DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

I'm stuck! All the 'plaster' on our exterior walls is flaking off and allowing damp to penetrate.
This may seem stupid but is there exterior plaster?
People keep mentioning render but surely you don't concrete the outside walls.
If so, what are the mix proportions to get a nice 'plaster' style mix?
Is it simply sand/concrete and water? I've tried that and end up with concrete!

Cheers.

Hi fraseraze.

By (plaster style mix) i'm guessing you mean Stucco which is the usual flat looking finish.

Firstly the mix can be five/six parts sand, one part cement (not concrete) and one part lime, you should also be adding plasticiser/waterproofer to the water used for mixing, this makes the render moisture resistent and easyer to work with.

The render should be applied in two coats, the first coat is often called the scratch coat and the second often called the finish coat.

That's great, thank you. Just the answer I was looking for!

Can you recommend which sand is best to use?

F