Textured wall coatings or even smooth painted areas don’t usually become infested with moss but normally either an algae or lichen. The colour and type of growth of the algae or lichen depends upon what area of the country it occurs. However, regardless of what type of micro-organism is infesting the textured wall, the treatment...Read More

The rendering system is determined by the background material, anticipated stress and aesthetics. The number of coats in the rendering varies. The simplest is just one coat, and normally the maximum is three. A basic principle in building up the rendering is that the strength of each layer is less as one moves outwards. The thickness of the rendering is determined...Read More

There are organisms i.e. algae that can survive extreme and constantly changing environments such as externally rendered surfaces/ façades. The most important factors that control the growth of such organisms on a façade are the relative humidity and the temperature. Fig.1: Microscopic view of an algae micro-organism             Every biological organism has different...Read More

The original Mediterranean villas in Europe were externally rendered and painted white to help reflect heat from the Sun during the Summer season, the white pigment of the paint being due to  titanium dioxide A rendered finish is generally guaranteed to provide protection of the duration 15-20 years if properly applied while the addition of paint...Read More

Lime putty based render is known to be less flexible than hydraulic lime render and has the longest time duration to cure/ dry, requiring a minimum of three months. Lime putty based render requires a long time to cure because it slowly absorbs carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, undergoing a chemical change from calcium...Read More

Tyrolean rendering is a cement based render containing silicone which gives the render its waterproof properties. It is a finish used on masonry or concrete wall surfaces, suitable in an environment where there water is nearby and/ or high humidity e.g. coastal, suburban and rural environments. Tyrolean is usually applied using a hand operated or open-hopper spraying machine...Read More

Although rendering is used on property because of its durability and stylish appearance, it is able to sustain damage if it is subjected to sudden and great changes within the property structure e.g. if the house foundation sinks unevenly to the ground due to a faulty ground foundation. Any cracks noticed regardless of how small...Read More

The raw material for the manufacture of lime mortars and renders is obtained from naturally occurring sources such as limestone (one form of CaCO3 or calcium carbonate), sea creature shells or coral calcium carbonate/ chalk (another form of CaCO3 or calcium carbonate). For the process of making lime putty (Ca(OH)2 or calcium hydroxide) from the...Read More

When deciding to paint a new external render, it is difficult for people to decide which high quality branded paint to use on the render as there is a confusing choice of paints e.g. the Dulux weathershield smooth masonry paint or the Dulux Weathershield Waterseal. Dulux Weathershield Waterseal is a silicone based product that isn’t...Read More

Lime is known as a traditional material that has been used for many years. It is also a material that is being increasingly recommended by conservationists and architects because it does not have the potential to damage traditionally constructed buildings greatly in comparison to hard cement mortars and gypsum plasters which are well known to be  inappropriate...Read More