i-Scape: Render

Never paint your render again

A typical suburban street will have a mixture of homes; some modern, some older, some with exposed brick and some finished with a coloured render.

Many of these rendered homes will have used render allows you to hide this uneven a traditional lime render which benefits from brickwork, replacing it with a smooth, breathability and versatility. Lime render is uniform appearance, in a beautiful often described as superior to cement, as and interesting colour. its vapour-permeability allows water, as a gas or a liquid, to pass through, avoiding the build-up of moisture and 2. Reduced need for reducing the risk of damp and damage to masonry. maintenance and repairs

So, what are the benefits of rendering your home using Lime benefits from strength and lime render? James Ayres, Co-Founder and Operations durability, as the incredibly fine Director at Lime Green Products, investigates. particles can easily penetrate minuscule spaces in brickwork, 1. Improved external appearance allowing it to bind well and provide Typically, the main reason for rendering a property is to long-lasting adhesion. improve its external appearance. By adding a coat of Lime-built walls move and settle render, you can achieve a seamless and beautiful finish. throughout the seasons, so lime

A key benefit of using lime render, specifically pre- render will move sympathetically coloured lime render, is that the need for paint is at the same rate, unlike brittle, hard removed. Lime render is often available in a variety of cement renders. This reduces the risk colours, meaning a home can have a unique, individual of external cracking, minimising the appearance, without the need to spend time, money and need for maintenance and repairs. resources on a large-scale painting job to complete its As pre-coloured lime renders do not exterior finish. require painting, there is a reduced

Years of exposure can lead to spalling or damaged need to maintain the colour over time, brickwork, leaving it looking messy or uneven. Bricks can be as unlike render, paint can often crack difficult to replace, but adding a layer of pre-coloured lime and peel after years of exposure.

3. Weather protection

Lime render can provide weather protection, as its vapour-permeable qualities mean that any water absorbed into external walls of a home during rainfall will be able to escape externally, reducing the risk of damp and water damage.

In addition, lime’s strength and durability will provide protection against harsh weather conditions, ensuring a home remains dry for years to come.

4. Higher indoor air quality

The vapour-permeable properties of lime render enable it to contribute to improved humidity control. This is due to its capability to enable moisture to escape the walls when there is a surplus, maintaining a comfortable internal environment and a higher indoor air quality.

The removal of excess moisture means condensation will not occur on the surface of walls. That condensation has the potential to cause the growth of mould, which releases toxins into the air, creating an unhealthy internal environment. Lime also allows condensation Case study: Roseisle House: Roseisle House is a beautiful, two-storey, threebedroom home which was recently built in Moray, near Elgin in Scotland.

The home was designed and built with one core and clear goal in mind: sustainability.

“It was very important for us to achieve a sustainable and healthy build,” says Lieselotte, the homeowner. “Air quality, breathability and energy efficiency were all crucial factors for us when we were selecting the materials for our new home.”

Roseisle House was built using breathable clay blocks, so required compatible renders.

“The architect initially recommended products, and we then worked closely with the client to ensure we selected the best product for the job,” says David MacGillivray from MacGillivray Construction.

“The Lime Green specification was, internally, a 12mm Internal Solo Onecoat plaster on top of a coat of Silic8 primer and, externally, a 6mm Finish WP external lime render on top of a 10mm Ultra insulating base coat.

“The beauty of the topcoat render we chose – Lime Green Finish WP external lime render – is that it is pre-coloured, so it doesn’t need to be painted making it even more sustainable than it already is,” says Lieselotte.

and moisture to escape easily, preventing it from building up in the indoor environment, further contributing to higher indoor air quality.

5. Environmentally friendly

Lime is a natural, sustainable material, and, unlike silicone and plastic renders, it does not contain added biocides or depend on oil extraction for its production.