Help & Advice: Renders & Decorative Finishes

Nothing beats a beautifully-rendered and well-maintained building façade, so it's important to understand how to apply render correctly, troubleshoot any issues that may arise, and maintain render to prolong its lifespan.

Maintaining perfect render

A guide to monocouche render cleaning from Saint-Gobain Weber

Cleaning render

Although render is low maintenance, you may need to wash it down from time to time, this handy guide tells you how to clean render and keep it looking fresh for years to come.

A guide to render cleaning →

Repairing cracks

More noticable cracks in monocouche render can be repaired and retain a similar level and texture to the existing render. Read our guide or watch the instructional video to learn more.

Repairing cracks in render →

Protecting monocouche

Whilst monocouche render is low maintenance, like any other building facade it is not immune from the gradual buildup of organic growth and dirty deposits

Protecting render →

Problems & solutions

Rendering on surfaces with poor key

Renders are not adhesives and require a combination of suction and mechanical key to bond to the substrate

Using a decorative finish over existing render

Applying a decorative finish over existing render is the preferred option when refreshing the appearance of existing render

Rendering over painted render and backgrounds

Painted backgrounds aren't suitable for rendering directly over, so the paint will first need to be removed

Insulating and rendering a timber-framed construction

Although timber frames are treated, they are vulnerable to rot and need to be kept in a warm, dry environment

Applying render over existing masonry

Existing masonry is designed as a finish in its own right but may not be suitable to accept a direct application of render

Removing and replacing existing render

Removing existing render without damaging the brick/substrate is a large undertaking.

Rendering over existing render

We do not recommend rendering over existing render due to the large amount of unknown factors affecting its suitability

See all solutions

Helpful information

What's the difference between silicone and monocouche render systems?

Silicone renders are sometimes mistaken for monocouche renders due to the similar through-colour properties, but they are two very different products.

Find out why →

Rendering in cold weather

Applicators might dread working outdoors over the long winter months since colder weather can cause lots of issues if you’re working with render.

Find out how to avoid common mistakes →

Ghosting blockwork — what is render ghosting?

What is ghosting?

‘Ghosting’ is a phenomenon whereby the outline of the blockwork is showing through the render as a result of penetrating dampness from the underlying masonry.

Find out what to do about it →