© 2020 All rights reserved hunter coast painting
Painting a rendered house can transform a faded or weather-worn exterior into a fresh, modern façade. Beyond simply boosting kerb appeal, a carefully executed paint job helps protect rendered walls from moisture, cracking, and everyday wear. Whether you’re working with newly rendered walls or sprucing up an existing finish, thorough preparation and the right products will ensure a durable, long-lasting result.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything from understanding render types to choosing the best moisture-resistant masonry paint and perfecting your painting process.
Table of Contents
Understanding Rendered Surfaces
Rendered walls involve applying a mixture—commonly cement, sand, and water—to external walls. This blend forms a hardened surface that can be smooth or textured, depending on the desired aesthetic.
Render serves decorative and protective roles: it shields the underlying brickwork or blocks from weather damage, offers additional insulation, and enhances the building’s overall appearance.
Types of Render
- Cement Render is a traditional option containing cement, sand, and water. Highly durable and weather-resistant, cement render suits different architectural styles. However, cement-rendered walls can be prone to cracks if not applied correctly.
- Acrylic Render is a more flexible choice that incorporates acrylic polymers. Acrylic render is less likely to crack and is often a good match for older properties. It bonds well to various substrates and typically sets faster than traditional cement-based render.
- Lime Render is particularly popular in historic or older buildings, as it allows walls to “breathe,” helping control moisture levels. Its permeability and antibacterial properties make it an excellent choice for wet or humid regions.
How Render Protects Your Home
Render helps repel rain, wind, and general environmental stressors by serving as an extra layer between your external walls and the elements. Painting rendered walls further elevates this protection by sealing out moisture and providing UV resistance, prolonging the life of the paint job and the render underneath.
Benefits of Painting a Rendered House
Painting a rendered house offers significant advantages that go beyond basic aesthetics. Below, we break these down into two main categories: aesthetic benefits and practical benefits.
Aesthetic Benefits
- Enhanced Kerb Appeal: A newly painted rendered house can dramatically improve your property’s street presence. A clean, modern finish makes a great first impression and can even contribute to a higher resale value.
- Personalisation Options: Choose any colour or finish that fits your style or neighbourhood character. From bold, contemporary shades to soft neutrals, painting rendered walls allows plenty of freedom to create a signature look.
- More Modern, Fresh Appearance: Fresh paint can update older renderings, making the house appear more current. It also masks superficial imperfections such as minor stains or discolouration, creating a uniform, appealing finish.
Practical Benefits
- Additional Weather Protection: A well-chosen, moisture-resistant masonry paint protects against water and UV rays. It helps prevent moisture penetration, a key cause of cracking or blistering in exterior walls.
- Prevention of Moisture Penetration: Hairline cracks or worn render can allow water to seep in. Painting rendered walls helps seal these weak spots, reducing the likelihood of internal dampness or mould.
- Longer Lifespan of Render: Adding a protective outer layer increases the render’s durability. Over time, the paint takes the brunt of weather exposure, ultimately preserving the integrity of the render beneath.
Preparing Your Rendered Surface for Painting
Failing to prepare the surface adequately can lead to poor adhesion, peeling paint, or lingering structural issues. Proper preparation ensures a stable base for a successful paint job, whether you’re tackling newly rendered walls or repainting older ones.
Initial Assessment
Determine whether the render is fresh or has been in place for years. Newly rendered walls typically require a sufficient curing period (often a few weeks) before painting. Next, inspect for hairline cracks, larger fissures, or flaking patches. If there’s extensive damage, you might need professional help with the actual painting process.
Surface Preparation Steps
- Cleaning Requirements: Thoroughly clean exterior rendered walls to remove build-up such as dirt, algae, or mildew. A garden hose or a pressure washer (used carefully to avoid gouging the render) works well. For stubborn grime, apply a mild detergent or specialised cleaning solution. Allow ample drying time afterwards.
- Repairing Cracks and Damages: Use an exterior-grade render filler to address hairline cracks. Significant damage, like large cracks or crumbling renderings, may require expert repairs. Ensure each filled area is smooth and in line with the existing surface.
- Treatment of Mould or Algae: If you spot green or black areas indicating biological growth, treat them with a fungicidal wash or a diluted bleach solution. Thoroughly rinse and let the wall dry. Painting over untreated mould or algae can lead to peeling and a compromised paint job.
- Masking and Protection: Cover any items you do not want to be painted before beginning your painting process. Windows, doors, downpipes, and decorative features often need plastic sheeting or painter’s tape. Proper masking is essential to achieve neat lines and protect non-rendered surfaces.
Choosing the Right Paint for Rendered Surfaces
Selecting a top-quality paint formulated specifically for exterior rendered walls is crucial to achieving a lasting finish. The most common choice in Australia is moisture-resistant masonry paint, which provides both breathability and weather protection.
Specific Paint Types
- Moisture-resistant Masonry Paint: This is designed to let the underlying surface breathe while defending against water ingress. This helps prevent issues like peeling, blistering, or mould growth.
- Acrylic Exterior Paint: Acrylic-based options often provide a flexible, durable coating that is resistant to cracking. They can also include UV filters, which help maintain vibrancy under the harsh Australian sun.
- Elastomeric Paint: This paint type has elastic properties, effectively bridging small cracks and forming a waterproof shield. Elastomeric products may be particularly handy if hairline cracking is a persistent issue in your rendered house.
Breathability & Durability Considerations
Render’s natural porosity allows moisture to escape from within the wall. For that reason, any paint you apply should remain breathable enough to prevent trapped moisture. High-grade products often feature superior UV-blocking qualities and are more resistant to chipping, aiding in a longer-lasting paint job.
