Roughcaster in Fife Rendering External House Walls in Kirkcaldy

Rendering walls is a popular form of finishing external walls. Just ask expert Roughcaster James Beattie who says you render walls for good reason.

Just look around at the many houses in Fife rendered walls are everywhere it’s that uniform finish.

When the call comes in to New Carden Roofing and Building about an external wall job on a house, the common issue being repaired is cracking.

Hairline cracks in the wall surface, and these become invaded by rain and more when Scotland's winters arrive.

In the deep winter it gets colder and things freeze and expand, and in the case of your external wall it starts to make cracks become bigger.

The root cause you can't do much about. Houses in Scotland are exposed to our 4 weather seasons and so the external building is exposed to all sorts of weather conditions we can’t do much about. That seasonal weather creates pressure on your wall surfaces. This is why lime is used as it adds a touch of much-needed flexibility.

What you want is for your local builder to take care of this, to ensure the topcoat of the render is properly closed to water ingress. Because if the render bubbles, then that has been caused by the topcoat being applied too soon after the first coat.

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Rendering or Roughcasting - What am I Needing?

Most house owners simply take their house for granted. It looks nice, it appears water tight, and generally is nice to look at and admire.

So what is on the outer walls protecting you is Roughcast, sometimes referred to as wet-dash or commonly known in Scotland as 'harling'.

Roughcast is a render with a coarse finishing coat containing gravel thrown in a premixed state onto your wall. It is distinct from pebble dash whereby the aggregate is applied separately onto wet plaster.

Having your local Roughcaster in Fife James Beattie of New Carden Roofing and Building rendering your walls is going to be highly cost-effective for you when compared to just having brick, stone or timber cladding.

Your rendered wall can also be any colour you want.

At New Carden Roofing and Building James Beattie is likely going to be visiting your property either because you have had some roughcasting work poorly done, or, that house you have lived in literally all your life is needing a lift.

But if rendering is done incorrectly it can end up being a high-maintenance problem - and you want to avoid that.

You don't want to spend good money for that fresh look and end up within months seeing cracks, bubbles, and mould appearing.

At New Carden Roofing and Building we don't want to give you this cost-saving look end up being like a poor investment.

When budgeting for your project, the first step is to get in touch with rendering expert James Beattie. He is will work out your quote based on rendering price per m2.

It is a simple calculation he does in matching your house size to the type of render preferred.

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How much to render my house?

Until you have an onsite discussion with your local roughcaster will you then know what the competitively priced quote will be. You might be for example wanting not only your wall rendered, the job might include painting.

How long will the Roughcasting Work Take?

The job does pend on how much work is involved. It is going to vary from whether it is just one wall or your whole house. On average if it was your whole house it might typically take up to two weeks. And don't forget to factor in for scaffolding. If you live in a small bungalow, which has less wall area, then you  might need less scaffolding.

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Do We Undertake Patch Repair Costs?

Should there be just a small amount of cracking on the render, it can be repaired. You might attempt this as a DIY task, but if you want to hire us to do the rendering for you we can give you a quote.

But be aware that these roughcasting repair jobs end up being just a temporary repair. And the finished rendering will need to be of equal smoothness to the rest of your wall so it blends in well.

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How can I save money on Roughcasting/Rendering Work?

The first step is you have just found Your Local Rendering Expert and by reading this helpful informational blog. The next step is to call us and speak with James Beattie to get a quote.

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Do I Need Planning Permission - Does it involve Adhering to Building Regulations?

Existing homeowners looking to replace the existing external finish of their home by doing roughcasting / rendering work will find they can carry out this work under their permitted development rights , so not involving planning approval. However, if in conservation areas or other specially-designated locations such as places of natural beauty it would be considered a good option to discuss with your local planning office.

For information, rendering at least 50% of any wall, or over 25% of the walls of the whole house, will make your project subject to building regulations. Important when there is the need to improve the thermal efficiency of the wall itself where additional insulation is involved.

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