How to Maintain your Render
27 April 2023
If you clean your render properly, you’ll reap the rewards in terms of your render remaining trouble-free as well as looking smart. Regular maintenance will ensure your render continues to offer the best protection for your walls and home's structure and it should last for more than 20 years. A good cleaning process means you’ll avoid stains, mosses, algae, mould and fungi. Render can be cared for easily simply using household products.
Render Problems
Render damage can be surface level such as stains or mould but can also be more structural for example cracks in your render. When it comes to cracks, you should act swiftly to prevent further damage that can occur with water seeping in. For further details on repairing cracks or blown render check out this blog >.
Surface-level issues you may come across include:
- Vegetation growth such as green algae, moss, vines and fungi
- Areas of damp which occur more in north-facing homes, homes with less direct sunlight or those surrounded by trees or woodland
- Mould or mildew can occur in areas of high-humidity . Mould spores can settle on coated surfaces, hatching out and drawing nourishment from the coating. They can continue to grow even after they have seemingly been removed.
- Finally there's the aesthetic element-render problems can look somewhat unsightly.
How to keep your Render Sparkling
In the first instant, you can look after your render relatively easily just by cleaning by hand and scrubbing with a stiff broom which should get rid of any greenery (moss/algae). Always follow by hosing down to remove the grime otherwise a dry grime and residue film can build up which can be stubborn to remove.
A light jet-wash on your property every 6-12 months should prevent algae and mould and if you keep up your maintenance schedule, it should avoid the need for harsh chemicals to be used.
A simple freshen up and stain removal can be achieved by using a pressure washer and mild detergent (avoid this for dry-dash surfaces). With a pressure washer make sure you use the fan-setting, not the jet-wash. You’re looking to spray at around 80-120 psi. You also shouldn’t spray too close as the pressurised water could penetrate the surface. Look to be at least 20 cm away.
You can apply various products that offer a layer of protection particularly if you live in an area with a harsher climate. Products such as Weber Weberend Protect are an easy to apply solution that can be applied by spray, brush or roller. This will maintain the quality of your render as well give further protection.
If you are specifically removing fungus, it may be worth using a fungicidal wash. You can find certain renders have fungicide and herbicide built in within their formulas which prevent such growths.
Finally, why not use a professionally created formula for render or brick such as Weber CL150 which is specifically created to keep many bacterial, fungal, yeast and mould species at bay.