easily without damage- http://www.monocouche.co.uk/
With regards to using a pale brick, would thought you would need to seal the face once dried out but use a sealer that will allow the brickwork to dry out and breath..
I would strongly recommend against K-rend or other monocouche products if your worried about this. They don't rub up like a normal 2 coat smooth render and have a much more open texture which leaves them more susceptible to algae growth and general staining. I can speak from personal experience and anecdotal evidence from architects i know that will not use it any more as it is too prone to algae and staining.
I think your original idea of painted smooth render would be significantly better due to the finer texture and anti-fungecides in the paint.
Thats an interesting point Simon, can't say we've ever had any issues.
I use the new and old methods, the new works well for most applications and clients.
I know traditional 2 coat render works well too when mixed in the right proportions/materials with pva etc, the base and preparation is perfect, new render allowed to fully dry out and then be painted with 3/4 coats of say Dulux Weathersheild or similar.. in my opinion the new applications can be applied and the job completed in a quicker time frame (if thats required- without the hassle of all the drying out required)..
Anyway i'm sure Rose will do all the investigation work before settling on a final outcome...
What i should say both Richard and Rose is that i am in northern ireland or as it's better known 'Rain-ville' and that is perhaps why i am pretty down on the product as staining on it is very common here but that could be slightly exaggerated by our damper weather.
As Richard rightly points out a traditional Scratch and float smooth render and subsequent painting is a good deal more work. However it seemed from your post that the staining was a big issue and the budget could stretch to the solution which provided least risk of staining so personally i think the painting is best.
We did some raised beds clad in Travertine, client works in the stone market so that made life easier and it was nice to spec a modern garden without going the render route.
my personal choice would be the travertine tiles, they come in a wide range of colours and look very natural
Hi Simon, I grew up in NI so your comment about the rain brought back 'happy' memories! but hey, you have a mild climate and can grow all that stuff that I wouldn't dare use in the Cotswolds!
Simon Smith said:
Hi Andy, thanks for posting the photos, very smart finish. Is the basic construction blockwork? how is the stone fixed?
Andy Westacott said:
Thanks guys for all the contributions, always good to pick your brains!