As we approach the summer months, you might wonder whether the hotter weather may impede your plans for applying render to your property. If used in the right conditions, render can drastically improve the aesthetics of your home. However, if applied in the wrong situations, the aesthetics may not appear as hoped. Read on to learn when and how to render to your home.
When and How to Render?
Previously, we have received several complaints from homeowners that their render has dried. For example, the most common is concerning the appearance of pinholes and drying faster than expected. Issues like these can result from the render being applied in overly hot weather conditions or direct sunlight. One reason is that the product has specific temperature margins within, and the product will work at its best. The temperature margins tend to be around 5˚C - 25˚C. But each render's margins may vary, so you should always check your product packaging to determine its specific temperature requirements. These issues, then, do not reflect the quality of the products but the fact that they were applied in inadequate conditions. Although pinholes may occur over time, there is usually a reason for their occurrence. For instance, if a render primer has not been applied, especially in warmer weather, the likelihood of pinholes increases. As the basecoat is very dry and porous, it will absorb moisture from the render very quickly. Also, it massively increases the risk of pinholes. However, render primer prevents this by creating a barrier between the render and basecoat.
Decreasing Pinhole Risks
Another reason why pinholes might occur is due to the product drying too quickly. And again, if a render primer has not been applied, this only exacerbates the problem further. To avoid this, apply two coats of the render primer. Firstly, this creates a more substantial barrier between the basecoat and the render. It also prevents the basecoat from absorbing moisture. Pinholes can affect most types of render. For example, silicone renders, acrylic renders, and other thin-coat renders. But, switching to a different product based on this risk alone is not the ideal solution. Pinholes are a risk in any type of render, but you may not achieve the aesthetic look you were going for because some renders look very different from each other. What’s more, you`ll be deprived of all the fantastic benefits renders have to offer. For example, a silicone render is highly flexible, breathable, and hydrophobic, unlike many other renders. Although pinholes are unsightly, they are not the only aesthetic problems that may occur due to applying render in poor weather conditions. Naturally, the render would dry much faster in hotter temperatures and direct sunlight than normal temperatures. This case would reduce the amount of time to apply the product correctly. Additionally, this may lead to an unfinished or uneven texture. It takes four people around three hours to apply 200 square meters of render. By not having enough time to apply the render, you may not be able to use the correct technique. This may result in an uneven textured finish which, in turn, can create the appearance of discolouration. The right way to apply the render is in circular motions rather than in strips; this will help make that smooth, uniform texture that you envisioned your render to appear as.
Best Way to Reduce Problems
The best way to reduce any of the issues mentioned above is to apply the render at the correct temperatures and use the above techniques to help minimise the chances of pinholes occurring. If you plan to complete your project in the middle of summer, the key is to get up early and get going! We have many installers who will start the process as bright and early as 5 am. Although it might not sound ideal, it will be worth it in the long run. If possible, avoid applying render in the middle of the day. Mainly because this is when the sun is at its hottest. Another technique – which may seem a little bizarre at first – is to work by avoiding the sun. What we mean by this is to basically follow the shadows and apply the render on the shadowed areas. As the angle of the sun changes, these shadows will move and so should you! Also, you can keep applying your render while staying away from the glaring sun. If you are interested in learning the correct process for applying render, you can enquire about attending one of our market-leading training courses. In addition, you can watch our YouTube video called: ‘Applying Silicone Render In Hot Weather.’ Don’t let these small risks put you off. There are no long-term side effects or damage to your property that can occur with pinholes; the problem is purely visual. If you can avoid pinholes by following the advice of this blog, you will notice all the wonderful advantages of rendering your property. Check out our blog The Benefits of Using Silicone Render to learn more. Our sales team will be happy to help if you have any questions! You can find our contact details here.