| Cement Rendering | Acrylic Texture Coating | Marmorina | Stucco | Render Cost | Bagging | Renovation |
So you have decide to cement render your home - this being either a house, terrace, townhouse, duplex or apartment.
Firstly, have a sneak peak what your neighbours have done in your area and take notes. You want something to fit in the style of the area, but also differentiate itself if you are planning to sell in the later years - always think about street appeal and maximising your selling price. Next, do your research on the different exterior finishes available to you. Have you Googled? We love Google - i.e. see what options are available in texture coatings and the best products on the market that would suit your home.
Here is a simple rundown, without getting too technical, on how you can transform your home with cement render and perhaps choose the best finish for your home.
We have listed the most common render finishes - but at the end of the day it's your personal preference and budget which will make your decision.
Bagging
A bagged wall is a very rough version of a cement render wall and only requires one coating of render mix, using coarse-graded sands.
There isn't much precision when bagging as it allows for irregularities and bumps, as well as revealing some of the characteristics of the bricks. It is applied thinly to substrate leaving the appearance of the wall rough and rustic. You can buy coloured bagging render or paint over the grey cement application. A final coat should be placed as a sealer on the wall after the application for protection and rain penetration.
So if you are after a Tuscan look and a cheaper alternative to cement rendering, then maybe bagging is the way to go. But take note that when you are considering bagging a home, it will highlight any imperfections rather than hiding them if you were to cement render your home. Also this system in today's market is less common and least popular.
Cement Rendering
A cement render finish gives a more elegant, cleaner and sophisticated look to your external home façade. Many homes are being cement rendered to give their home a modernised look and feel.
Traditional Cement Render: of which materials are purchased from bulk supplier i.e. sand, cement and clay and mixed on site.
Polymer Modified Cement Render: which is a proprietary product and usually purchased in 15kg to 20kg bags from suppliers such as Dulux Acratex, Rockcote, Unitex, MACrender etc.
The cement rendering system is the application of a mixture of sand, cement, lime, clay and bonding agents to brick and concrete surfaces, which is then screeded, floated and sponged for a desired finish. It can then be textured with an acrylic coating or painted flat after the application. You need to remember that traditional cement render is cementitious, therefore it dries solid, grey and brittle and is more susceptible to cracking. To avoid this we recommend you apply a skim coat of acrylic render to allow the cement to expand with the acrylic and minimise any potential cracking.
With cement rendering, depending on the look and feel that you are after, it can be fine or coarse, textured or smooth, natural or coloured, pigmented or painted.
Acrylic Coatings
One of the most popular and durable render coating systems on the market, that provides you with many options from texture finishes to colour, water resistance and more importantly flexibility that reduces cracking on your exterior façade.
Firstly your home still needs to be cement rendered, no matter what substrate it is. Then the acrylic render is trowled onto the cement render which provides a coating. This makes the cement render much stronger and flexible, allowing the render underneath to breath.
The advantage of using this system is that it is very attractive and has various texture coating finishes, from a smooth finish to semi textured to coarse. The smoother the finish the more premium the finish appears and modern the house looks. Also a tint can be applied to the acrylic to give it a colour, but it is also advised to paint over this to highlight the colour and minimise future fading due to general wear and tear.
Marmorino
Marmorino is a lime-based, decorative finish coating for interior walls and exterior facades. Depending on the application technique, there is a wide range of premium finishes to choose from - basic, natural, classic to many different textured finishes. Hardness and resistance are characteristics of Marmorino and it is highly appreciated for its aesthetic effect and uniqueness when properly lighted. It is predominately used in sophisticated environments such as reception areas, offices, and villas. It is also used in bathrooms as an alternative to marble and ceramic and becoming increasingly popular.
Stucco
Stucco is used as an exterior cement plaster as a premium finish. It is a fine plaster used for coating wall surfaces or moulding into architectural decorations. Stucco is durable, attractive, flexible and weather resistant wall covering. The finish coat usually contain an integral colour and typically textured for appearance.
Stucco is valued as a siding material for its attractiveness and durability and is a relatively low-maintenance exterior finish. Stucco can be directly applied to brick and concrete, or applied to a lath (paper or wire mesh) over a wood frame or other material.
Cost of Cement Rendering
An important factor you need to consider is your budget. We would recommend you source three different quotes, but also keep in mind what you are receiving through that quote i.e. service, qualified tradesmen, workmanship, project management, insurance etc. Compare apples with apples and be realistic.
As a guide in regards to cement rendering costs you should expect $80 + GST per square meter for a Polymer Modified render system. If you are after traditional render, rates start from $60 + GST per square meter. But not everything can be calculated on square meter rates. It depends how much detail there is or you want there to be on your home, which would be an added cost, usually a per hourly cost - keep this is mind.
