How would I render a timber structured wall?

[dariusss]

Hi all, first post here so just want to say a massive thanks for all the knowledge gained through the site, I'm a joiner by trade but through the site have so far rewired, replumbed, and plastered the house saving thousands, so a huge thanks.

So onto my next challenge, the exterior... I want to render the outer walls front and back (mid-terrace) but they are'nt standard brick built, instead they have a single skin of brick from ground to top of g/floor window with the first floor wall being timber construction with an aluminium cladding, the rear is completely timber built.

i've just a few questions to get me on my way if you would'nt mind,

1) what surface should I be laying the render onto? I've seen cement particle board which i like the sound of as i could screw this straight into the timbers, but then again i've noticed there's kind of a wire mesh which you can get. Is it simply a toss up between the two or a combination of both ie. CPB fixed to the timbers then the mesh attached to the boards?

2) what's the general process involved in rendering? as i say, I've managed to plaster majority of the interior to a decent standard (give or take a bit of filling here or there ) ut with rendering how similar/different is it... I've heard sponges being used etc.

3) what materials should i be using? i'm inclind to go for sand and cement, is this right or should i be using a specialist product? what about additives ie for weatherproofing and the like.

again many thanks
Dan

 

[noseall]

for best results use e.m.l.

unless you are supremely confident and a highly skilled plasterer, then i would leave rendering to the pro's. i know a lot of plasterers (skimmers) that couldn't render for sh**e.

it is the outside of a house after all. this is the first thing a potential buyer will see.

 

[roughcaster]

I agree with Noseall. Rendering is a totally different kettle of fish to skimming. If you make a mess of it, it'll cost you plenty to get it sorted out. To cement render onto EML (expanded metal lath) makes it even more specialised.

Roughcaster.

 

[i_am_fubar]

dariusss, I'm currently going through the same expiriences (with the whole re-building house thing). And just thought I'd say, yes, kudos to the site

 

[roughcaster]

The photo's included in this post show an old, single storey wooden house with all the external walls/gable ends made entirely out of railway sleepers cladded with corrugated iron. The old roof was also corrugated iron, with no lead flashing around the chimney, only a small fillet of cement enough to keep the worst of the rain out. The owner got a grant at that time (1986) towards the cost of a new roof. He asked me if it was possible to remove the corrugated iron and roughcast onto the wooden front, including the porch (which was not made from sleepers). I took the job on. Myself, and my sadly missed labourer, (the brother of the owner), we removed all the c/iron, felted and battened the wall, fitted EML (expanded wire lath),scratched and roughcasted the front with Canterbury chips (Durite), onto a white Snowcrete coating. A bellcast bead was also fitted, and the plinth underneath it was cement rendered. The following year,(1987) the new tiled roof was installed by the contractor. The walls on rest of the house were again, stripped of the c/iron, felted, battened, wire lathed and roughcasted. The end result was amazing. To the passer by it was just a little roughcasted bungalow, unaware that underneath were the railway sleepers and the mesh. I don't know if this would be allowed today. It's great what you can do with wire lath, sand and cement etc, and shows there are many sides to plastering, and a lot of them have nothing to do with plaster.

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• roughcaster
• 3 May 2008
• 1

Front walls finished incl. porch,old leaky roof still in place.

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• roughcaster
• 3 May 2008
• 2

All to be done.View of back with old c/iron/roof still in place.

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• roughcaster
• 3 May 2008
• 2

Work in progress to roof and walls the following year.

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• roughcaster
• 3 May 2008
• 2

Total transformation on the way.I'd just finished hitting (roughcasting) the back wall. Talking with the owner of the property.

Happy days.

Roughcaster.