Render that holds.
Cracks that stay fixed.

Render cracks when something moves or fails behind it or within it. The usual causes are movement in the brickwork or blockwork underneath, rusted or failed lintels over windows, no control joints on long walls, render mixed too strong or applied too thick, render that dried out too fast when it went on, and water getting in behind it. Fine surface crazing is usually shrinkage. Cracks that step, run off window corners or keep coming back usually point to movement, and that has to be dealt with before the render is repaired.

We cut the crack out, repair it with compatible materials and reinforcing mesh where it’s needed, and match the texture. Fresh patching almost always shows under paint, so for an even finish we recommend recoating the whole wall or elevation in a texture coating once the repairs are done. We’ll tell you up front whether a patch will be noticeable.

Cement render is a sand and cement mix, usually applied in one or two coats over brick or block. Acrylic render has polymers added, which make it more flexible and better at resisting fine cracking, and it’s often used as the finish coat or over lightweight substrates. Many of our jobs use both: a cement base coat for strength, then an acrylic finish and a texture coating on top.

Not usually. If most of the render is still well bonded, we repair the cracks, cut out and replace any drummy or loose sections, and recoat. A full strip and re-render only makes sense when the render has let go across large areas. We tap-test the walls during the inspection so the quote is based on what’s actually there.

Venetian plaster is a lime-based plaster applied by hand in several thin layers, then trowelled and burnished to a polished or soft matte finish with natural movement in the surface. It suits feature walls, living areas, entries, fireplaces and bedheads. Wet areas need the right product and sealing, so we’ll advise on those case by case.

Yes. We’re licensed by Dulux Acratex for rendering and Venetian plaster, we’re a licensed HeliFix installer for crack stitching, and we’re fully insured.

Quotes are free. The fastest way is to send us photos online with your suburb, and we’ll come back with our view of the problem. For bigger or less clear-cut jobs we book a free on-site inspection, Monday to Friday, and then send a written quote.

All our work carries a workmanship warranty. Full Dulux Acratex render and coating systems and Kerakoll waterproofing systems also come with the manufacturer’s system warranty, and HeliFix crack stitching can be warranted by HeliFix once an engineer’s report and repair design have been approved. See our warranty page for how each one works.