The trick to a long-lasting render finish is attentive aftercare, so we're asking ourselves, how do I look after my render finish? Here at EWI Store, we always like to see how great our renders look once installed. However, we understand that it doesn’t just stop there. Customers want to be able to maintain the fresh, brand new façade that they have spent their time and money on. Taking good care of your render finish will ensure its longevity. It can also prevent problems from occurring down the line.
So, we’ve put together a render maintenance and aftercare guide for all of our EWI Pro renders. This may also be useful for those who are looking into choosing a render.
In any render aftercare, always check for cracks. Any cracks that are wider than the width of a credit card should be investigated further and repaired by a professional tradesman. Typically, cracks might appear around windows and doors. It is unlikely that you will experience cracking when using our renders, as our Monocouche is reinforced with fibreglass mesh to increase its flexibility and strength, and our thin coat renders are all very flexible. Nevertheless, if this occurs then you should seek advice from a professional tradesman.
Furthermore, to ensure the long lifespan of any type of render we advise that as part of your render aftercare you keep any plant life below the level of the render. Plants, trees and climbing plants can cause staining to light-coloured renders. This increases the amount of render maintenance required.
Monocouche Scratch Render
Aftercare and Maintenance:
It’s important to take good care of your render finish if you want it to last its full lifetime. We recommend that for our Monocouche Scratch Render, your render aftercare should involve giving it a gentle pressure wash or hand wash every 6-12 months. This should alleviate the need to use harsh cleaning chemicals further down the line (which could break down the render). This will also eliminate any build-up of dirt, giving your render finish sparkle.
When cleaning your Monocouche Scratch Render, it is imperative that your render has been allowed to set for at least 28 days. You shouldn’t even really need to clean your render at this stage, and therefore we advise that you refrain from any serious render maintenance during this time period. This is because the Monocouche Render takes around 28 days (or more) to reach optimum strength. You could do some real damage and end up spending more money trying to get it fixed.
Once you’ve passed the curing period, we suggest that you first hose down the render to remove any surface dirt. When hosing down your render, we recommend you use a fan tip. A direct needlepoint spray as this would be too harsh and could weaken the render. After this, using a brush, apply hot soapy water to any areas that are particularly affected by dirt. Make sure that you rinse off the detergent as you go.
If your Monocouche Render is showing signs of mould growth, apply the EWI-360 Fungicidal Wash. The active ingredient in our Fungicidal Wash is Benzalkonium Chloride, a proven biocide. This is a really effective aftercare treatment as it removes mould and organic growth. You can apply this with a sponge, cloth or knapsack spray, then leave it to dry for 24 hours.
Silicone/Silicone Silicate Render
Aftercare and Maintenance:
Because Silicone Render is hydrophobic, it should resist organic growth really effectively. As a result, it requires very little maintenance over the course of its lifetime. For Silicone Render, it’s best to just clean it as and when needed. However, lighter colours are more likely to be susceptible to showing dirt, and if this is the case then the best method for cleaning the render is to use soapy water and a sponge, or a low-pressure jet wash. Do not use any acid cleaners as this could damage the render finish.
If the level of render maintenance required is of a higher level, it is possible to paint over the render surface with silicone paint. If you’ve used an EWI Pro Silicone Render then you can easily match the Silicone Paint to the render. You’ll need to give the render surface a gentle jet wash, leave to dry and then paint over. Applying silicone paint should reinforce the hydrophobic properties of the render and extend its lifetime. Always look to hire a professional tradesman to assist with deeper cleaning.
Again, in the event that mould growth appears, this should be treated with EWI-360 Fungicidal Wash.
Acrylic Render
Aftercare and Maintenance:
Acrylic Render does not possess the same hydrophobic properties as silicone-based renders do. Therefore, you may find that grime and pollution affect the appearance of the render over time. As well as this, if you live in an especially wet climate then damp and mould could appear on the exterior walls of your property. In general, larger grain sizes will retain will more dirt.
In these instances, you can use a stiff bristled brush and warm water with a household detergent. Alternatively, if the exterior is particularly grimy, a low-pressure jet wash should do the trick. As with Monocouche, you should look into giving your render finish a gentle wash every year or so. If you are experiencing heavy staining on your render then we recommend painting over the façade with Silicone Paint.
Mineral Render
Aftercare and Maintenance:
Aftercare and maintenance for Mineral Render are slightly different. As we know, Mineral Render requires painting with Silicone Paint after it has been applied in order to prevent lime bloom. This occurs when the render is subjected to damp conditions or low temperatures while it is still curing. The silicone paint seals in the mineral render. Silicone paint is hydrophobic, and therefore prevents lime bloom by allowing water to run off the surface of the render and reinforce this protective layer.
If your render is not painted over then your Mineral Render finish will be highly susceptible to lime bloom. There are various render cleaners on the market aimed at getting rid of it. Any signs of discolouration or patchiness in a fully cured render indicates lime bloom.
However, because of the protection that silicone paint provides, Lime Bloom shouldn’t be an issue. Your render aftercare and maintenance will generally be the same as Silicone Render - remove any dirt with a light jet wash and/or soapy water and a sponge. As well as this, if you feel that your render finish needs a bit of a refresh later down the line then you can apply a new layer of silicone paint to achieve a brand new finish and reinforce this protective layer.
Pebbledash
Aftercare and Maintenance:
Pebbledash is meant to be a really hard-wearing render finish, but this doesn’t exempt it from problems such as mould and organic growth. We recommend that the best course of action is to first try and remove the worst of it with a brush and water, but be really careful not to scrub too hard in case the stones fall off. You should then spray the rest with the EWI-360 Fungicidal Wash and leave it on for 24 hours. After 24 hours, and in the unlikely event that there is any overgrowth left over after this, then you can again attempt to take off the remaining with a brush and soapy water.
With pebbledash, you may find that over time the stones start to drop off the wall. This is due to weathering, and can really affect the aesthetics of your render finish. Falling stones also leave the render even more exposed to the weather. Unfortunately, you cannot patch repair pebbledash, and painting over it will not look fab.
You can read about your other options in our previous blog post: ‘how do I replace my pebbledash with coloured render?’.
Hopefully this guide answers the question of 'How Do I Look After My Render Finish'. If you do have any further questions then don’t hesitate to ask by leaving a comment or giving us a call.
Want to know more about our range of renders? Check out the following blog posts: