Render the brick house?

[Thomas_P]

I have a brick house built in '49 and it's time to check the joints. One wall is quite bad as the previous owners had some climbing plant covering the entire wall. Instead of repointing, I've been considering plastering the whole house in a nice color.

The problem is, I have no idea about plaster. From what I understand, you can spray plaster on or apply it in the traditional way. What I wonder is if it's recommended, and if so, which method and type of plaster, and what it might cost. Anything particular to keep in mind? How long can you expect it to last?

Thanks in advance!
Best regards,
Thomas

 

[yonna]

Photograph the exterior from all angles and show the images to an (aesthetic ) architect for comments. It is conceivable that the house will become poorly proportioned and lose character if you plaster. I presume the house was originally bricked, and the brickwork itself is a significant part of the design and appearance.

I have a house that is exposed 'in reverse,' meaning it was originally plastered and later supplemented with facade brick. It's relatively okay, but they had to deepen the roof (i.e., redo the entire thing); replace the windows and move them out, which is quite a significant modification. Personally, I would never subject a house to such a transformation unless the house itself is completely 'wrong.'

For a period, the mortar has been of substandard quality; it is better today and a re-pointing now would more than suffice for your lifetime. Vegetation against any facade is an eyesore :-/ and costs more than it benefits. Depending on where you live (in the city with pollution or out in the fresh countryside), a professionally applied plaster should last 30-60 years; however, it usually requires repainting more frequently. The most economical option in the long run is re-pointing.

 

[Thomas_P]

Thank you for your response, Yonna. I am aware that it is a big change and that in the long run it is not economically sustainable compared to re-pointing.

What I am looking for are different facade options. I have even considered the possibility of cladding the house with panel, which might probably make many choke on their coffee... I simply think wooden houses look nice, though it does mean more maintenance, that's just something you have to deal with .

Well, the thing with wood is perhaps a step too far, which is why I am currently interested in plastering and to find out if it's even an option, I’m interested in the methods, their prices, and durability.

Best regards,
Thomas

 

[yonna]

OK, I understand that you are aware of what you're doing. Is the house well insulated or are you also looking to reduce energy costs?

The only defense I can say about my own brick house is that the heat consumption is under 2 cubic meters per year and it is economical although not so beautiful.

 

[Thomas_P]

Well, I have a high consumption, but of course, it could be due to poor insulation at the top. The idea, however, is that if it becomes relevant to apply plaster, additional insulation will be done as well, and of course, you have to consider how it will look since the windows will end up "a bit inside the house."

I've only been a homeowner for a year, so it’s a bit of a new world for me considering our house needs renovations. I can't say I didn't know what I was getting into, but everything takes its little time. Not least because I'm cautious, maybe a bit too cautious sometimes according to my partner who would like some projects to go faster...

 

[kwao]

Stucco on brick does not necessarily mean the relocation of windows, etc., as long as one does not plan to add insulation. STO has a fiber-reinforced lime-cement stucco that builds only from 6mm.

http://www.sto.se/home/home_pro.htm

 

[gaia]

It might not be a bad idea to start by improving the joints. It's not the aesthetics that are important first and foremost, but ensuring the walls are sealed. Dry walls insulate better! Frost damage (the surface on the brick crumbles into small pieces) tends to accelerate once it has reached that stage. I don't know how bad your bad wall is???. In any case, repointing is simple and cheap to do yourself. You can get guidance from store staff who sell plaster and mortar regarding the type of material and tools. Fix the worst damages before winter if you suspect the house will benefit from it. The joints should be repaired anyway if it's going to be plastered in the future, so I don't think it's a wasted effort. A brick house is a good choice
gaia

 

[Thomas_P]

My bad wall deserves to be called bad. In several places, I have easily scratched out rows of old mortar with a screwdriver. It has basically just fallen out. Then I've also helped a bit in other places and made sure to get out a bit more mortar, or lime is probably what's left. After that, I've taken on the pleasant task of grouting...

I have more left that I consider should be done this year, it's now been a couple of weeks and soon I'll have to get to it again before it's too late.

Anyone have an idea about the price of plastering the house? Including or excluding additional insulation.

Thanks a lot to those who have already responded, this entire page is real reading material that I like to read. Perhaps a bit too long sometimes considering the dial-up connection...

Best regards,
Thomas

 

[marten70]

500kr/sqm with STO and 50mm insulation
fully completed with all materials and paint

 

[kurt]

One can also plaster in different ways. Some have such a thin layer of plaster that you can see the structure of the bricks underneath, which can also be nice on certain houses, instead of smooth plaster.

 

[marten70]

yes, it is also possible to coat it with a colored noble plaster where you can discern the shapes of the bricks through the structure, but you will still need to repair the joints. however, it would be best if you repaired the joints before starting either of the projects, but with varying degrees of precision.

kind regards
per

 

[yonna]

Since you've had the house for a relatively short time and have already identified heat leakage 'up top,' I can share what I did: I hired a company that injected polystyrene beads (?) into the roof joists and the sloped roof (I have 1 1/2 stories). I'm not sure how viable this is today ... I did it 18 years ago. The oil consumption dropped drastically, by half a cubic meter—the cost 'back then' was recouped during the first winter season. Additionally, I no longer had to endure the unbearably hot summer nights on the upper floor. I imagine there are better methods available today, but my little beads still work.

 

[Atelje]

I have a brick house built in '49 and it's time to look over the joints.

I absolutely think you should not plaster or put up paneling. Brick is an excellent material that is almost maintenance-free, and it is also incredibly beautiful. That is if you have old coal-fired handmade bricks, which you should be able to have in a house from '49. It's a disgrace to plaster such, about the same as putting vinyl flooring on wooden floors.

However, you can radically change the appearance of the house by choosing light or dark mortar. It makes a huge difference; the whole house can feel different. Look at these pictures to see for yourself. http://www.petersen-tegl.dk/

 

[yonna]

Look there - another one who agrees with me

However, it doesn't solve the additional insulation ... Thomas - bring in building expertise = practical architect and discuss a sensible solution! You are considering a significant exterior change and it's precisely at such times that you hire professionals! If you're really fond of a wooden facade, you've probably bought the wrong house ... :-/.

It's also not entirely wrong to economically consider the house's second-hand value. I can imagine that you might actually lower the house's value if you change the brick facade. A brick facade requires repointing approximately every 50 years; a plaster facade needs maintenance every 30 years, and a wooden facade needs maintenance every 6-10 years ... There's a lot of money in facade maintenance!

 

[gaia]

If someone is considering applying thin render to a house, it might be useful reading. Hope the Danish doesn't cause any trouble I think there's thorough knowledge about render and brick in Denmark, as they have many houses with such facades. One can learn from others' mistakes . Excerpt comes from a page about building preservation. "Thin rendering of older facades in exposed brick is very popular these years. It is claimed that it can be applied in one process, it can strengthen older masonry under initial weathering, it can be colored in many modern hues, and you can still see the structure of the masonry through the thin render. Finally, it's claimed that thin render requires very little maintenance. Thus, an easy, inexpensive, and technically good treatment for older masonry. Unfortunately, all five claimed benefits are completely wrong: Thin render cannot be applied in one process, as a thorough, preliminary restoration of the base is required; the thin render can instead lead to an ugly and blotchy facade that weathers quickly, requires more maintenance, and thus more money in the long run than, for example, exposed brick. Furthermore, it can be very difficult and costly, often impossible, to remove thin render again from a facade if future owners of the house wish to do so, including restoring the original pointing of the masonry." It's that simple to turn a house facade into a costly nightmare... If interested, see the link: www.sns.dk Regards, gaia