Rigsby
TPF Special Forces
Found this on a FB rendering group posted by a well established renderer.
Winter working,
A FEW COLD WETHER WORKING TIPS
A few tips from me for cold whether working for exterior renders of most types that I tend to abide by which helps me run my day rather than the day running me!
We’ve all been there, waiting in a cold van, with cold feet waiting to rub up, lights on at 6pm when the sun goes down and the dreading newspaper on the soggy bottoms!
Rendering in cold conditions for me is about effective decision making with the choice of render, choice of mix, choice of prep work and choice of additives if any. There are multiple combinations out there and just because the temperatures drop doesn’t mean you can’t render in sub zero temps or very high temps in the summer. I see Charlie short is out in India and bumping into to men doing cement renders in 37degree heat and I often speak to a guy in Canada doing cement and polymer renders and plasters in temps as low as minus 5 but tends not to when it gets below that.
Things that work me me in the cold
Traditional cement renders:
1. Leaving the gear open for longer (see pic) so water can evaporate instead of all dropping to give a soggy bottom because you’ve sealed the background and hit the top coat with a spat or trowel to close it.
2. Use suction to your advantage so little or no waterproofer in you scratch and use hydration on the cured scratch or background to win your day.
3. Use more suction and key rather than relying on a bond for adhesion.
4. If you substitute plasticiser for a shovel of lime then your set will be increased so a little there to think about
5. On blockwork don’t seal the s**t out of them unless you really have to, ive seen people using micro gobetis on 7n blocks when there is no need.
6. Cavity wall or solid wall? Is the heating on? Is the radiator on that wall blasting away which can effect coloured render scrapes if it’s of solid wall construction. Is the house empty and cold? Sun on that elevation during the morning/ afternoon. These can play an advantage in your decision making.
7. Use of accelerators, calcium chloride flakes (providing no metal is in the system), rapid hardener and frost proofer can all play a part in winning your day when used and gauged correctly.
Cement monocouche:
1. Same day scrape I use Weber with their accelerator but with very low temps you can still find yourself scraping back in the dark if it’s not on early enough or you have limited suction. So in the cold temps I use it for the small jobs when I know it can be on by 11am.
2. I like to be pressure free and do my waiting to scrape in my sleep so I opt for parex. Generally you will find that the renders brought over from Europe and especially from Italy will have a much high lime content making it a slower set time so it’s ideal for your following day scrapes.
3. One coat of monocouche will cure quicker than doing a two coat if your opting for same day scrape as I find your first coat hit with a trowel will be a closed surface. So try and do one pass in cold temps for same day scrapes.
4. Polymer base/scratch coats will have additional additives in so will slow your set time with less suction than block work. So again decision making and opting for following day may prove beneficial.
5. If your worried about a hard scrape take some mixed gear and compact it to close and take it home with you and leave it outside. Check it after you’ve watch EastEnders or after you’ve had you 5th pint. No need to travel back or have a sleepless night worrying.
Silicone renders:
1. Each manufacturer do a additive to add to each bucket like Jub render winter mix. It sets your colour top coat same day and in some conditions hard in 3 hours eliminating the risk of a over night wash off in rain.
2. Polymer base coats will take longer to cure in the cold temps so your wait to apply a colour top will be longer. By applying a waterproof silicone to a base still hydrating will cause trapped moisture and bad adhesion so book other work in for a week or so then return to do a colour coat.
Other general guidelines I abide by:
Frost is the main killer of render so no frost the following night/morning of applying. Freezing temps like minus 3-5 degrees can freeze a wall that open to the elements.
The use of hessian sheeting to cover you gear will protect it and tarps over that to keep off frost on the hessians.
Some great but expensive inferred diesel heaters on the the market that are portable and can be used to you advantage
Windy days can dry render fast, just like it dries your washing fast when you hang it out on the line so keep that in mind for monocouche and traditional work
There are more things you can do and more decision you can make but this is just a general outline that works for me!
Hope this helps a few of you out and your reading your newspapers at home in the warmth rather laying them on soggy bottoms
Winter working,
A FEW COLD WETHER WORKING TIPS
A few tips from me for cold whether working for exterior renders of most types that I tend to abide by which helps me run my day rather than the day running me!
We’ve all been there, waiting in a cold van, with cold feet waiting to rub up, lights on at 6pm when the sun goes down and the dreading newspaper on the soggy bottoms!
Rendering in cold conditions for me is about effective decision making with the choice of render, choice of mix, choice of prep work and choice of additives if any. There are multiple combinations out there and just because the temperatures drop doesn’t mean you can’t render in sub zero temps or very high temps in the summer. I see Charlie short is out in India and bumping into to men doing cement renders in 37degree heat and I often speak to a guy in Canada doing cement and polymer renders and plasters in temps as low as minus 5 but tends not to when it gets below that.
Things that work me me in the cold
Traditional cement renders:
1. Leaving the gear open for longer (see pic) so water can evaporate instead of all dropping to give a soggy bottom because you’ve sealed the background and hit the top coat with a spat or trowel to close it.
2. Use suction to your advantage so little or no waterproofer in you scratch and use hydration on the cured scratch or background to win your day.
3. Use more suction and key rather than relying on a bond for adhesion.
4. If you substitute plasticiser for a shovel of lime then your set will be increased so a little there to think about
5. On blockwork don’t seal the s**t out of them unless you really have to, ive seen people using micro gobetis on 7n blocks when there is no need.
6. Cavity wall or solid wall? Is the heating on? Is the radiator on that wall blasting away which can effect coloured render scrapes if it’s of solid wall construction. Is the house empty and cold? Sun on that elevation during the morning/ afternoon. These can play an advantage in your decision making.
7. Use of accelerators, calcium chloride flakes (providing no metal is in the system), rapid hardener and frost proofer can all play a part in winning your day when used and gauged correctly.
Cement monocouche:
1. Same day scrape I use Weber with their accelerator but with very low temps you can still find yourself scraping back in the dark if it’s not on early enough or you have limited suction. So in the cold temps I use it for the small jobs when I know it can be on by 11am.
2. I like to be pressure free and do my waiting to scrape in my sleep so I opt for parex. Generally you will find that the renders brought over from Europe and especially from Italy will have a much high lime content making it a slower set time so it’s ideal for your following day scrapes.
3. One coat of monocouche will cure quicker than doing a two coat if your opting for same day scrape as I find your first coat hit with a trowel will be a closed surface. So try and do one pass in cold temps for same day scrapes.
4. Polymer base/scratch coats will have additional additives in so will slow your set time with less suction than block work. So again decision making and opting for following day may prove beneficial.
5. If your worried about a hard scrape take some mixed gear and compact it to close and take it home with you and leave it outside. Check it after you’ve watch EastEnders or after you’ve had you 5th pint. No need to travel back or have a sleepless night worrying.
Silicone renders:
1. Each manufacturer do a additive to add to each bucket like Jub render winter mix. It sets your colour top coat same day and in some conditions hard in 3 hours eliminating the risk of a over night wash off in rain.
2. Polymer base coats will take longer to cure in the cold temps so your wait to apply a colour top will be longer. By applying a waterproof silicone to a base still hydrating will cause trapped moisture and bad adhesion so book other work in for a week or so then return to do a colour coat.
Other general guidelines I abide by:
Frost is the main killer of render so no frost the following night/morning of applying. Freezing temps like minus 3-5 degrees can freeze a wall that open to the elements.
The use of hessian sheeting to cover you gear will protect it and tarps over that to keep off frost on the hessians.
Some great but expensive inferred diesel heaters on the the market that are portable and can be used to you advantage
Windy days can dry render fast, just like it dries your washing fast when you hang it out on the line so keep that in mind for monocouche and traditional work
There are more things you can do and more decision you can make but this is just a general outline that works for me!
Hope this helps a few of you out and your reading your newspapers at home in the warmth rather laying them on soggy bottoms