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Structurally sound
A true solid plaster system, not a thin coating.
Finish 05 / 09
Sand & Cement RenderAdelaide
The structural substrate everything else depends on.
Overview
The trade skill everything else sits on
Sand and cement render is the traditional solid plastering system: a cementitious mix applied directly to brick, block or masonry, ruled off, and floated or steel-trowelled to the required finish. It is what a genuine solid plasterer is measured by.
It is also the foundation for almost everything else we do. A polished Venetian or an acrylic texture coat is only ever as flat, as sound and as long-lived as the render beneath it. Correct mix ratios, proper suction control, accurate rules and screeds, and adequate curing time are what separate a wall that lasts forty years from one that maps and cracks in two.
Why specify it
What this finish gives you
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Correct mix design
Ratios adjusted to substrate suction and exposure, not batched the same on every site.
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Any finish texture
From an open float finish through to a dead-flat steel trowel ready for decorative work.
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Weather resistant
Durable external performance in South Australian conditions.
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Ideal decorative base
The flattest, most stable substrate for Venetian and texture systems.
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Long service life
Correctly mixed, applied and cured, render outlasts the coatings on top of it.
Where it works
Applications
Suited to the spaces below. If yours is not listed, ask — the answer is usually yes, with the right substrate preparation.
New home façadesBrick & blockworkBoundary & feature fencesRetaining wallsGarages & outbuildingsCommercial masonrySubstrate for decorative finishesExtensions & additions
Our specialist process
Four controlled stages
Decorative work fails at the preparation stage far more often than at the finish stage. This is how we make sure it does not.
01
Scope, finish & programme review
Confirming the system, the sample, the sheen and where the finish starts and stops.
02
Substrate assessment & preparation
Moisture, movement, flatness and porosity resolved before any finish coat is considered.
03
Specialist finish application
Hand application in thin successive coats, to the approved sample, under controlled conditions.
04
Detailing, inspection & handover
Terminations, protection removal, joint inspection under working light, and care guidance.
Project gallery
Sand & Cement Render in Adelaide homes & venues
For architects & builders
Specification notes
The details worth writing into a spec. We are happy to review documentation before tender and provide system data for submission.
Talk to us about a spec- Control joints must be carried through render at structural joints and at nominated centres in long runs.
- Different substrates in one plane — brick to blockwork, or brick to concrete — require reinforcement mesh across the junction.
- Suction control is critical; high-suction substrates are dampened or primed prior to application.
- Allow minimum 28 days cure before applying decorative or Venetian finishes over new render.
- Do not apply in direct summer sun or when overnight temperatures approach zero.
FAQ
Sand & Cement Render — your questions answered
Most cracking is either substrate movement, mixing different substrates in one plane without reinforcement, missing control joints, or a render that dried too fast rather than cured. All four are controllable, and all four come down to the tradesperson rather than the material.
Twenty-eight days is the standard cure for a cementitious render before applying coatings. Applying too early traps moisture and alkalinity behind the finish, which is a very expensive lesson.
Not directly onto sound paint — cement render needs a mechanical key. We either remove the coating, or apply a proprietary bonding slurry or mesh system designed for the condition. We will assess it on site and tell you honestly which it needs.
Start a project
Bring sand & cement render into your project.
Free consultation, site inspection and sample boards in your chosen colour and sheen.
Licensed BLD 340668