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What material to put on exterior wall

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  • 11-07-2013 7:42am
    #1
    hotpotato
    Registered Users Posts: 31 ✭


    We are thinking of getting render on the exterior as opposed to brick. We are told that it'll be minimal upkeep and just take cleaning every few year and that it will have an indestructible finish. I'm wondering if this is the case. We will have kids kicking footballs etc and skeptical about it. Personally don't trust the clean it every few years thing. Sounds like a pain in the arse. Anyone any experience?


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    #2
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,411 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Let me know if you want this sent to Construction & Planning

    Moderator

    It is largely a matter of taste and what is appropriate to the area - you might not get planning for a brick exterior in a village or rural location where it is out of character.

    Generally brick (clay, not concrete) tends to look best, with virtually no maintenance required. Pick your brick carefully as some have dated poorly - personally I prefer if a brick has some character in it. Although some buildings with a plain smooth brick look good, I'm not sure if they really works with houses. You might get some efflorescence (wire brush - don't power hose) in the first few years. Brick is slightly more expensive than other finishes.

    Plain pebble dash doesn't look great, although you can get (off) white, coloured or exposed aggregate finishes. Painting / white washing pebble dash can be a bit labour intensive. Every so often, you are likely to need to wire brush/ sand blast (don't power hose) the surface as the paint peels in an irregular pattern, moss can grow, etc. Pebble dash has a slight insulation benefit over other finishes.

    You could also go for a flat plaster finish, including various proprietary finishes that are permanently coloured. Flat surfaces are the most susceptible to marking by footballs, graffiti, etc.

    Stone can look good, but choose carefully. It would be the most expensive finish, so can be best for detailing. Use a stone mason / contractor, not Anto the brickie.

    For most surfaces, you can use a clear sealant, which makes dealing with marks and graffiti easier.


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