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Wrong render colour?!

6 years ago

Our builder did the rendering on our extension about 6 months ago - supposedly in K-rend Polar white. He said it could take up to 2 years to finally fade to the exact colour, but we've now realised its not faded at all and is a long way off the shade it should be! We really don't like its current sand/beige colour and would never have chosen it.

We've had a good relationship with the builder up till now and there's still bits to do so hopefully can be resolved - but still waiting to hear back from him. Any advice in the meantime from anyone who's used K-rend?

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6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

I know it's not what you want, but if there's any consolation, I love it. It goes so well with the dark grey windows. It also goes well with the red brick and matches the colour of the mortar between them.

It won't change colour now, it can lighten or darken due to the water content in the mix, once it's fully dry, that's the colour it will remain.

Comments (105)

seanrawlinson
3 years ago
Hi, my story is identical to most on here, I asked for white....and got cream, that turns to beige when wet, which is pretty much all the time from Nov to March as to dry out to white ( ..ermm cream ) again takes a few days. Has anyone used successfully a good white paint on their KRend ? - thanks .....ps - how have Krend got away with changing their colour descriptions to "not a brilliant white" retrospectively.
tj_giles
3 years ago
Hi, we’ve not had ours done yet, but the recommendation we’ve been given by 2 separate K-Rend recommended contractors is to apply K-Rend TC-15 which is the thin silicone based top coat render, so more than a paint - effectively a new render finish.
This is expensive - full scaffolding again, full render job. £5k ish.

I am exploring other options to apply a paint - the Johnstone’s Stormshield Silicone Masonry (as posted above) looks good, and I have also been recommended StoColour Lotusan

Maybe try some sample areas on a wall that can’t easily be seen?
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seanrawlinson
3 years ago
thank you...
HU-128578842
3 years ago
This was our applied render today v sample. Would go near k rend! This is a French product called Parex. I’ve rendered a few houses in the past. In 4 weeks it will look like the sample panel
lauraduncker
2 years ago
We have had our extension done in polar white k rend. We were told it would dry out in a month. It was done 3 months ago. About to get the rest of the front of the house done to match but it doesn’t look white to us. It’s a creamy yellow colour and my husband really dislikes it. Feel worried about getting the rest of the house done in this colour now.
gemm_thomas
Original Author
2 years ago
This was exactly our situation 3 years ago! We were also really unimpressed with it at first but it definitely did lighten over time. If you can find the 2nd picture I posted a while after having it done you can judge for yourself. We got used to it anyway and quite like that it's a warmer tone than a very bright white. What you've had done so far looks very smart and looks great with the dark windows. Are you painting the white ones to match if you're planning on rendering the rest of the house?
tj_giles
2 years ago
@laura - I’m sure you will have been through all the literature but just to make sure - this is from K Rend’s website:

“Please note *Polar White is an off white. *White is the brightest White within the Scraped Texture range, however it is not brilliant white. *Cream has a yellow tone to it.”

I completely understand and see what you mean from your photos - and indeed from our own experience. We really wanted a brilliant white and following a sample of their standard whites, we opted for their special order “Porcelain white”.
It’s definitely a lot whiter but still not brilliant white and we were similarly disappointed with how little it ‘dried out’

As @gemm_thomas us said, ultimately the balance of the warmer white is a good thing and you may grow to like it but it’s definitely a personal choice that you need to be happy with.

Do you have a sample card to reference against?
tj_giles
2 years ago
One thing we learnt from our process is that K-Rend can supply a “early/late scratch” sample card. The point is that if the renderer scratches the surface back too early, it can result in a darker colour than if it was left to dry for the correct amount of time.

The early/late scratch sample comes in the post and you can hold it up against your own house to check whether the colour is a lot darker than it should be.

I found this really helpful - their technical team organised it for us
lauraduncker
2 years ago
@gemm - yes went back and looked at yours. It definitely looks lighter, it looks great. I guess I just didn’t expect it to take that long to lighten! But your colour is more what I was hoping for. And yes all the windows will be black after the rest is rendered. Thanks for your reply
lauraduncker
2 years ago
@tj - thanks for your response. That’s interesting about the early/late scratch card, I will look in to that. It was damp when they were rendering as they commented on it as the extension went up in the rain so it has taken some time to dry it out. Stupidly we don’t have a sample card - I looked on the website and the builder assured me it was white just not bright white that hurt your eyes!
I might chat with the renderers as wonder if we changed to a different white for the front whether they could then paint the extension to match? I imagine not!
Thanks for the advice, appreciate it
tj_giles
2 years ago
No worries - happy to help as I know how much of a minefield it can be, and there’s not a lot of very good help out there.