Popular Brands and Products
Dulux, Solver, Haymes, and Taubmans all offer excellent exterior paint formulations that are well-suited for painting rendered walls. Many brands label products specifically for masonry or rendered surfaces. Reading product descriptions carefully and following manufacturer recommendations can help you select the best match for your local climate.
Colour Selection Tips
- Lighter Colours help reflect sunlight, often keeping interiors cooler in warm climates. They can also make smaller homes seem larger.
- Darker Tones: Provide striking contrast and drama but may absorb more heat. They can also emphasise the details of architectural features.
- Test Patches: Always test paint swatches on a small portion of your exterior walls. Observe how the colour looks under varying light conditions at different times of day.
Step-by-Step Guide to Painting Your Rendered House
A methodical approach leads to a more professional finish. Below is a straightforward guide covering each phase of the painting process, from priming to factoring in different weather conditions.
Priming the Surface
- Choosing the Right Primer: Use a primer designed for masonry or rendered surfaces. This ensures proper topcoat adhesion to the render and smooths out surface inconsistencies.
- Application Techniques: Start at the top of your external walls, working downward in manageable sections. Roll on the primer thinly and evenly. Corners, edges, and crevices often require a brush for precise coverage.
- Drying Times: Always allow the primer to dry fully before proceeding. Primer drying times vary by brand and weather conditions—check the instructions on the container for guidance.
Paint Application Process
- Required Tools and Equipment: Gather rollers, brushes, paint trays, extension poles (if required), ladders or scaffolding (for multi-storey homes), drop cloths, and safety gear (e.g., gloves, goggles, and masks).
- Proper Painting Techniques: Using consistent, overlapping strokes to avoid patchiness, whether rolling or brushing. “W” or “M” patterns can help distribute paint evenly over rendered walls. If using a sprayer, first practice on a cardboard sheet or a less visible section.
- Number of Coats Needed: Two coats of paint provide the best coverage, especially when filling pores in the render and achieving a uniform colour. The second coat also fortifies durability against UV exposure and other environmental factors.
Ensuring a Clean Exterior Rendered Surface
Throughout the painting process, look for stray dirt, dust, or insects landing on the fresh paint. If necessary, gently remove them with a soft cloth or brush, and always let any damp spots dry thoroughly before continuing.
Maintenance and Future Care
Proper aftercare extends the life and beauty of your paint job. Once you have put so much work into painting rendered walls, taking these extra steps will help preserve your investment.
Regular Maintenance Tasks
- Cleaning Recommendations: Keep the exterior walls clean by lightly washing them with mild, soapy water every six to twelve months or sooner if you notice visible dirt. A gentle scrub removes dust, cobwebs, and airborne contaminants before they become ingrained.
- Inspection Routines: Look for peeling paint or small hairline cracks. Spotting these issues early allows you to address them before they enlarge or compromise a larger area of your paint job.
- Early Problem Detection: Painted render can fail if water gains access behind the coating. Watch carefully around downpipes, gutters, and other high-moisture zones. Promptly fix blocked or leaky gutters to avoid water damage.
When to Repaint
- Signs It’s Time to Repaint: Fading, flaking, bubbling, or chalking on the surface are key indicators that your render is losing its protective barrier.
- Typical Lifespan of Painted Render: Under normal Australian climate conditions, a quality paint job often lasts between five and ten years. Homes exposed to severe conditions—like coastal salt spray or intense UV rays—may need more frequent upkeep.
- Factors Affecting Paint Durability: The grade of the paint, the extent of surface prep, and climate all influence how long the painted surface endures.
Key Takeaways
- Cement render offers durability but may crack, acrylic render provides flexibility and faster setting time, while lime render allows walls to "breathe" and control moisture, making it ideal for historic buildings or humid regions.
- Painting rendered surfaces delivers both aesthetic benefits (enhanced kerb appeal, personalisation options, modern appearance) and practical advantages (additional weather protection, prevention of moisture penetration, extended lifespan of the underlying render).
- Proper preparation is essential before painting rendered walls - assess the surface, ensure new render has cured, thoroughly clean the exterior, repair cracks, treat mould or algae, and protect surrounding features through careful masking to create a stable base for painting.
- Choose the right paint (moisture-resistant masonry paint, acrylic exterior paint, or elastomeric paint), apply a suitable primer, use proper application techniques, apply two coats for optimal coverage & implement regular maintenance.
Time to Start Painting
By carefully preparing the surface—cleaning, repairing cracks, and applying an exterior-grade render filler where necessary—you create the ideal foundation for a durable render paint job. Remember to regularly maintain your newly painted walls with gentle cleaning, periodic inspections, and timely touch-ups.
If you need extra guidance or prefer the convenience of a professional approach, consider Hunter Coast Painting. Our friendly, knowledgeable team can help you achieve the best results for your painting process—whether you’re refreshing external walls on a single-storey cottage or undertaking a more extensive render repaint on a multi-level home. Don’t hesitate to contact us for a quote or advice on tackling your next paint job.
Share
Gavin, is the founder and director of Hunter Coast Painting who are experienced Newcastle Painters. Combining 10 years experience in the industry and having worked on multi-million dollar homes in Europe and Australia, Gavin is able to provide a wealth of knowledge and experience.
Gavin Kane
Gavin, is the founder and director of Hunter Coast Painting.
Combining 10 years experience in the industry and having worked on multi-million dollar homes in Europe and Australia, Gavin is able to provide a wealth of knowledge and experience.