Can You Cement Render Over Timber
If you’re looking to restore the interior or exterior of your home or property, you may be wondering if it’s possible to add cement rendering over timber. Can you have cement render applied over timber beams, wood cladding, plywood, particle board, and other wood materials? Find out in this article from Zaks Render!
It’s Possible To Cement Render Over Timber, But It’s A Complex Process
Can you render over wood?
The short answer is “yes.” It is usually possible to cement render over timber. However, this is typically a very time-consuming and difficult process. Let’s assume you want to render over a large piece of plywood, for example.
The render mix cannot be applied directly to the plywood, as wood is not an ideal substrate for cement render. It’s not waterproof, so it may warp and bend as it absorbs water from the render.
To avoid this, you must apply render carrier boards to the plywood, but these can’t be applied directly to the plywood either, since there must be a gap between the two materials to allow for proper ventilation.
The best course of action is to prepare the surface, then install a breather membrane onto your plywood, then install timber battens and render carrier boards on top. Finally, the carrier boards must be sealed using carrier board tape.
Then, finally, the cement render can be applied to the carrier boards, and you can begin rendering the wall. As you can probably tell, this is a lot of work – and can make the project very expensive indeed.
In the context of home renovations, the use of cement render over timber surfaces, though feasible, necessitates a thoughtful approach to ensure durability and aesthetic appeal. The process, often complex and meticulous, involves a series of steps to simply render the wood suitable for this application. It’s imperative to consider the long-term effects, particularly how the timber’s natural expansion and contraction will interact with the render, possibly affecting its integrity over time. This calls for strategic planning and the use of appropriate materials to bridge these differences, ensuring a seamless and enduring enhancement to the property.
Acrylic Render Is A Better Product For Timber And Other Surfaces
In most cases, we will only recommend using cement render on natural stone and brick. These materials are absorbent and bond tightly to the cement used in the render material – all you have to do is prepare the surface and apply the render, with minimal installation complexities.
In contrast, it should not be used on painted walls, timber, and other such surfaces. For these purposes, acrylic rendering, another type of render, is far superior. Acrylic render uses plastic instead of cement as part of its mix – leading to a much more flexible, lightweight, and strong render material.
Despite this, however, it maintains the unique look and style of cement render. This makes acrylic render a great option if you want to render your interior or exterior walls, and they’re made of materials other than stone and brick.
You should not, however, that acrylic render still should not be applied directly to timber, weatherboard, and other materials. You will still need to prepare the surface by adding mesh or a similar substrate, and ventilation will also be essential to prevent moisture from damaging the wood after the render has been applied.
Interested In Rendering Timber Or Wood? Get A Project Assessment From Zaks Render
The best way to know whether acrylic rendering your timber or wood materials is practical is with an assessment from Zaks Render. We’re experts at cement and acrylic rendering in Sydney, and we’ve seen and done it all.
If you have a home improvement project that you think may be difficult or complex, we’re here to help. Get in touch for an assessment, and we can determine if rendering your wall or other area is practical – or if you’d be better off with a different type of surface finish. Contact us online or give us a call at 0402 283 119 to get started.