Render

[Damo27]

Hello just found this site and hoping someone can answer my question.

I'm having my house rendered is it correct that the scratch coat goe's all the way down to the ground, thereby covering the damp coarse. I know i have to have a bell (drip) for the water to run off, just abit concerned as the damp coarse has been rendered over. Any advice ?

 

[noseall]

the bell bead finishes so that the bottom lip of the bead is slightly below the dpc. in that the proud part of the bead effectively provides a miniature canopy protecting the actual joint.

 

[Damo27]

Thank you for your reply Noseall, but still am not sure if the scratch coat should or should not have been put on to ground level.

 

[noseall]

no, the render should not go all the way to the ground, unless of course the ground is unfeasibly high.

the render should not breach the dpc. this is where it should stop and go no lower.

 

[Damo27]

Hi Noseall,
My house is elevated, so the inside floor level is about 4 foot at the back and about 2 foot at the front above ground, and block built as it's an extension i'm having rendered, can you tell me what they do to the wall that is below damp coarse level.
Many thanks

 

[noseall]

nothing.

it should be pointed brickwork and requires no additional embellishment.

 

[Damo27]

the extension is built of block so no bricks it won't look very nice to see the blocks.

 

[noseall]

the extension is built of block so no bricks it won't look very nice to see the blocks.

any visible masonry below d.p.c. should have been built in pointed face brickwork.

was this not taken into account? what did the builder think was going to happen at this point?

 

[roughcaster]

As Noseall said, bellcast bead should be fxed above the DPC, but the actual "bell" shape finishes just below the DPC. That way, the render will not breach it and cause damp problems..... Once the beading has been fixed on, (with galvanised nails) you would then scratch coat and render. If your house has just got bare blockwork down to ground level, it is not un-common to scratch coat and cement render the "plinth" as it is called. The render would finish to the underside of the bell, and still not breach the dpc. Finished facing brickwork would have looked much nicer for sure.

Roughcaster.