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Render repairs in Manchester
Cracked, blown, stained or falling off. We find out why the render failed, then repair it so it does not happen again next winter.
Problems we fix
Cracks
From fine crazing to open cracks running from window corners or across the wall.
Hollow and blown render
Patches that sound drummy when tapped, bulge out, or have already fallen off.
Gable ends letting water in
Damp patches on bedroom walls behind an exposed gable with tired or cracked render.
Chimney stacks
Crumbling render at the top of the stack, often noticed only when bits land in the garden.
Damage around windows
Broken reveals and rough edges left after new windows or doors went in.
Staining and growth
Green and black streaks, especially on north-facing and shaded walls.
Why render fails
Render is the coat on the outside. When it fails, there is nearly always a reason behind it.
- Gutters overflowing or downpipes leaking down the face of the wall
- No mesh at window corners, so cracks start there
- Render taken down to the ground, so it soaks up water from below
- A hard cement render on an old wall that needed to breathe
- New work joined to old without a movement joint
- Coats put on too thin, or in cold or wet weather
We deal with the cause as part of the repair. If the fix is a gutter or a roof, we tell you that too.
Repair or re-render?
If the damage is in one place and the rest of the render is sound, a repair makes sense. If a big part of the wall sounds hollow when tapped, roughly a third or more, patching becomes a false economy and you end up with a wall full of joins.
We tap the whole wall and mark the hollow areas so you can see them, then give you both prices where it is close. You decide.
Older houses
Victorian and Edwardian houses were often rendered in lime, then patched with cement over the years. Cement is harder than the wall behind it, so it traps water and eventually pushes off. On these houses we repair with a compatible mix and keep as much of the original as we can, including mouldings around doors and bays.
Repair questions
Can you just fill the cracks in my render?
Hairline cracks in sound render can sometimes be filled and painted. Bigger cracks usually mean water is getting behind the render or something is moving, and filler on its own will crack again by spring. We check before we fill.
Part of my render sounds hollow. Is that bad?
It means that area has lost its grip on the wall. It may hang on for years or drop in the next hard frost. Hollow sections are cut out back to a solid edge and re-rendered, because new render will not stick properly to old render that has come loose.
Will the repair stand out?
On painted render it can be made almost invisible once the wall is repainted. On coloured render, the old wall will have weathered, so a patch can show. If it would, we tell you and give you a price for the whole wall as well.
Why has my render gone green or black?
Usually algae or dirt on a wall that stays damp, often under a tree, behind a hedge or below a leaking gutter. Sometimes a clean and a biocide treatment are enough. If the render itself is soaking up water, it may need a new top coat.
Is cracked render letting water in?
Quite possibly. Water gets into cracks, sits behind the render and freezes, which pushes it further off the wall. Damp patches inside behind a cracked wall are a strong sign. The sooner it is repaired, the smaller the repair.
Tell us about the damage
Where on the house is it, and how long has it been like that?
Got cracked or loose render?
Ring us and describe it. If it sounds urgent, we will say so.