Self-build diary: plastering and rendering

Written by Charlie and Helen – Plot 1 (Church Cottage) homeowners

 

We were in a dilemma whether to plaster or dry line our walls: both have their pros and cons, and neither really outweighed the other in our opinion. Plastering “is just what you do” to the traditionalist, whereas dry lining minimises the moisture bought into the house and is a little quicker: both options are similar in pricing. We wanted to try dry lining but we had no reason not to plaster, so we plastered. The chaps who completed the job were brilliant! Our internal rooms evolved from the plasterboard, creating the feeling of space, and then the plaster sucked out some of the light.

The team who plastered our walls also did our render, which was applied onto our pre-installed render boards on our WrightWall encapsulation panels. We were desperate to get the render on, but we began as the weather was changing and the opportunities were limiting. We required three coats in total including the final colour: chalk. October was the start of five months of rain and we were able to get it all done… Just! We love how it transformed our oak frame cottage.

You can follow the couples on Instagram: Charlie and Helen (left – @cottage.church) and LB and Craig (right – @selfbuildlife)

Written by Craig and LB – Plot 2 (Manuka Cottage) homeowners

 

We tackled plaster boarding over our Christmas break and decided it was something we could take on ourselves: for once, had the time to do so. However, when it came to plastering the house, we brought in the big guns. Although this was a job we could have technically done ourselves, it would have set us back a month and probably an additional 10 bags of plaster that would have ended up on the floor!

Luckily, the plasterers were also our go-to for the render. We opted for a traditional through colour lime render that would tie in nicely with our mortar. Craig prepped for the render by fitting a 40mm wood fibreboard to the exterior envelope of our cottage and a bead along the bottom of the brick course. When it came to rendering, our concerns quickly switched from the weather being too wet, to the weather being too hot: you can always count on the British climate for its reliability!

 

Do you have a cottage design in mind for your future home? Click here to view our Cottage range which comprises six unique oak frame home designs that can be completely tailored to meet your exact requirements.

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