Roughcasting

[lanham]

My house is in the process of being stripped and roughcasted. My question is, should the roughcast go all the way to the ground, or, as most seem to do, leave a plain concrete? band at the bottom? The roughcaster, who seems to know his job said that it would look better casted all the way to the bottom. I think that it might be better to have the main part casted and the bottom, say about one foot done in a darker cast.
I hope this makes sense as I need to get this right.

Thanks

Brian

 

[roughcaster]

As long as he fixes a bellcast bead at the damp course level, you can finish the roughcast any way you want. The vast majority of tradesmen would roughcast the wall down to the bellcast bead, and then put a plain or coloured cement render below the bellcast, (the plinth). Once again, you never,ever roughcast or render over the damp course line, always use a bead.

 

[lanham]

Thank you very much for that. I will have a word with him in the morning. To ask another stupid question, does this bellcast bead go on before the scratch coat or after and before the casting?

Brian

 

[roughcaster]

1. I always put the bellcast bead on first, then scratchcoat the wall, then roughcast the wall. Most people would do it that way. The render below the bellcast would be done last.

 

[lanham]

OK, thanks very much for that.

Brian