Rendering Brickwork
Is the brickwork on the outside of your house looking raggedy?
Rendering might be the solution – we take a look at the steps you need to take to get a professional finish when applying a render to external brickwork.
Preparing The Brickwork
The first thing to do is prepare the brickwork by brushing off any loose material. Then coat it with PVA. Mix the PVA up with water in a bucket or paint kettle and liberally apply all over the brickwork. Use the brush to flick it into all the nooks and crannies.
Which Render Mix?
As for your render, the mix should really take into account the atmospheric conditions, the type and condition of the background, and the finish you want to achieve. If it’s freezing outside, this can have a detrimental effect on the bonding process. The cement packaging should provide a guide proportion of cement, sand and water to use. Before you add the water, add a blob of plasticiser and a drop of water retarder to it and mix well. Don’t add too much and make sure it is well mixed into the water. If you don’t have a cement mixer, it might be worth renting one from a tool hire company – the work it saves will pay for itself.
Mixing The Render
Put the sand into the mixer first, then add the cement. If the mixer has a cover, great, otherwise you might want to use something like a dustbin lid or piece of board to cover the front of the mixer to stop dust spilling out as the drum spins. Once the cement and sand are well mixed, start adding the water/plasticiser/retarder a little at a time. Easy does it as you don’t want it to come spilling back out everywhere due to the motion of the mixer.
