If you know how to render a house, that’s a pretty useful skill to have. But knowing different rendering prices and when you should consider home rendering can be even more useful.
Changing and enhancing the exterior of your home is one of the best ways you can add value to your property.
Your home’s exterior is pretty much the first thing your visitors will see, so ensuring it looks great is very important, especially if your current exterior is in bad condition or a mixture of mismatched materials.
Speaking of render, it can either be sand and cement or a flexible polymer-modified render for homes with solid walls. Render can hide mismatched or poor-quality brickwork on period properties. It creates a smooth finish in modern homes.
Render can either come self-colored or be painted later. It works perfectly with timber or masonry cladding, to incorporate architectural interest, and is easily matched with external insulation to warm up a chilly home.
Here’s everything you need to know about home rendering in 2020.
What is House Rendering?
House render is basically one type of cladding for your home’s exterior. It’s just one of several cladding options.
House rendering is applied to your home’s exterior, just like how plaster is applied to your interior walls. The two main reasons you should consider house rendering are:
- to protect the underlying walling materials from the effects of rainwater penetration and weathering
- to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance to your house
Nowadays, there’s an increasingly growing number of house-rendering products, from traditional lime renders, best fitted with renovators and extending period houses, to those providing insulation and through-colored renders.
3 Different Types of House Render to Consider
If you do some digging, you’ll find plenty of house rendering options available, among which the following 3 renders are considered best and can be used on your external walls:
- Sand and Cement – the traditional method of applying 2 layers of a sand/cement mixture to your walls. Once dry, the wall is typically painted with 2/3 coats of high-quality masonry paint.
- Monocouche – rather than multiple layers, this one consists of a single coat. Monocouche is a cement-based render. It and comes ready to be mixed with water, then typically sprayed on to the property. Monocouche is by far the most expensive material out of the bunch.
- Silicone – another expensive type of render, but with lots of potentials. It is flexible, and thus, won’t crack. It’s also breathable, and therefore, helps prevent wall condensation. Similar to Moncouche, this too is a “through-color” so no painting required, just a wash every few years.
How Much Does It Cost To Render a House?
For those wondering how much does it cost to externally render a house, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Rendering your home may cost anywhere from over £2,000 to upwards of £8,000, depending on the size, difficulty, and methods taken.
For instance, a small bungalow should cost you considerably less than an enormous detached property. Furthermore, an important factor to note would be the type of rendering materials and process used; these can dramatically increase or reduce the overall cost.
Another significant factor would be the quality of the final process; saving a few extra dollars with a DIY job or hiring a professional tradesman and spending a few extra bucks for a more refined job. All these are extremely critical considerations that only you, the homeowner, can decide precisely.
Everyone loves the idea of saving money whenever possible, yet in some instances, it is always better to pay a little extra to get a higher quality, less stressful experience.
The basic render for your external walls begins with a scratch coat, followed by a finer topcoat, painted using masonry paint. This will cost you around £40-£60 per m². So, a simple garden wall (covering around 5m²) would cost you approximately £250.
On the other hand, for a usual semi-detached three-bed property (covering 80 m²), it could cost you up to £5,000. This is a vital factor in all the expenses. Thus, it’s important to factor in all the expenses.
Overthinking charges (e.g., hiring the scaffolding, waste removal) may result in a surprise once you calculate the total cost of the job.
Should You Consider House Rendering?
There are many benefits to applying render to your home’s exterior:
- improves your home’s appearance
- protects the existing walling material from damp penetration
- enhances thermal insulation
Rendering your house can make it stand out as you have plenty of attractive color options to choose from. Additionally, covering up that old, unattractive brickwork with a perfectly-applied coat of render will increase the overall value of your home as it usually makes older properties look modern.
Although not as popular in the UK due to its complexity, there’s the option of applying an Insulation Render to your home’s exterior rather than installing cavity wall insulation. You can apply it on one coat, which will decrease labor charges. However, note that doing so is more costly compared to applying traditional render.
Is Planning Permission Necessary?
Rendering your house doesn’t require any planning permission unless your property is:
- In a conservation zone
- A listed building
- In the broads
- In an area of outstanding natural beauty
- In a national park
As long as you’re located outside of those areas, rendering will not require any planning permission.
Wrapping Up
Rendering a house can be done both individually or with the help of a professional, although the latter is recommended. Not only will your house be protected from adverse weather, but it will also have a beautiful color that won’t fade, nor chip, crack or peel. This is guaranteed for at least 20 years or so!