cement render

[Juju]

Hi, has anyone paid to have their outside render removed and then re-done in lime and limewashed, etc? If so, how much does all that cost? Ideally, we'd like to remove the render and leave the outside walls in their original stone state but as it was listed with render, we're not sure the CO would allow it.

We're trying to make decisions about whether to remove the render and when - obviously depending on how much we have to save up! I don't think we can do the work ourselves as our house is straight on to a narrow pavement so we would need people who can do the work safely and obviously not rushing the job, but having scaffolding up for too long isn't going to please the neighbours. I assume it would take several weeks anyway.

We have damp on these walls but it's hard to say whether that is because of the cement render or because downstairs is below ground level or lack of ventilation (no opening windows in the 2 reception rooms). We can remedy the living room by removing the secondary glazing which has been fitted across the little opening window! But the other room has a fixed window - we might ask the CO if we could switch one of the panes to opening to match the living room.

It's hard making decisions isn't it? The outside windows urgently need painting so I'm thinking, do we do those this summer but might have to re-do them next year if we have the rendering done...

 

[Fizzer]

Hiya,
we need to do the same thing. We've been removing a lot of internal render ourselves. Firstly with a mallet and a chisel and then (VERY carefully)! with an sds.

It has shown that with a bit of care you can cover several square meters in an afternoon. If you are happy working at height and have all the correct permissions then there is no reason not to do it yourselves I can see.

If you do, work from the top down, use scaffold not ladders for high stuff. If you have any internal stuff that needs removing, practice on that first.

 

[MdB]

A lot depends on how well it is stuck. I had around 6 layers of internal render on two walls and it took longer to shift it with the barrow than it did getting it off the walls.

The external render looks like it will come off just as easily though that might just be me looking at the job hopefully.

 

[charlie-ia]

http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/Heritage/ArchitecturalHeritage/FileDownLoad,2227,en.pdf -

this is a useful page about render (even if it is irish)

how old is your render? we have damp problems partly due to the cement (we think) but the render its self is a genuine antique in our case. Im not sure how we're going to proceed as yet and im finding it a big puzzle.

Naked stone isnt always origonal, and may have been rendered for several good reasons

 

[Gervase]

It's a tricky one - much depends on how firmly the cement render is stuck on for a start! But if you decide to appoint a contractor to do the job, to remove the cement and re-render with a three-coat lime finish, you'd probably be looking at anywhere between £25 and £38 a square metre. And there are some who would charge a lot more...

 

[Moreteyne]

Have you thought of using a telescopic boom. This gives you manoeuvrability and can work out cheaper than scaffolding in some cases.

 

[MDE]

Much depends on the condition of the stone under the render. If it needs to be extensively re-pointed then it adds considerably to the time/cost.

 

[Juju]

Thanks for suggestions. A builder came round last night to quote for other jobs and I asked his opinion on removing the render. He said it would be a nightmare job because of scaffolding on a narrow busy pavement (true) and tried to convince me at first not to have the work done as the cement render painted with Weathershield paint would be keeping the rain out! I then said but what about breathability on a 300 year old house... I am finding that I might know the theory from belonging to SPAB and avidly reading this forum but then you deal with builders, etc in the 'real world' and they seem to think you're mad when you talk about lime, breathability, etc!

It was one of those evenings - later a neighbour came round to complain about our gardener and said 'perhaps I should talk to your husband'. Grrr.

 

[Nemesis]

I am finding that I might know the theory from belonging to SPAB and avidly reading this forum but then you deal with builders, etc in the 'real world' and they seem to think you're mad when you talk about lime, breathability, etc!

Yup!!

 

[Moo]

I've found that the plastic mac example will occasionally make builders think twice (eg - When you get out of the shower what would you rather wrap yourself in: a plastic mac or an absorbent towel?).

 

[Moreteyne]

If you do erect scaffolding you can arrange with the council to close the pavement and have a section of road sectioned off for pedestrians.