Facades

THE IMPORTANCE OF RENDER IN COLOURING OUR BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Matthew Allen, Head of Sales at Sika Building Finishing, looks into the importance of colour use in external facades and how choosing the right skin can impact a person’s perspective of a building, whilst creating a visually-appealing exterior.

Colour is an integral element of our built environment, but it isn’t simply chosen for its decorative elements. Our sensory perception of colour means that when we look at the outer skin of buildings, it will influence us psychologically and physiologically.

Colour is a visual language that is a fundamental element of many forms of art. In architecture, its importance should not be understated, and we cannot ignore the influence it has on people. On our homes, it is often the first thing to strike the eye and can be ingrained on our memory. The use of colour on the exterior of a home can shape our experience and we have learned to respond to certain colours in certain ways. From the purity and innocence of white, to the warmth and comfort across red colours in the spectrum, including orange and yellow, to the cool tones of blue, purple and green, colour can impact people in a number of different ways and can say a lot about ourselves.

One only has to look at the multicoloured townhouses in London’s Notting Hill to see how the use of a wide array of both soft and bold pastel tones can radiate charm and be a striking and welcoming contrast to what many would say would be a dreary grey across many a home’s facade in the capital city. First impressions clearly count and these Instagram-worthy facades have now become familiar the world-over. Isn’t it time then that we had more faith in colour?

Colour technology

The answer to this is, of course, yes. Colour technology has developed to the point where it is a sustainable, durable and plausible investment. There is an array of colours in the marketplace, with Sika offering an extensive range of options to suit everyone’s different tastes. As a strong advocate of colour technology, Sika has become a market leader for rendered facade, providing a high standard and quality that radiates across the render range, ensuring its customers can add creativity, comfort and style to the place we all call home.

Of course, it’s important to strike the right balance with different coloured renders within a scheme. There are certain colours that complement each other and it’s important to factor in the shade of the roof, doors and window frames as part of the overall exterior approach. A colour that contrasts with neighbouring homes and the local environment will also ensure it doesn’t clash or look unsightly.

Texture equals depth

When specifying render and facade systems, colour and texture will vary depending on the type of finish or solution selected whilst the application method, such as a scraped-hand finishing or a machine-sprayed textured finish, can have a noticeable effect on the appearance.

Furthermore, it is important to ensure when making that important decision to get samples in the colour and in the render finish you are interested in. Looking at samples in real life compared to looking online can make all the difference.

Two-tone Lake District homes

An excellent example of the aesthetic and colourful appeal of render can be seen at an exclusive development of luxury homes close to the historic market town of Kendal. Situated in the southern gateway to the Lake District, Stonecross Meadows is a stylish development of three-, four- and five-bedroom semi-detached and detached homes. The developer, Jones Homes, required a weatherproof render in two contrasting colours, which offered ease of application and would successfully complement the homes’ natural stone facade. This led to the specification of Parex Monorex GM, a one-coat weather-resistant and breathable render.

Jones Homes specified Parex Monorex GM in Pale Yellow and Smokey Grey for the homes, garages and surrounding walls of the development. Parex Monorex GM was spray applied to the concrete blockwork and to provide additional reinforcement and crack resistance at stress locations around openings, Parex TV10 Mesh was embedded into the render during the application process. Stylish and energy efficient

A crisp, clean white exterior finish was the order of the day when it came to the design of a stunning new apartment building in the desirable Branksome Park area of Poole. The specification saw the application of an external wall insulation (EWI) system from Sika in order to bring both kerb appeal and thermal benefits to a new contemporary development featuring 10, two- and three-bedroom apartments. The architect and client not only wanted an EWI system that maximised the internal space but also assisted with the dramatic shape of the building which featured soft curves and no right angles.

Working with Evans & Traves LLP Architecture and contractor L G Building Poole, Sika provided a system build up comprising PAREXTHERM Siloxane applied to expanded polystyrene (EPS) on blockwork. In addition, Monoblanco was applied to blockwork on the garden perimeter walls.

For each elevation, Parex Maite was fully embedded with 355AVU mesh to provide added strength and crack resistance. This was then floated flat and, once the basecoat was dry, Revlane Regulateur was applied to increase the depth of colour prior to the application of the white top-coat finish of Revlane Siloxane.

Throughout the installation, the Sika technical team provided technical support and full onsite visits every three to four weeks to ensure the project ran smoothly and to the client’s satisfaction.

Without doubt, colour expresses individuality and uniqueness without compromising performance. Whatever the substrate, there is a render to suit in a wide range of styles, finishes and colours to meet the design requirements. Rendered facades are a versatile, efficient and cost-effective system for any new or refurbished building regardless of the type or age of construction. They have potential to improve the outer skin of a building, update the aesthetics, adding limitless kerbside appeal and can be an important step in improving a building’s long-term thermal efficiency.  www.sika.co.uk/buildingfinishing