It's not unusual for homeowners to change their mind about tyrolean render after a while. Whether it's because they've grown tired of the old look, or that they require a new type of render finish for breathability, waterproofing, or preventing cracks, rendering over tyrolean renders isn't an uncommon request.
But just because it's requested often doesn't necessarily mean you can do it. So today we'll take a look at whether you can k rend over your tyrolean render and, if you can, discuss how it's best done.
Ready to find out more?
K rend is actually a brand that produces lots of different types of renders. They're especially well known for creating renders that have great waterproof properties and that are also breathable.
Generally, K rend is used as a finishing coat, and these render finishes are varied. With different colours, texture finishes, and thicknesses, K rend can be used on residential and commercial buildings alike to enhance the look of a property. With over 500 varieties of render on offer, K rend is a popular choice for rendering houses and commercial properties.
K rend produces two main types of render:
Their traditional lime based render is probably what K rend are best known for. This type of render is thick-coat and mineral based, and it's processed using limestone. It's pre-bagged and comes in a variety of colours and texture finishes, and is usually used as the last coat on a rendering project as a cost effective and durable way of adding colour to the walls of your house.
Recently, K rend has also made a name for themselves with their silicone cement mix renders, which are much thinner than their traditional render options and works brilliantly as a top coat. Because of the silicone, these are especially well known for being breathable, waterproof, and low maintenance, and are a popular choice for new homeowners looking for a rendering solution with colour.
So, now you know what K rend is, let's get to the crux of today's post: can you K rend over tyrolean render?
We understand why it looks as though you can't. The way tyrolean finish is applied using the tyrolean flicker gun creates a rough finish that doesn't look like it's suitable for rendering over again. After all, it's called a tyrolean finish which, you know, makes it sound as if the rendering is finished...
But, surprisingly to many, yes, you can render over your existing render. Tyrolean renders may look as if they're unsuitable for rendering over, but exterior walls covered in a tyrolean finish can still be rendered over and you can achieve a new look successfully.
However, there are some exceptions...
Painting tyrolean is often a popular choice once the tyrolean flicker gun has done its job, and it's out of the way. Many clients enjoy the rough finish of the tyrolean, but there's no denying that the colour is often dull. Often, after the first coat of tyrolean, clients are already thinking about paint choices to improve the end result of the rendered walls.
However, once tyrolean render has been painted, it's very difficult to render over it. If you imagine the tyrolean render as a base coat in this scenario where you want to render over it with K rend, adding paint to the base coat makes no sense. The 'finishing coat' of K rend wouldn't be able to adhere to the walls of your house properly because of the paint.
In these instances, where paint is on the surface of the tyrolean, you have two options.
The first is to try and strip the paint away. By removing the layer of paint and exposing the tyrolean underneath, the walls ought to be fine for the new render. Just be sure to clean the surface of the wall thoroughly to ensure the job is done properly and the whole area isn't dirty, so the new K rend can stick to the tyrolean properly.
Your second option, if the paint isn't easily removed, is to take the walls back to the substrate. That means removing the tyrolean altogether and exposing the stone, brickwork, concrete, or masonry beneath. By taking the building back to its bare bones, you can ensure the job is done properly.
Although this second option ought to be a last resort. You'll have far more costs to incur in this scenario because of the materials - the new sand and cement base coat mix, the render finish you want to achieve, and not to mention the increase in labour costs as a professional has to go through every stage of the rendering process again from scratch comb to finishing coats!
Option one should always be attempted first, but if the paint won't come away from the exterior wall, then taking the building back to basics is your only option.
In theory, tyrolean render should last between 10 and 30 years depending on the elements it's exposed to, the strength of the wind and rain in the area, and the quality of the layers applied in the first place.
However, cracks can occur, and when they do, they can compromise the surface of the wall beneath. Render and plaster are designed to protect walls for many years, but when something is wrong with them, the brick or stone beneath are exposed to rain and poor weather again.
Simply K rendering over the top of these problems won't solve anything.
As above, you have two options.
The first is to repair the tyrolean. Because you're going to render over the new tyrolean anyway, this is definitely a viable option, even for coloured tyrolean, because you'll be applying a new finish with a distinct style of its own with the K render, so finding an exact match isn't important.
If repair isn't possible due to excessive damage, then removing the old rendering and plastering from the wall is your only option, and then starting again.
Again, the first option is preferable here.
So, yes, you can render over tyrolean, but why would you want to?
If you've experienced damp problems, excessive moisture, or wind damage, then it makes sense to add another protective layer of render to the wall.
This comes back to damage you might have experienced due to problems with your tyrolean layers. Most homeowners prefer a new layer of render for the additional protection in the future.
Speaking of the future, if your tyrolean is regularly exposed to bad weather, then using an additional render layer to protect it from future damage and cracks makes sense.
Although K rend doesn't meet exterior wall insulation guidelines on its own, with the tyrolean beneath, it can certainly help better insulate your home - cutting energy bills and making your home greener.
Sometimes the appearance is all you need to change, and a K rend render can help you there.
A lot of applying K rend to existing tyrolean render successfully involves experience. Only experienced professionals will be able to look at your existing render and determine if it:
By hiring someone with years of experience in the construction industry, you can guarantee that you'll reach the finish you want in a safe way that protects your home.
Rendering over tyrolean is not only possible, but it's a great way of achieving a new look, better protecting your home, and extending the life of your tyrolean.
We'd always recommend consulting professionals before attempting any work yourself, though, since applying too much render to a wall can actually tear off all the renders, leaving your home exposed.
Work with a professional, though, and you can be confident in a job well done!
