New render, re-rendering and repairs, with the render chosen to suit your wall and the sea air.
We render and repair the outside walls of houses in Brighton and Hove. That means new render on extensions, full re-renders and patch repairs on period fronts.
Rendering sits under our plastering service. We also fix the brickwork underneath, so cracks don’t come straight back through.
The right render depends on the wall behind it. We recommend one after we’ve seen the house.
| Render | Best for | Needs painting? |
|---|---|---|
| Sand and cement | Most 20th century brick and block houses | Yes |
| Lime | Solid walls on older houses, Regency stucco | Limewash or breathable paint |
| Silicone | Exposed walls, extensions, a low upkeep finish | No, it’s through-coloured |
| Monocouche | New block and brick walls, one-coat finish | No, it’s through-coloured |
Silicone sheds water well and stays cleaner for longer. Lime lets an old wall dry out. Sand and cement is strong and good value, but it can crack if the wall moves.
Much of Brighton’s Regency and early Victorian housing is finished in stucco. It’s usually lime or old Roman cement, lined out to look like stone.
Patch it in hard cement and the repair cracks, then traps damp behind it.
We repair stucco in lime to match the old render, including the lining-out. Lime goes on in thin coats, and each one needs time to firm up. On listed houses, the council will want to agree materials first, and we speak to them before we start.
Cracked or hollow render?
Call Grant on 07885 325954 or the office on 01273 950800 for a free look and a written quote.
Cracks let water in. In winter it freezes and pushes the render off the wall.
Knock on the wall with your knuckles. Where the render has come away, it sounds hollow.
We cut the loose render back to sound edges and fix any brick or lintel problems underneath. Then we patch to match the texture, and replace any rusted beads at corners and window heads. Where most of a wall is hollow, a full re-render is the better job.
Houses near the sea get salt, strong wind and rain driven sideways. South and west facing walls take the worst of it. Near the seafront, salt can also leave white marks on render and paint.
Silicone copes well because water beads off the surface. Lime copes in a different way, by letting a solid wall dry out between storms.
Hard cement render on an old solid wall is often the worst choice here. It cracks, lets water in and then stops the wall drying.
Rendering a brick front for the first time can need planning permission. Brighton has many conservation areas, and some have Article 4 directions that cover changes to front walls. In some areas this also covers painting, so it’s worth checking before you pick a colour. Listed buildings need listed building consent.
Replacing the render on more than half of a wall can also bring in building regulations, which may mean adding insulation. We check with Brighton and Hove City Council and building control before we quote.
Good render in the right material shouldn’t. Cracked or blown render can put buyers off and may be flagged on a survey. Cement render on an old solid wall can also cause damp, which is worth fixing before you sell.
Spring to early autumn is best. Render mustn’t freeze before it sets, and it shouldn’t dry too fast in strong sun or wind. Lime is the most frost-sensitive, so we keep it clear of late autumn and winter.
Only if the old render is sound and well stuck to the wall. Any hollow or cracked patches must be hacked off before new render goes on, or they’ll take the new coat down with them.
We don’t use PVA on outside walls, as it can soften when it gets wet. We use the bonding coat or primer that the render maker specifies for that wall.
It depends on the area of wall, the scaffolding, which render you pick and how much old render has to be stripped. We’ll give you a written price once we’ve seen the house.
We render houses across Brighton and Hove, including Kemptown, Hanover, Preston Park, Seven Dials, Rottingdean, Saltdean and Portslade, and out to Shoreham and Lewes. Call Grant on 07885 325954 or the office on 01273 950800.
Plastering · Repointing · Exterior Painting · Structural Repairs
Call Grant on 07885 325954 or the office on 01273 950800. We will come out, look at the job and give you a free, no-obligation quote.
I can confirm that Grant has worked for me on two projects. The first project was to build two semi-detached houses in Hove. The second project was to convert an 1850s listed building in Brighton into four top-end apartments.
Grant is a very practical builder and gets on well with people, particularly neighbours, helping projects run smoothly. He works to a high standard and, should you decide to have him work for you, will leave you with a feeling that you would willingly use him again.
Grant and his team carried out our flat conversion (converting the top two floors of our Victorian house to two self contained flats) last year.
For our works they started on the agreed date and finished within days of the predicted finish date. For us the work was all to a very good standard and we have been very pleased with the finished job.
The team were friendly and approachable, happy to change or add little things as the conversion evolved. Grant and John were always at the end of the phone if needed. I would not hesitate to recommend them and if I need further construction works carried out would look to them first.
Tell us a little about your project and we will call you back. If you have drawings or photos, mention it and we can arrange a site visit.
County Structures Ltd
Stanford Gate
2nd Floor, South Road
Brighton
BN1 6SB
