Thin Coat Render Comparison

Thin- Coat Render Benefits | Thin Coat Render Options | Silicone Render | Acrylic Render | Mineral Render

Thin coat render is primarily a decorative finish that is applied externally to a building or property. It can be used as a standalone system to transform the exterior and provide protection from the elements or as part of an external wall insulation system completing the thermally efficient build up as a decorative façade.

Thin coat renders have been growing in popularity since their origination in the 1950’s as the benefits of the product are increasingly being recognised throughout homeowners and installers alike. Thin coat render can be used to replace like for like cladding to maintain the character of a home or bring a tired and dated property back to life. Whilst thin coat renders are often utilised for full elevations they can also be incorporated as a dual finish alongside other façades such as brick slips or spar dash to bring traditional and contemporary designs together making it a versatile product for any project.

While most cladding materials are dry and fixed to the home with screws or fittings, render is a wet coat applied much like plaster. It can be applied to a variety of substrates and is available in an array of colours and grain sizes (1mm, 1.5mm, 2mm and 3mm) enabling flexibility to suit any project requirements.

Benefits to Thin Coat Render

Modern render has many benefits and is widely used across Europe and the UK due to its flexibility, low maintenance, waterproof, lightweight and breathable properties.

Flexibility is one of the key benefits when looking at thin coat renders as every building or property will shrink and expand as the temperature, moisture and humidity changes throughout the year. Even though these movements will be minimal you need a product that has the ability to move with the building otherwise you will see cracking over time.

Thin coat renders are applied in a thin layer over a basecoat with reinforced fibreglass mesh embedded in so as your property expands it will hold the basecoat together and prevent cracking.

The additional benefits of breathability and self-cleaning properties are ideal especially when incorporating as part of an external wall insulation system. It is vital that moisture within a property or building can pass through the system to allow the building to breathe reducing the risk of condensation. At the same time the formula allows water resistant protection to withstand aggressive environmental agents, in harsh weather conditions.

The pigments within a thin coat render are highly UV resistant meaning the façade will retain its colour providing a seamlessly rendered long lasting finish for years to come.

Wetherby’s versatile thin coat render systems are available in endless texture and colour options enabling flexibility whilst delivering clean, modern and durable facades. For more information about all of our thin coat renders visit our website here!

Types of Thin Coat Render

Modern thin coat renders generally fall into 3 categories; Silicone, Acrylic and Mineral render. Getting the right type of render is really important to maximise the benefits of your project so here we will look at the different types and the individual advantages they provide.

Silicone Render

Silicone render is probably the most recognised of all the thin coat renders, it offers excellent breathability and vapour permeability meaning moisture and water can pass through the surface to help prevent damp and mould. It is a self-cleaning render so as water is repelled from the surface any dirt particles can be washed away actively preventing the build-up of unsightly growth and keeping the render looking fresh and clean. Silicone render is one of the most durable finishes that boasts a flexible anti-crack formulation allowing you to achieve a seamlessly rendered façade that is unlikely to crack overtime. It comes ready to use in a factory batched tub with the desired colour already incorporated so once applied painting is not required.

The only thing to consider when utilising this render is it can take considerably longer to dry so is best suited for application throughout dryer, warmer weather conditions.

Acrylic Render

Acrylic Render is a type of render that uses acrylic, which is a type of plastic, in the mix. The acrylic component makes the render much stronger and more flexible than traditional rendering mixes, which means that it is much less likely to crack after it has been applied. It holds onto colour pigment really well, providing vibrant and long lasting coloured finishes that are resistant to UV. It comes ready to use in a factory batched tub with the desired colour already incorporated so once applied painting is not required.

Acrylic render provides a high impact resistance but doesn’t contain the same level of breathability as silicone renders therefore has a lower resistance to waterproofing.

Mineral Render

Mineral render is a cement based render with lime and polymers in the mix, it offers enhanced strength and is highly permeable to water vapour. Although providing a similar appearance to silicone and acrylic renders, mineral render dries considerably quicker making this an ideal solution when dealing with adverse weather conditions throughout the winter months. It works in a different way, as it relies on a chemical reaction during the curing process and cures independently of humidity, unlike silicone and acrylic which are set by air drying. This process means project delays can be avoided.

It is supplied pre-bagged as a dry powder to be mixed with water on site. Once applied it does however, require to be sealed with a silicone paint in order to prevent lime bloom. Whilst this does create an additional step in the installation process it does mean you will benefit from the hydrophobic properties that exist in silicone resisting any unwanted growth as well as having the flexibility of an array of colour options to brighten up your project.

For more information about all of Wetherby’s thin coat renders visit the website here or contact the Technical Team on 0800 1073299.

We always recommend using a recognised installer when incorporating any external wall insulation system; to find a list of recognised installers in your area click here!