Exteriors and weather

Getting render ready for a repaint

A decorator sounding a rendered wall by hand to check for hollow patches before coating

Render looks like a simple flat surface to paint, but underneath the finish there can be hairline cracking, hollow patches and old coatings of very different types stacked on top of each other. A repaint that skips checking any of that tends to fail at exactly the point it was applied over a problem.

Questions we are asked about this

Does all render need painting eventually?

Sand and cement render usually does, since its natural finish weathers and stains over time. Modern coloured silicone renders are designed to hold their colour for far longer and often only need cleaning or spot repair.

What if the render sounds hollow in places?

We flag it and price the repair as a separate item from the painting. Coating over a hollow section without repairing it first is likely to fail within a season or two.

Can you match the existing render colour exactly?

We can get very close using colour matching against a sample, though textured surfaces read slightly differently to a flat colour chart, so we always confirm with a sample panel on the actual wall first.

Sounding the wall before anything else

We tap the render across the whole elevation, listening for the hollow note that means it has parted from the backing coat or the substrate behind it. Painting over a hollow area locks moisture in behind it and the render eventually blows outward, taking the new coating with it.

Full elevation tapped by hand, not sampled in a few spots
Hollow areas marked and discussed before quoting the coating
Repairs specified separately from the painting scope where needed

Close-up of a hairline crack in render before it is filled ahead of repainting

Choosing between a smooth or a breathable system

Sand and cement render generally wants a breathable, mineral-based or silicate coating so moisture can still escape through the wall. A modern silicone render already has its own coloured finish and rarely needs painting at all beyond spot repair, which is worth checking before assuming a full repaint is needed.

Dealing with what is already on the wall

Older render often carries several generations of masonry paint, some of them flexible acrylic, some brittle and chalky. We test adhesion of the existing coating rather than assuming the new product will bond to whatever is there already.

Cross-hatch adhesion check on the existing coating before recoating
Chalky or powdery surfaces stabilised before any new paint goes on
Incompatible systems flagged rather than coated over blind

Colour and coverage on a textured surface

Textured render eats more material than a flat wall of the same area, and a lighter colour change over a darker existing coat can need an extra coat to cover properly. We allow for both in the quantity and the price rather than adjusting mid-job.

How we work on this

We tap every rendered elevation by hand before quoting a repaint
We test adhesion on existing coatings before specifying a new system
We allow for extra coverage on textured surfaces in the quantity we price

Request a render survey and we will separate any repair work from the coating scope up front.

Get a quote Call 023 9355 3460

Where this comes up locally

Eastleigh Chichester Fareham

More on this kind of work

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A render repaint only lasts if the wall behind it has been sounded, tested and repaired first.

Start your project

Planning a commercial painting or decorating project?

Speak to a Hampshire commercial decorating contractor that turns up, communicates clearly and delivers a finish that lasts.

Request a quote 023 9355 3460