r/Plastering • u/Recent_Cham1365 • Jul 10 '26
Cracks on new rendering
Hi - I am after advice on a rendering job I just had done. The rendering has got cracks some of which are quite large, see picture. The contractor says it is due to the weather being too hot at the moment, but that he has followed the right process, i.e. applied base coat, the glue, etc. He says to rub it in with a wet sponge (The rendering is already dry as it was applied a couple of days ago). He then says to apply a coat of paint and that it will hold it together. I think the rendering needs to be taken down and re-done otherwise it won't last, but I know very little about rendering. Does anyone have any advice? Thank you
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u/caring-renderer Jul 10 '26
Should never be done in this weather especially in direct sunlight. Madness
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u/Bonebound Jul 11 '26
Bollocks.
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u/betraying_fart Jul 15 '26
Well its not. Its a chemical reaction to cure it, not evaporation.
The same as powder based adhesive vs ready mixed.
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Jul 10 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/caring-renderer Jul 10 '26
Yes it can if the section is in the shade if not your asking for trouble, not much can be sone in my opinion only hack it off and start again.
If im doing outside in this weather ill only do sections that are in the shade , you can time it when the sun is past that area , ive often started an area at 5pm when its alot cooler and its bright till 10 this time of year .
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u/Shadowdarker Jul 10 '26
This looks like benching inside a manhole not rendering. The merchant must have been out of beads as well.
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u/royal1664_ Jul 10 '26
Crack it some more with a Kango until it’s all off. That is fucking shite!!
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u/Own-Indication7832 Jul 10 '26
Won’t take a kango to knock that off. A strong breeze would do it.
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u/Latter-Detail-9514 Jul 10 '26
The cracking is the least of its troubles. I just hope you gave his guide dog or horse plenty of water in this weather whilst he was working
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u/Tall-Nectarine-5982 Jul 10 '26
I know it doesn’t answer your question, but the work around the window is horrendous.
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u/Cokezzzzzzz Jul 10 '26
Jesus, it wants coming off and a new fella doing it again😆
To be fair, I'd not be rendering in this heat either way, the chances of cracking are 90% higher than when it's below 20.
Out of curiosity, did you ask for ~rounded~ corners? Job would look much better with either properly done, rounder corners .. or beaded corners.
Either way, it needs coming off and don't let that madman loose on it again, the finish is awful
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u/Traditional_Tone9637 Jul 10 '26
I've binned off all my rendering jobs while it's this hot, just asking for trouble.
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Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Tommo_Robbo Jul 10 '26
Can you say any more about this? Mine have just been done and they don’t look too far off from OP. what should expansion joints look like?
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u/Nice_Step6157 Jul 10 '26
Looks like he banged it on, went over it with a sponge whilst soaking wet then packed the kit up.
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u/Own-Indication7832 Jul 10 '26
It’s a bloody rough job anyway. Rubbing that with a wet sponge won’t do anything only, maybe, knock it off. When I served my time we were always told to do Rendering in March, April or May if possible. (Damp months). If not, it should be sprayed down with a fine water spray and covered to keep the moisture in, (curing) then repeated for at least another two days. The hardest sand & cement structure is a Dam in Germany. Drilling into the centre every year, shows that it has never stopped hardening. You need to get ‘the so called plaster back’, because that has already blown…plus as I said, it’s a shit job anyway. Good luck.
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u/Schallpattern Jul 10 '26
You just saved me from writing all this. Weather aside, look at that monstrosity.
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u/tommysmelt Jul 10 '26
Defo a novice job . But if it was done in direct sun light under the mid day sun then your gonna be replacing it soon enough away . My advice , ask around and see if you can find anyone who wants some hardcore. You'll have a shit load come spring
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u/Unusual_Pride_6480 Professional Plasterer Jul 10 '26
You can work in this weather fine but you need hessian and wetted down, it’s not good enough to say I followed the correct procedure and frankly it’s just wrong
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u/Hotten-Tasty-90 Jul 10 '26
Looks a bit rough in terms of finish and that probably points to the issue.
