Cement rendering refers to applying a mixture of cement, sand and lime to a brick or a stone. Notably, cement rendering enhances the lifespan of a house by protecting the walls. Besides, it improves the external aesthetics of a structure. When applied to an existing home, a cement render can hide imperfections and make a building look new. It is advisable to choose a contractor who provides coloured render for various reasons. This post provides three options that contractors use to add colour to cement render.

Adding Oxide to Cement Render Mix 

Cement rendering services add pigmentation to their work by using colour oxides. In fact, it is the only technique where colour is added directly to cement before use. Notably, the cement, sand, lime and liquid oxide combination must be mixed thoroughly to ensure colour consistency. If you do not combine the mixture properly, the render yields varying colour streaks with light and dark areas. The best part is that service providers have numerous colours for a customer to choose from. However, some shades require a combination of different colour oxides, which takes time. Thus, it is advisable to stick to standard colours when selecting a shade for cement render.

Coloured Acrylic Render 

If you want a thick and durable decorative render, a contractor will propose a coloured acrylic render. In such a case, a contractor mixes coloured acrylic into a cement mix. The acrylic additive makes a render flexible and robust, meaning that it is less likely to crack. That said, contractors cannot apply coloured acrylic render directly to a wall and hope it sticks. Thus, a base coat is necessary to help the render bond adequately. Besides, adding coloured acrylic to a cement render promotes faster drying; hence, a wall only needs a few days to cure completely. The fact that acrylic colour choices are limitless makes the coloured acrylic technique an attractive option for homeowners.

Painting 

Unlike the previous two methods of adding colour to cement render, painting is done once a mixture is applied to a wall. Although render paints are liquid, you cannot add them to the cement, sand and lime mixture to produce coloured render. Most importantly, you need to wait until the cement render is completely dry before painting it. The waiting period depends on a render's thickness. Typically, thick cement renders take longer to cure than thin renders. When a render is ready, paint it as you would an ordinary wall.