Hairline cracks over doors and windows are likely due to settling. Houses of any age move and shift subtly over time, and the weakest area in a wall is the most likely to crack. Cracks in the ceiling can be cosmetic or indicative of a serious structural problem. Here's how to determine the cause of your ceiling cracks—and fix them. Bob Vila Academy Make Things.
. Jul 28, 2014 - Render can take several different forms: roughcast, pebbledash. If the wall behind the render surface moves or cracks, so will this covering. How To Repair Cracks In Roughcasting Hi, we had some issues with penetrating damp which has been traced to some cracked render (roughcast or pebbledash - from the 1930s, with semi-smooth stones I think, painted over) on the rear wall of the house and the chimney stack.
We are in the process of getting quotes to have this repaired. Both quotes so far have suggested removing and repairing broken sections, using a base coat, a mesh, then the top coat. One said he would use krend, the other didn't specify (I've asked for more information).
One has suggested just patching, the other patching, plus going over all the roughcast on that one wall. So the broken stuff is removed, then the whole wall is gone over for a complete new coat of rough cast. This would all need to be painted, since the whole house is already painted. Anything I should be aware of, or look out for when getting these quotes? I've already asked them for a more detailed breakdown of materials and processes, so I can post that back here. I have read conflicting things online about putting roughcast over roughcast - some suggest it's fine, others that it's not. I am also unsure of whether the original roughcast was cement or lime based.
Is there an easy way to tell, and will this affect what can be put on top? Also, if anyone here is a plasterer in the Glasgow area, you are welcome to send me a PM if you'd like to have a look and quote.
Thanks for any information, g. Gubar.if its painted then I would have concerns coating on top, unless the paint is very well adhered?? Even then tis a gamble.take it all off for peace of mind.thats my opinion.youve had two guys out to have a look and two different opinions and probably price?
As said above ask for references.do your homework.pics of some previous work etc different methods and materials but at the end of the day whoever does the job in the end. That decision is yours. Is there a big diffrence in price.? Evening chaps, Just wondering what your methods are for filling cracks on painted roughcast or pebbledash.
Filling blades aren't much use, as they leave the filler standing out like a sore thumb and I'm not happy with results from caulk or acrylic sealant either. In pursuit of something that is as invisible as possible, but something that will flex and last if there is any further movement, last year I tried using Red Devil applied with the corner of a sponge. It has held very well but to my eyes it is not quite invisible enough. I think Elafib would work as well, applied with a sponge, but haven't tried this yet. Does anyone have a tried and tested method for a long lasting, invisible repair?
I think maybe 100% invisible is a bit ambitious, but something close would be nice! Depends on the type of roughcast: If it's like my house, ex-council, Birmingham Corporation design, with the 2' ash blocks either side of a cavity and the no-fines roughcast exterior that's as hard as nails, they suffer from 'map-cracking' which is fine cracks running randomly. Map-cracking, so I'm reliably informed, is apparently no cause for concern and the way to deal with the cracks is a fine slurry of sand and cement applied with a brush and then paint on top of that. Having said that, I've yet to see that actually done. Most of them just get the paint dolloped on and worked into the cracks.
![Roughcast Roughcast](http://www.1stassociated.co.uk/articles/article_images/problems-cracking-render_clip_image021.jpg)
Pebbledash as an exterior wall coating is one of those “Marmite” type things; you either love it or hate it. From a money point of view, it also only has a finite lifespan so when the outside walls of your house look tired, with missing stones, cracks, hollow render and bald areas of pebbles, now is the time to consider getting it spruced up but more pebble-dash may NOT be the right answer!
Pebbledash is not everyone’s cup of tea Pebbledash is not everyone’s cup of tea and when the time comes to have it replaced or repaired, many people wrongly think that having it re-dashed is the only answer, after all, if you try and paint pebbledash with normal masonry paint, the end result WILL look terrible. Firstly, let’s define what “Pebbledash” actually is. The wall covering known as Pebbledash (or pebble-dash, or roughcast) is an exterior wall covering, that is formed of a coating or covering of a sand and cement based render, with the final coat of the dash having small stones or pebbles being literally, thrown at the wet surface by a builder. This exterior wall finish was made popular here in the United Kingdom since about the 1920’s, when housing was in greater demand, and builders were forced to cut costs wherever they could and the dash was principally applied to cover poor quality bricks. Cracked pebbledash? Original pebbledash found on older properties actually has tiny pebbles, dredged from the sea bed and washed, the motive being that this would repel water from the house walls.
