What is Silicone Render?

What is Silicone Render?

There are many types of render on the market, all with different properties. The range includes older sand-cement style renders, scratch renders, and thin coat renders. Silicone Render is a ‘thin coat render’, which is applied on top of a basecoat at just a few millimetres thick. Silicone render is becoming ever more popular these days, so in today’s blog post, we will explain a little bit about it.

Why choose Silicone Render?

There are some significant advantages to using this product – there is little competition regarding the quality of the finish. Let’s take a look at some of the significant advantages:

• Silicone is breathable – Whereas cement and acrylic render completely seal off the wall and prevent it from breathing, silicone is very breathable. In turn, this allows vapour to escape through the surface. Therefore, the substrate can dry if needed, reducing the likelihood of water damage.
• Silicone is self-coloured – Unlike other renders that must be painted after curing, silicone render has the colour mixed into it, meaning just one coat and the job is done. Having the pre-coloured render means it lasts longer and won’t show if it is scratched, as the colour runs through the whole top coat. (for an idea of the cost of silicone render per square metre, read our dedicated blog post here)
• Silicone is easy to apply – Where other renders have a painting stage, thin coats can be done on a properly prepared wall in just a few hours. Despite a slightly higher cost, your job will be done in less time than a traditional render.
• Above all else, silicone looks great! It leaves the property looking like a new house.

How is it applied?

Silicone is a one-application thin coat render. It is dead easy for a qualified renderer to apply this render to a fully prepared wall. A basecoat should be applied on a typical wall to create a strong, stable, level surface to render. Once the base coat has dried, the silicone can be applied using a plastic float to create a thin and smooth finish. The thickness of the silicone top coat should be the same as the grain size of the render. So, a 1.5mm Silicone Render will be 1.5mm thick on the wall. The layer has to be applied in one go on each elevation; otherwise, you could end up with patches and lines where the render has been joined.

If you are interested in downloading an install guide, click here. 

Different types of Silicone Render

You will have noticed that we offer several types of Silicone Render:

• EWI-040 Silicone Silicate Render

• EWI-075 Silicone Render

• EWI-076 Premium Bio Silicone Render

• EWI-077 Nano Drex Silicone Render

These renders are manufactured by EWI Pro, who specialise in this type of thin coat render.

How much does Silicone Render cost?

Each silicone render has a different price point, which you can see below. Still, it is worth mentioning that all silicone renders will cost more than acrylic render because you are getting a vastly superior product. 

Since a bucket of the 1.5m grain render typically covers 10 m2, considering the other products required, like basecoat and mesh, you will be paying between £10 – £15 per m2 – comparable to monocouche / scratch renders. 

How much thin coat render do you need for a typical house?

This will come down to the area of the wall you are looking to cover. The render comes in 25kg pre-mixed buckets, and each bucket at our standard 1.5mm finish will cover around 8 square metres of wall. For an average semi-detached house of, say, 80m, you are looking at around ten render buckets. If you go for a finer grain size of 1mm, the render will go further, covering 11-12m of wall each. A thicker 2mm render will cover less area, so consider this when working out the quantities you need.

How does it compare to other types of render?

Silicone render offers superior water resistance and breathability compared to traditional sand and cement render. While sand and cement are cost-effective and robust, they lack silicone’s flexibility and vapour permeability, leading to potential cracking and moisture issues over time. Silicone’s advanced formulation ensures buildings stay dry and allows walls to breathe, reducing the risk of damp and mould growth.

Compared to monocouche render, which is also through-coloured and offers a textured finish in one coat, silicone render excels in flexibility and water repellence. Monocouche provides a hard-wearing surface with less likelihood of cracking than sand and cement but doesn’t match the silicone’s adaptability to temperature changes and environmental conditions, leading to superior long-term durability with silicone.

Acrylic render shares similarities with silicone, including various colours and textures. However, silicone outperforms acrylic in terms of breathability and moisture management. Acrylic renders are more affordable and provide a durable finish but can trap moisture, making silicone a better choice for buildings in wetter climates or those requiring higher levels of vapour permeability to prevent internal dampness.

Who makes Silicone Render?

Several brands are available, but we recommend the Silicone renders from EWI Pro. As mentioned, the specialists in Silicone renders are well-priced and offer all the advantages above. Plus we offer colour tinting and next day delivery on this product.

What colours does it come in?

The great thing about EWI Pro Silicone Render is that a vast range of colours is available. You can order a free colour chart and pick your colour. This sample will be mixed up and sent to you the next day. In most cases, we use our delivery drivers, not couriers.

You can buy EWI Pro Silicone Render online, in-store or by calling us. We are always happy to help with further questions, so leave a comment below!