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Right, whats the grey/beige plaster type stuff that encases my victorian house, that has "stone block" lines drawn in it for effect called?
And does it matter if its cracked?
i'm not a builder or a diy expert, but, it may be render, if so cracking may let dampness in but then again it could be fine.
Inside or out? No render or render like stuff on my Victorian house..
It may me ashlar render.
ultrastylish stone cladding ?
Ah sorry - yes outside.
andysredmini - yes I think it is using this link as a guide
http://www.parexuk.com/detailing_ashlar_features.php
Sounds like render with ashlar.
Tradionally done with sand and cement with "floated" finish to make smooth then painted.
Modern house builders tend to use pre bagged self coloured render (such as Weber.pral ,Parex,K rend etc ) so it doen`t need painted.
Ashlars are the joint lines cut into the render whilst it`s green.
When you say cracked,how badly is it cracked and where are the cracks? Usually the cracks reflect what happening in the background. They tend to be seen at 45o from each side of the window head and at other points of weakness.If they are hairline cracks dont worry too much, provided the render is still well bonded. If there isn`t on going movement then you could chase them out and fill them but youll normally see th repair unless you re render the whole wall.
Jolly green giant - I hink you are spot on but it's easier with pics
[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8179/8066245906_837a7b9ac8.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/kryton1957/8066245906/ ]crack1[/url]
and
[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8315/8066245132_ae4b8ffe19.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/kryton1957/8066245132/ ]crack2[/url]
I guess my worry is winter - will water entering, freezing and expanding make this worse / cause bigger issues?
I hink we've already confirmed my house isn't falling down....
It probably does reflect the movement in the underlying structure and fixing it is important - they used crap bricks and mortar underneath in those terraces and they crumble very easily once wet.
Normally you're supposed to cut a channel with an angle grinder etc and then re-render - looks like someones done it once at least.
You then end up with mismatched colours and are tempted to paint it. I wouldn;t - it's a commitment to doing it again every 5 years and can trap moisture in the render. Surveyors expect to see this sort of thing in older properties so unless it gets a lot worse I wouldn;t worry.
...and can trap moisture in the render...
This i knew.
seems like leaving it or now and then getting it sorted next summer is the way to go then. Just for vanity's sake, its a semi not a terrace 😉
Kryton, If you are doing it for vanity`s sake,only re rendering is going to hide that really.Even if you paint it the repair will still show through.
You`d need the existing render cleaned up and treated with an algicide wash first,then a bonding agent eg (weber rend aid) but unless the cause of cracking has stabilised it may just come back.
You can put mesh over the cracks first but again there are no guarantees.
Worth reading this to help understand why cracks in render occur and how they can be prevented:
[url= http://www.netweber.co.uk/fileadmin/user_upload/Technical_advice_notes/Weber_Monocouche_Best_Practice_Guide.pdf ]Avoiding cracking[/url]
Another option particularly as it is likely to be solid wall is to consider using an insulated render, board first with around 100m insulation then render. Less likely to crack, less prep needed and you can bring your insuation up to current building regs but you would need to add cill extensions and consider rainwater pipes,etc
Kryton as JGG says it is a site mixed sand/cement render with an ashlar cut. Does the render sound hollow (boss) when tapped? In particular around the cracked areas. If it does then it would be best to remove and re-render.
I work for an external render manufacturer, one of the ones JGG mentions, if you need any advice feel free to email me.
EDIT - If it is a Victorian house it is possible that you have a lime mortar bonding the bricks and someone at some point has put a cement based render on top. Lime mortar doesn't set as hard as cement and the cement render on top can crack due to the movement in the substrate behind. If that is the case then you would need a lime render or isolate the substrate from the render with a board or building paper.
Thanks chaps, very helpul!
Appreciated.