Practical guide
Render renewal or external wall insulation?
The physical difference between re-rendering a wall and insulating it externally, and how wall type, condition and planning rules point to one or the other.
Read the guideMaterials, repairs and project planning
Rendering advice for Middlesbrough
Read about render types, repairs, preparation and what to include in a quotation. Each guide covers a different part of the job.
Practical guide
Rainwater pipes and external wall insulation
What happens to downpipes, hoppers, gutters and gullies when external insulation makes a wall thicker, and why the details matter for keeping the system dry.
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Practical guide
Choosing render for new-build blockwork
How the type of block, its suction and its finish decide which render goes on new blockwork, and what has to be done to the wall before the first coat.
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Practical guide
Rendering at an extension movement joint
Why an extension and the house are rendered with a joint between them, how the beads are set out, and what to do about cracks at the junction.
Read the guidePractical guide
Living in a bungalow while it is rendered
What each stage of rendering a bungalow means for the people living in it: noise, dust, covered windows, blocked paths, fittings and the weather pauses.
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Practical guide
Replacing failed render without repeating the defect
The usual reasons render fails, how to read them from the old coating as it comes off, and the changes to materials and details that stop it happening again.
Read the guidePractical guide
What commercial external wall insulation involves
External wall insulation on commercial buildings: fire rules, board types, fixings and pull-out tests, signage and services, and working round an open building.
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Practical guide
Comparing maintenance needs of render finishes
How painted sand-and-cement, monocouche, silicone, lime and pebbledash renders are cleaned, repaired and recoated, and the checks that keep any render sound.
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