EXTERNAL ENVELOPE 59 Colour under consideration
Colour can play an important part in the identity of any building. Here, Elissa Turnbull from Saint-Gobain Weber shares her tips for specifying render
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rom the brightly colourful houses rendered in Portobello Road, to the traditional Suffolk Pink, colour can play an important part in the identity of a home or building. Compared to some traditional building materials and finishes, rendering can be a cost-effective way to achieve a desired aesthetic. The versatile nature of render, combined with the range of colours and finishes available, means that it can be used on most properties, no matter the location, to create a home that stands out.
But before choosing the colour, you need to consider what type of render to use. Mineral finishes like monocouche render are created using natural pigments, so the colours will be prescribed by nature – think pastels and earth tones. For something brighter, opt for synthetic products, such as silicone-enhanced textured finishes and paints. When specifying render, engage with the system manufacturer early in the process as they are best placed to understand how their products can achieve the project’s goals and can help with recognising any constraints that will impact how the project looks.
Coloured render & fire performance Achieving different colours requires different levels of organic content in the render, and organic content is combustible. Light colours like white or cream need less organic content, and in the past, some manufacturers might only have fire tested those colours because they were most likely to pass. Such an approach is clearly not in the spirit of the culture of product safety that’s now required. You should ensure that manufacturers have an appropriate range of colours tested – especially reds and yellows, which tend to have the most organic content. Be particularly careful, however, if you are thinking of specifying a non- standard colour for your project. Manufacturers are unlikely to be able to support specific testing of it, due to
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prohibitive costs for a single project.
Coloured render & heat & light performance
Something else to look for is the light reflectance value of the colour being considered. A renders ability to absorb heat influences how it will perform in the long term. Dark colours absorb more heat and are at increased risk of potential cracking compared to light colours. A render’s ability to absorb heat influences how it will perform over the long term.
The importance of detailing Render systems are traditionally low maintenance but, like any other building facade, they are not immune from the gradual buildup of organic growth and dirty deposits. To avoid any staining on the render, architectural considerations such as drainage, natural water flow and splash zones need to be made. For example, keeping render 150 mm above ground level will reduce any discolouration from
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Specifying a rendered facade enables architects to achieve design goals, enhance visual appeal, and address practical considerations in a cost-effective and versatile manner
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