Firstly, have a sneak peak what your neighbours have done in your area and take notes. You want something to fit in the style of the area, but also differentiate itself if you are planning to sell in the later years - always think about street appeal and maximising your selling price. Next, do your research on the different exterior finishes available to you. Have you Googled? We love Google - i.e. see what options are available in texture coatings and the best products on the market that would suit your home.
Here is a simple rundown, without getting too technical, on how you can transform your home with cement render and perhaps choose the best finish for your home.
We have listed the most common render finishes - but at the end of the day it's your personal preference and budget which will make your decision.
Bagging
A bagged wall is a very rough version of a cement render wall and only requires one coating of render mix, using coarse-graded sands.
There isn't much precision when bagging as it allows for irregularities and bumps, as well as revealing some of the characteristics of the bricks. It is applied thinly to substrate leaving the appearance of the wall rough and rustic. You can buy coloured bagging render or paint over the grey cement application. A final coat should be placed as a sealer on the wall after the application for protection and rain penetration.
So if you are after a Tuscan look and a cheaper alternative to cement rendering, then maybe bagging is the way to go. But take note that when you are considering bagging a home, it will highlight any imperfections rather than hiding them if you were to cement render your home. Also this system in today's market is less common and least popular.
Cement Rendering
A cement render finish gives a more elegant, cleaner and sophisticated look to your external home façade. Many homes are being cement rendered to give their home a modernised look and feel.
Traditional Cement Render: of which materials are purchased from bulk supplier i.e. sand, cement and clay and mixed on site.
Polymer Modified Cement Render: which is a proprietary product and usually purchased in 15kg to 20kg bags from suppliers such as Dulux Acratex, Rockcote, Unitex, MACrender etc.
The cement rendering system is the application of a mixture of sand, cement, lime, clay and bonding agents to brick and concrete surfaces, which is then screeded, floated and sponged for a desired finish. It can then be textured with an acrylic coating or painted flat after the application. You need to remember that traditional cement render is cementitious, therefore it dries solid, grey and brittle and is more susceptible to cracking. To avoid this we recommend you apply a skim coat of acrylic render to allow the cement to expand with the acrylic and minimise any potential cracking.
With cement rendering, depending on the look and feel that you are after, it can be fine or coarse, textured or smooth, natural or coloured, pigmented or painted.
Acrylic Coatings
One of the most popular and durable render coating systems on the market, that provides you with many options from texture finishes to colour, water resistance and more importantly flexibility that reduces cracking on your exterior façade.
Firstly your home still needs to be cement rendered, no matter what substrate it is. Then the acrylic render is trowled onto the cement render which provides a coating. This makes the cement render much stronger and flexible, allowing the render underneath to breath.
The advantage of using this system is that it is very attractive and has various texture coating finishes, from a smooth finish to semi textured to coarse. The smoother the finish the more premium the finish appears and modern the house looks. Also a tint can be applied to the acrylic to give it a colour, but it is also advised to paint over this to highlight the colour and minimise future fading due to general wear and tear.
Marmorino
Marmorino is a lime-based, decorative finish coating for interior walls and exterior facades. Depending on the application technique, there is a wide range of premium finishes to choose from - basic, natural, classic to many different textured finishes. Hardness and resistance are characteristics of Marmorino and it is highly appreciated for its aesthetic effect and uniqueness when properly lighted. It is predominately used in sophisticated environments such as reception areas, offices, and villas. It is also used in bathrooms as an alternative to marble and ceramic and becoming increasingly popular.
Stucco
Stucco is used as an exterior cement plaster as a premium finish. It is a fine plaster used for coating wall surfaces or moulding into architectural decorations. Stucco is durable, attractive, flexible and weather resistant wall covering. The finish coat usually contain an integral colour and typically textured for appearance.
Stucco is valued as a siding material for its attractiveness and durability and is a relatively low-maintenance exterior finish. Stucco can be directly applied to brick and concrete, or applied to a lath (paper or wire mesh) over a wood frame or other material.
Cost of Cement Rendering
An important factor you need to consider is your budget. We would recommend you source three different quotes, but also keep in mind what you are receiving through that quote i.e. service, qualified tradesmen, workmanship, project management, insurance etc. Compare apples with apples and be realistic.
As a guide in regards to cement rendering costs you should expect $80 + GST per square meter for a Polymer Modified render system. If you are after traditional render, rates start from $60 + GST per square meter. But not everything can be calculated on square meter rates. It depends how much detail there is or you want there to be on your home, which would be an added cost, usually a per hourly cost - keep this is mind.
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