Have you ever wondered whether you could boost the look and durability of your home with the addition of some render? It can be tricky to know whether it will prove to be as good as you think or whether it will turn out to be a costly mistake.
So, how do you know if rendering your home is the right move? To help you work this out, let’s explore the benefits of rendering a house and the things you need to take into consideration.
The benefits of rendering your home
One of the top benefits of rendering your home is that it can improve the appearance of the exterior. It can hide ugly features such as mismatched brickwork and give your home a fresher, more contemporary feel. Improving kerb appeal in this way could also boost the value of your home. So, you may see a return on this investment.
Energy efficiency is another top benefit to rendering your home. This extra layer on your walls can help to keep your home warmer. You can combine render with exterior insulation to boost your home’s energy efficiency further or use an insulating render. This should lower the cost of your bills, so it might also help you recoup the initial costs of having the rendering done.
But it’s not just about keeping your home warm, render can also help to reflect heat, meaning your home could stay cooler in the summer months.
The climate-proofing qualities of render don’t end there. Adding it to your home can help to protect brick, stone and mortar from weathering, so your walls are more durable. It can also help to cut out draughts and safeguard against damp. This means that render is often a good addition for homes positioned in windy, exposed sites and for those located in the wetter regions of the country.
Finally, in noisy environments, render can also help to soundproof your home – particularly when it’s used alongside other features such as triple glazing.
What you need to consider first
Although render does have plenty of benefits, there are a few things to consider before you decide to add it to your home’s walls.
The first thing to consider is how your home is built, as you don’t want render to cause damp issues. Homes built with solid walls need to breathe and render can affect that ability. That doesn’t mean rendering is out of the question, but you should get some expert advice first. It may be that using a traditional lime render is the answer.
The condition of your home is also an important consideration. You can’t simply use render to cover up problems. Again, you could end up trapping moisture in the walls, causing damp. So, you need to fix issues first by carrying out the necessary repair jobs, such as repointing the brickwork.
Before applying render to your home, it’s also worth checking to see if there are any local planning restrictions you need to be aware of. You may need to get permission before you can render your home or you may need to stick to using specific materials.
You also need to understand that there are different rendering materials and application methods. This can directly affect the look and durability of your home.
To narrow down your options, consider what features are most important to you. Do you want your render to look smooth or textured? Do you want it to be paintable or resistant to staining?
For instance, if you live in a wet climate, silicone render can be a good option as it has good waterproofing qualities and is resistant to algae growth. However, if you fancy going for a colourful render but need it to be both durable and thermally efficient, a monocouche render may suit you better.
Is rendering a good idea?
After reading through the benefits of rendering and understanding the factors you need to be aware of, you might still be wondering whether render is a good idea.
For many of us, the answer is going to be yes – especially when it comes to homes that need to improve their energy efficiency and resilience against harsh weather conditions. It’s also a good move for homes that are currently lacking in kerb appeal.
But if you are going to render your home, you do need to do your research first and talk to an expert. This is the only way to make sure it’s the right move for your home and that you’re using the most suitable type of render.
You also need to make sure you’ve done all the relevant checks, to make sure you comply with local planning rules and ensure you hire the right people to do the job.