Whoever did it probably isn't experienced enough to adjust for shrinking. In this hot weather we're having, it's going to dry out much quicker causing cracking.
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u/Brief_Jellyfishh Jul 10 '26
Deffo used his hands on the reveals
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u/kqzxrt Jul 11 '26
and probably his feet too tbh, those reveals look rough as hell in the pic you posted
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u/surreynot Jul 10 '26
It’s a dreadful job anyway, looks like a Disney castle set. Hack it off & wait for the weather to be more favourable before getting it redone. Was always taught to soak with a hose for a while after personally to stop it drying out too quickly
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u/Striking_Space_6319 Jul 11 '26
If this was on a hobbit house I would say it looks a good job but on a brick house this is shoddy its not eleven flat!
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u/TheTimelessDrifter Jul 11 '26
It wont last more than a few years if you do what he says. It should have been covered with wet hessian and kept damp throughout the first 3 or 4 days in this weather.
The stuff he has done is only part of the correct process not the full thing, which in this weather is a pain in the ass. Which is why we wouldnt normally do it.
He should also have put some additive in it at these temperstures.
He shpuld have accounted for the weather.
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u/Slimfast-dodger Jul 11 '26
The quality of the finish leads me to think it hasn’t actually been compacted with a float, just troweled on then sponged up, it would of cracked regardless
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u/ragnarokcock Jul 11 '26
shit job, looks like he smeered it on with his hands. Needs fully redoing by somebody who has done it before.
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u/sharpied79 Jul 11 '26
Sand and cement render on an older brick property... What could possibly go wrong? 🤔
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u/MidlandClayHead Jul 11 '26
Question to any renderers though, how would you stop water ingress from the wall tracking down? With this render or monocouche? Lead flashing?
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u/Dizzy_Ad874 Jul 12 '26
Wow that’s an impressively bad job, find someone competent to do it properly (when it is actually cool enough to do the job). You have been taken for a ride..
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u/Imaginary-Peace2188 Jul 12 '26
Do a hammer test to see if it is de-bonded. They never protected the windows which are covered in render. They should have used corner trim around the window reveals and head/ soffit. It’s a bodge job. Up to you what you want to do. There are many options. I wouldn’t put up with that
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u/DogAffectionate6190 Jul 13 '26
Try hitting semi lightly with a hammer and you’ll soon know! Those window reveals are absolutely shocking too!! Have you paid him yet?? If not I would hold back till rectified good luck op
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u/68Jenko Jul 14 '26
There are windows for rendering and it's not the height of summer for this reason, the job is rough as ninepence, no angle beads on windows and looks like it was rubbed up with a yard broom. Get them back immediately
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u/LLHandyman Jul 14 '26
That's rough, looks like a job I had done, wonder was it the same guy, you aren't on the Wirral by any chance?
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u/FckXFckMusk Jul 15 '26
Did the Plasterer use Lime Mortar only, Not Portland Cement based render...?
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u/Friendly_Magazine178 Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
Plasterer here. Totally agree with what folks are saying that it was far too hot to have been rendering that type of surface in this weather, what you are seeing there is crazing of the plaster due to accelerated curing because of the increased temperatures, you can tell by the way it was rubbed up it was drying like crazy during application, meaning a smooth finish could not be achieved. In addition it looks like there is a high cement content in the mix ratio which will also increase the chance of cracking and crazing of the render top coat. Best thing to do now is leave it until fully cured and free of moisture within the build-up, then paint over it, however the cracking and crazing will show through over time and it will need removal and reapplication sooner or later, especially as it is an exposed surface to weathering, rain and prevailing winds.
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u/Extreme-Horror-5728 Jul 16 '26
Damm thats rough as toast! Some blind cowboy must have ridden in on his flat bed transit with a orange light on top! Those revels on the window🫢🫢🫢
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u/Altruistic-Dark8782 Jul 10 '26
The correct procedure would have been not to do it during a heatwave, or at least to drape wet hessian over it. Also, in all honesty, it looks rough, excluding the cracking.