Nowadays a more correct definition would be “spar dash” which are small flint chips or similar, and applied in the same way. Caution must be taken whilst working on this particular type of wall, or even walking close to a spardashed wall as the flint chips can be extremely sharp. What happens to Pebble-dash over time? Pebbledash, the original type, has some weatherproofing qualities, however like many thing, it will only last as long as your home does not suffer from frequent bad weather, and also the job was done correctly all those years ago. Even considering this, many homes were pebbledashed during the housing boom of the 1980’s and often applied to homes where the pebbledash finish does not suit the character of the house, the (expandable) image above left is a prime example of that.
Pebbledash is not flexible and is prone to cracking. Once the cracks start to appear, they let water in, which then freezes and expands in the wall, pushing the coating of dash AWAY from the bricks underneath. This process gets worse and worse over time and can end up with chunks of wall actually falling off like the house we did below. Cracked pebbledash and the new extension The stones themselves also fall off (A quick glance at the ground at the base of the wall should prove that), and the weatherproofing qualities of the wall covering quickly disappear, leaving the wall open to the weather. The stones cannot be replaced. This is also evident where a pebbledashed house has had previous repairs or alterations, the 2 areas of wall NEVER match up.
Many people wrongly consider painting the wall, and I assure you that this is a very long process due to the rough texture of the wall, and very time consuming, using 2 to 3 times the amount of paint a rendered wall would take. When you or the decorator have finished, even if you have used good quality masonry paint, the end result would look terrible, utterly awful. Once you have painted the wall, you are them committed to having it repainted around every two years!!!!! What is the most sensible option for pebbledash? Considering the points above, the home owner has very few options available; they can either have it re-pebbledashed (which will almost certainly be spar dash, not pebbles) or they consider a durable weatherproof from NEVER PAINT AGAIN instead. Mis matched pebbledash If the home owner chooses to have it re-pebbledashed there are a few things to consider. If the pebbledash is firmly stuck to the wall, when a builder forcibly removes it, his tools WILL rip out the mortar joints and the faces of the brick beneath, causing potential structural damage to your house.
Ironically if the chap doing the job is somewhat of a “cowboy builder”, they may apply a coat of pebbledash ON TOP OF the existing coating. This massively increases the LOAD on your walls, adding extra weight to something it was not designed for. This extra weight itself can pull the older pebbledash away from the wall even more, and/or it can seal up the house, denying the walls ability to “breathe” and can CAUSE DAMP. So if that’s a no-go, what option do I have left? The benefits of having an Exterior wall coatings on pebbledash In considering the above information we can see that is by far the best way to achieve a uniform paint coverage, however if the wall is in poor condition, much repair has to be done beforehand.
Never paint again have experience dating back to the 1980’s, with transforming pebbledashed houses. In addition, if the pebbledashed wall has bald areas with no stones, these must be reinstated by spraying cement with what is known as a tyrolean gun, and this blends with the existing dash to form a uniform texture across the wall. The house is then masked up and a coating of a latex modified render wash is applied, by hand, to the walls and allowed to dry. The wall coating teams then apply a primer coat, and then finally a top coat of a very thick exterior textured coating which, when applied over pebbledash, gives a beautiful, weatherproof finish, which will last for up to 20 years! The coating will repel damp, mould and algae, is not expensive, and will not need to be repainted! This also comes with a 20 year insurance backed guarantee offered by the contractor.
Contact us today for more information on 0800 970 4928 or Post navigation. We are your local, national house painting contractor for high quality external property painting services, including durable weatherproof exterior wall coatings which are guaranteed for 20 years. Choose us to repaint the outside of YOUR home this year, all quotes are FREE and we work nationwide. We also carry out wall rendering, damp proofing and a range of exterior home improvements to suit all budgets.We accept all major credit cards. We offer service in England, Wales and Scotland.
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