Would you render or would you paint?

Thinking about rendering a small 3 bd house. Remembered reading on this forum that the gaps between bricks take up a lot of render so go over house first with morter mix to reduce expense. OK.
Started me thinking if I did that why not cut to the chase and just paint on top of the morter. So really need some opinions from people who have already been down this road.
Was the time and expense worth it. Would you do it again. Does it look good. Any opinions would be appriciated.
Thanks Elwyn. D
 
Or a third option - what about bagging ???

I'd be interested in anyone who's had experience in any of the three also.....
 
almost forgot

Items used

about 5 sheets of fibre cement
4 tubes of liquid nails
5 packs of hardened concrete nails.
3 rolls of plasterboard webbing
1 bucket of exterior joint compound (powder form).

The end result looks fairly professional. I would not trust myself rendering, Ive seen people do it and its a bit of an art.
Along with sanding and varnishing wooden floors, its a job I would not do myself.
 
I'm about to get a portion of an IP (Block of flats) rendered (Front portion only).

One side portion, with the same dreary dark grey stones, I have painted with (I think) good effect.

After rendering and curing (about four weeks) I will be able to offer an opinion as to the advantages of each method.
 
Hi Cathy,

well if the concrete blocks are uneven, not sure what the finish would be like if it is bagged... most likely it may look a little too rough & may be better to render instead... but I suppose it all depends on the area you are referring to, if the street has nice rendered homes, it would be good to keep the look consistent... u can always try bagging a small section & see how it comes up, if it looks good, u can continue on, otherwise can go for render...

Cheers,

MannyB.
 
I believe render always looks a million dollars as opposed to paint...

Paint over brick looks cheap and it depends on the reason for doing it i.e onsale, revalue and/or rent.

Remember the reason for any improvements is to increase the value of the property or for lifestyle reason.

Rendering can cost alot of money if you don't do it yourself ... but worthwhile in my opinion because it really adds to the street appeal and the entire look of the outside of a house or units.

My Two Cents:)
 
I am a painter of over 20 yrs and have bagged many homes.
Why on earth would anyone use cement sheets?, lost me there!.
IMO rendering is best but costs more.
Although many prefer bagging which costs very little if you do it yourself, hard work though and many people just can`t do it.
It`s important to use the right mix and get it on even swirls.
The rough type cement bricks can be bagged haphazardly but I don`t like the look myself too rough, but some like it and I`ve seen many homes sell for top dollar done like this.
Quick tip wet the bricks first allows the bagging to go on much easier and sticks a little better but don`t mess with it, put it on in a swirling motion and keep moving, you need to be consistant don`t stop till a whole wall is finished if you can.
NEVER paint straight over bricks looks cheap and nasty.
Another tip if you want to render just get someone to do a pro job, don`t bother trying to fill raked joins by bagging beforehand if you don`t do it right the render won`t take and they`ll have to go to more trouble costing you more anyway.
 
Hello
The reason I used cement sheets is it takes about 1 hour to put up a 3 metre by 1.2 metre sheet that is perfectly flat, the joints can be feathered so that they cannot be seen. There is no mess from wet render splashing about the place. It requires little preperation, the sheets wont crack like render, and for someone who is not very skilled at obtaining a flat surface, the result is such that you cannot tell the difference between what I have done, and what a skilled tradesman would do.
I dont need to worry about getting mixtures of materials perfect, I don't worry that the render is going to fall off the brickwork because I forgot an important step etc etc.

Also you say that you are a painter with 20 years experience, so I have a question.
Is it weird to prefer using those small mini rollers over the larger rollers. After using the smaller rollers I find that I can dip the roller directly into the can, I have much more control over the roller, the small roller can get into spaces the larger ones can't, and most of all it produces far less mess and splatter, I also rarely paint large flat areas, mainly wooden beams etc, yet whenever someone see's me using them, its usually followed by a smile and some head shaking.
Regards Adam
 
You mean the lambswool mini rollers?, they are awesome I use `em all the time.
Big areas of course a bigger roller is quicker but the mini ones hold a surprising amount of paint.
I understand about the sheets but at the end of the day, it is cement sheet walls, not render and you can definately tell the difference and sheets can crack, also anywhere that you do need to fill can crack, also nails can lift and corners may not look right.
It`s horses for courses, but if you find it easier, and can make a good job of it, it may be worthwhile but most would have big problems with it, bagging would be a much easier technique to acheive.
 
Hi guys,

For an absolute newby, what is bagging? What does the finish look like?

From reading the thread, I gather it's cheaper than rendering (professionally done or diy) ...

Thanks!!
Jess.
 
Originally posted by triple_j
Hi guys,

For an absolute newby, what is bagging? What does the finish look like?

From reading the thread, I gather it's cheaper than rendering (professionally done or diy) ...

Thanks!!
Jess.
Bagging is...

1. Rubbishing another person. Rare in this forum, but it does happen.

2. Applying a thin cement covering over bricks. The outline of the bricks is usually visible.

Rendering is a layer of cement over the bricks which leaves no outline. It is the most expensive option, but probably gives the best results.

A point on rendering in Canberra. I asked a local renderer about tinting with oxides etc- he said that Canberra frosts acting on oxides can leave oxides with a patchy look after a period of time. I don't know how accurate that is.
 
A quick check of the dictionary also yeilded:
"A woman considered ugly or unkempt"

Thanks for the all encompassing explanation Geoff ;)

Jess.
 
Hey Adam,

A few question to ask you

1. The cement sheet looks exactly like cement rendered? Even on close inspection? (not looking at the joinings of course)

2. You mentioned that it took you an hour to put up a 3x1.2m slab. Did you have much previous experience with renovations? How long do you think it will take a newby?

3. How much do you think you've saved by using the sheeting (materials and labour). The savings is mainly on the labour right?

Thanks :)
Jess.
 
Hello triple J
It was my first attempt, and on close inspection the joints can be seen, but only when the sun is at a certain angle.


A casual observer would not be able to tell the difference between this and render.
The main saving would be the labour, as far as saving I do not know how much a plasterer charges
As far as standing the test of time, and wether the nail heads may pop out eventually only time will tell.
Putting up the sheets is the easy part, getting the joints flush is a bit more difficult and time consuming.
The photo shows the hardest part of the house, I cannot discribe the difficulty of nailling a 3 metre by 1.2 metre sheet of fibre cement 15 feet off unstable, uneven ground when I am terrified of heights.
Its pretty much like using gyprock, getting the joints flush takes the same amount of skill, I honestly can't understsand why more people do not do it.
The cost would be between $200 and $300.
 
Hi Adam,

Thanks for the reply. This may sound stupid but what is a joint flush? Why is it difficult? :confused:

I've never worked with Gyprock before but from reading other threads, it seems that it's can be diy.

Thanks :)
 
Hello triple J
It just means getting the joint to look the same as the rest of the sheet, basically sanding the joint, then refilling, then sanding, then refilling, untill the joint is perfectly flat, and there are no imperfections.
Generally you start off with a small width of joint compound about 10cm, sand that till it is smooth, then 15 cm, then 20 or 25cm. By that stage the joint once painted will not be visible.
It sounds easy, some people are skilled at obtaining a flat surface quickly, but that takes alot of practice.
Regards Adam
 
I think some of the older style properties that have been rendered look great. Can someone give me an idea of roughly how much rendering costs?
AMS
 
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