Rendering glossary
15 Irish technical, render and EWI terms explained in plain English.
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- Acrylic Thin-Coat Silicone-Modified
- Flexible polymer-bound finishing coat (typically 1.5mm grain) applied over fibreglass-mesh basecoat, offering crack resistance and bold colour retention on EWI systems.
- Algae & Biofilm Biocide Wash
- Soft-wash fungicidal treatment (quaternary ammonium or sodium hypochlorite solution) brushed or low-pressure sprayed onto damp north-facing Irish gable walls before re-rendering or painting.
- Bellcast Bead (Drip Bead)
- Angled PVCu or stainless-steel profile fixed 150mm above finished ground level along the base of a wall to throw rainwater clear of the damp-proof course (DPC) and plinth.
- Breathability (Sd Value / Vapour Permeability)
- Measure of how easily internal water vapour diffuses outward through a render layer under IS EN 998-1; lower Sd values in silicone and lime renders prevent interstitial condensation.
- Dry Dash (Pebbledash)
- Traditional two-coat sand-and-cement or polymer receiver coat into which washed 6mm to 10mm quartz, Ballylusk, or Donegal stone chippings are hand-thrown while wet for maximum Atlantic weather durability.
- ETAG 004 / EAD 040083-00-0404
- European technical assessment standard governing External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS / EWI), requiring tested compatibility between insulation board, adhesive, fixings, mesh, and topcoat.
- EWI (External Wall Insulation)
- Thermal wrap system fixing 100mm to 150mm EPS, mineral wool, or phenolic boards to masonry walls, finished with reinforced polymer basecoat and breathable silicone thin-coat render.
- Fibreglass Alkali-Resistant Mesh
- Woven 160 g/m2 glass-fibre reinforcing fabric embedded across the full elevation (with diagonal stress patches at window corners) inside a polymer basecoat to stop hairline shrinkage cracks.
- IS EN 13914-1 (External Rendering Code)
- Irish and European code of practice specifying background preparation, coat thicknesses, exposure zones, and movement joint spacing for external renders.
- Monocouche Scratch Render
- Through-coloured, polymer-modified, breathable cementitious one-coat render pumped or trowelled onto blockwork in two wet-on-wet passes to 18mm and scraped back with a nail float to 15mm.
- Movement / Expansion Bead
- Two-part PVCu or stainless bead with a flexible santoprene core placed at 5m to 6m centres and at structural transitions to absorb thermal and blockwork shrinkage without cracking the render.
- NHL 3.5 Natural Hydraulic Lime
- Traditional breathable lime binder (moderately hydraulic) mixed with sharp well-graded sand for harling, limewashing, and re-plastering pre-1940 rubble-stone cottages and protected structures.
- Scratch Coat & Keying (SBR Slurry)
- Polymer-modified styrene-butadiene bonding slurry or mechanical stipple key applied over dense smooth concrete lintels, painted walls, or engineering blockwork before the first render pass.
- SEAI Home Energy Upgrade Grant
- Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland grant scheme paying €3,500 (apartment/mid-terrace) up to €8,000 (detached house) toward NSAI-certified External Wall Insulation including silicone topcoat render.
- Silicone Thin-Coat Render (1.5mm)
- Hydrophobic yet highly vapour-permeable 1.5mm textured topcoat trowelled over a reinforced basecoat, causing Atlantic wind-driven rain to bead off while washing surface dust away.
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