Difference – Plastering and Rendering

Plastering and rendering are both the process of covering walls. The main difference in them  is that plastering is more to do with the coating of the interior walls,  rendering is the coating of exterior walls. The main difference between plastering and rendering is the strength of the materials used in each. However plaster and render are both made from the same building materials including, cement, sand, water and lime gypsum.

Rendering

Rendering is used to coat exterior surfaces of buildings, commonly used in outside walls, and contains a higher percentage of cement when compiled. Rendering is applied to the outside of buildings to not only make the outside  more visually appealing, but also provide a waterproofing and fireproofing finishes.

Rendering is compiled of lime gypsum, sand and cement, bonding agents, drying additives and colouring. Lime gypsum is key to giving the coating its creamy appearance and smooth finish. Finer sand must be used in the rendering mixture to create the coveted finish.

Render is layered onto exterior walls in sheets, applied with a trowel and finished with a number of different tools, dependent upon the desired finished appearance. Rendering can either have a smooth, flat finish or a textured, patterned appearance, determined by the homeowners personal taste.

Plastering

Plaster differs to render as it contains less cement when compiled, as it is used to coat the interior walls and ceilings of buildings, to ensure a smooth and strong finish for later wallpapering or painting

Plaster must be set and completely dry before walls are painted or wallpapered. Fresh plastered walls can take anything from a week to month to dry full so decorating is not recommended straight away. You can tell that freshly plastered walls are dry when there are no visible dark patches, and a light uniform colour is visible across all walls. Drying times of plaster vary depending on the number of coats uses, conditions such as seasonal weather or central heating. While drying it’s best to ensure your home is properly ventialted, open windows and doors to allow for  ventilation. You don’t want newly plastered walls to dry too quickly as they could develop some cracks.

Interested in Plastering or Rendering work, or even some painting and decorating? Then contact James for a chat.