How to replace old cement render?

[Smithrj]

Hi, I need some advice regarding replacement of some old cement render that is crumbling and falling off the front of our house. Is this something that is easily done by a novice with readily available products, or will I need to call in a professional? There isn't a lot of it, around 18 linear metres but only averaging around 300mm high. Thanks.

[JacobZ]

Hi @Smithrj,

Thank you for your question about replacing the old cracking cement render in your home.

It would certainly be an achievable project. You'll have to start by removing all of the existing render and cleaning the surface beneath. You can use a hammer and a Craftright 2 Piece Cold Chisel Set to remove the old render. Once chipped away, give the surface a good cleaning with a pressure cleaner or scrubbing brush.

Once cleaned and prepared, you can use How To Render as a guide for replacing the old render. As you are rendering a much smaller height than in the article, you should be fine to just use a trowel to apply the render and a float to smooth it.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob