Render Painting in Newport

The majority of Newport’s rendered homes have a smooth or lightly textured sand-and-cement finish — the most common type on the city’s inter-war and post-war stock, including 1930s semis in St Julians and Allt-yr-yn and the post-war properties of Malpas and Bettws. Our team also provides professional pebbledash painting for textured exterior surfaces.

Smooth render takes paint well when properly prepared. We apply a roller coat of breathable masonry paint, cutting in around windows, sills, and any protruding details by hand. Two coats produce a solid, consistent result.

Hairline cracks are common on rendered exteriors, most frequent on older Newport properties where the render has dried out or experienced minor structural movement. Left untreated, water enters the cracks, freeze-thaw action extends them, and the render begins to fail.

We inspect and fill hairline cracks with exterior-grade flexible filler or sealant before any paint goes on. Where cracking is more extensive, we advise on the appropriate repair before proceeding.

Algae, moss, and lichen are common on rendered walls in Newport, particularly on north and east-facing elevations that dry slowly after rain. The Bristol Channel climate means Newport properties are wetted more frequently than inland equivalents.

We apply a mould treatment before painting — not just a pressure wash. The treatment kills the biological material and inhibits regrowth under the new paint film.

K-Rend and similar thin-coat polymer render systems are found on newer Newport properties in Llanwern and Langstone, and on older buildings re-rendered in the past decade. These systems are typically coloured in the mix, but they can be painted where fading or staining has occurred.

Compatibility matters — not all masonry paints are suitable for K-Rend and polymer renders. We use coatings confirmed compatible with thin-coat render systems.

Newport’s Victorian terraces in Maindee, Stow Hill, and Baneswell include some properties with lime-based render. Lime render must be treated with breathable coatings — standard vinyl masonry paints trap moisture and will eventually cause the render to fail from behind.

We use breathable masonry paint on lime render to allow moisture to cycle through the wall. See our masonry painters page for further detail on product selection for period properties.