Following the excesses of the eighties, home makers are opting for no-fuss finishes, easy to clean surfaces and environmentally-friendly building materials. In line with this view, cement rendering has become a quick, easy and affordable way to renovate an old home — or a great way to save money when building a new one. The look that is achieved is sleek, modern and will be complete in about one week.
Keysell Constructions specialise in transforming an unfashionable brick home into a stylish contemporary dwelling — by cement rendering. Builder Mick Keysell believes that render is a popular method because it updates the home quickly and easily, and the outlay is exceeded by the increase in market value to the home.
1 Surfaces must be clean and free of dust. To do this, hose off all surfaces with water, which not only cleans the walls but helps the render adhere.
2 The render is then mixed in the cement mixer:
- three parts Sydney sand
- one part cement
- half part Plaster Master
- add water until the mix is the correct consistency
- half a cap of clear Bycol can be added to slow the drying process
- if you want a coloured render, a pigment is added at this stage.
3 The mixture is then applied to the walls using a renderers steel trowel and holding hawk. The renderer tries to achieve an even 10mm of render across the wall.
4 When the mixture starts to dry (approximately 1-2 hours after application) a steel straight edge is used with a level to straighten the wall. Any hollows are then filled with more render.
5 A wood float is used to smooth the surface of any bumps or hollows.
6 A sponge float is used to give a flat line finish.
7 Corners and windows are perfected using a straight steel edge. A corner trowel is applied to bricks or concrete blocks.
With the render complete, the house can be painted with a special concrete external paint. Mick prefers painting rather than adding coloured oxides to the render as they are not UV resistant and fade quickly. It can also be difficult, when rendering with such large quantities, to achieve the exact colour required.
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