This is our render - right, against the original sample card - left.
Not sure if it comes out well in the image but the sample is definitely lighter so we ended up putting it down to an early scratch - before the render had cured hard enough.
Ours was also out on in very damp conditions.

Regarding the next step - one option would be to go with K-Rend TC-15 which is a completely different product altogether - it’s a polymer based render rather than cement based, from the more modern ‘thin coat render systems’.
If you went with this on the main house, you could go over the extension with this product too - creating a seamless finish. Not a cheap option though.

A cheaper option would be to use a silicone based paint - someone posted a Johnstone’s product earlier in this thread. The problem would be getting a perfect colour match to the new render.

We are eventually going to get ours re-coated with the Tv-15 thin coat render system so that we achieve that brilliant white that we wanted, hopefully it will be worth it in the end.
tj_giles
2 years ago
Here’s the early/late card.
Right - early (too mushy / slightly darker)
Left - late (correct)
Behind - actual house
HU-409719319
2 years ago
The colour is correct. Polar white is off white like a polar bear. It has that yellow/beige tinge to it. I'm a plasterer and use these all the time. Even Krend lightest white isnt a brilliant white, James, Windsor Plastering
seanrawlinson
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
The best advice I can offer anyone suffering the "no where near white" K-Rend issue is to paint it. It'll take a week maybe, or get a professional in. Problem solved. If you get a super deep pile roller, you wont lose the texture. Which actually looks way better than painted sand & cement. Don't get blagged its specialist paint either, even K-Rends own technical dept. will confirm if you ask them that any good quality masonry paint will do. I suffered my awful brown ish white K-rend for 5 years. When it rained, I couldn't look at my house. A big dirty patchy beige mess. Now painted as per the pic.- thanks.
HU-787168037
2 years ago
Please let me know what mansory paint you have used to achieve bright white colour. We have the same problem with k rendering...it,s more beige then
seanrawlinson
2 years ago
Dulex Weathershield Brilliant White
HU-787168037
2 years ago
Thank you for your
Alice Locker
last year
Hi
We’ve recently had our new build rendered in Weber Chalk. It is really beige! Weber have suggested painted their Webersil P on it in Winter White. This maintains the guarantee and doesn’t need repainting like normal.
Has anyone used this before?
Many thanks
Susan Smith
last year
My bungalow is just being rendered in polar white it's horrible I was so upset when I got home yesterday I had to go out again just read this post and feel a little better I am not on my own 🙂 I am going to get it painted the brightest white I can find
seanrawlinson
last year
Hi Susan, don't suffer years of looking at it, like I did. The positive is that when painted, the surface looks better in my opinion than flat render ( sand & cement ). Problem fixed :o)
Susan Smith
last year
Just rang them they say can use their paint or a good breathable external masonry but to wait 6 weeks for it to cure - so just going to have to suffer for 6 weeks now just need to make a decision on do I carry on with the garden walls or just use sand and cement!!
Victoria Rees
last year
What would be the whitest monocouche render on the market?
HU-235082607
last year
Hi @seanrawlinson would you know if you can apply the weathershield directly onto the render, or whether you need to use some sort of "adhesive" to improve key? The render was done last year
seanrawlinson
last year
...my advice isn't qualified as such, so of course, I can only speak of my experience. But no, as long as its clean (... jet washed from a safe distance ) & once 100% completely dry, and any loose render dust brushed off, you just paint it. - thanks.
HU-235082607
last year
you legend! Probably saved me a few £100s. Thanks Sean
Glenys Gray
last year
last modified: last year
Just had my new extension done in K-Rend Polar White and its nothing like the sample we picked.

I don’t dislike it, but its not the shade i was expecting.

I will be happy if its settles to somewhere near what it should be.

Finding this thread has made me feel better about it, so fingers crossed 🤞🏻it will lighten !
HU-235082607
last year
yeah, just knowing you can pain it to any colour without consequences is great. Dont do it before a few months as it cures slowly (ideally leave at least for 6 month minimum)
Glenys Gray
last year
Its lightened a lot already now, happy with the colour, 😀

its only been a week, its definitely changed colour as you can see in picture below
Sarah L
last year
Probably just needed time to dry out
seanrawlinson
last year
last modified: last year
Hi Sarah/Glenys, its takes about a week to dry out. The colour it cures too around that time, is the final colour. It wont lighten further after that. It will look lighter on a super sunny day as it reflects light. It will though absorb water when it rains, and look like your first piccy again, for a while, until it evaporates/dries.

thanks

Sean
Susan Smith
last year
Never cured white enough for me so we painted the whitest of whites and I love it so glad I came across this post found it incredibly re-assuring thank you all
lauraduncker
last year
We had to have ours re done as it had patches all over it:
lauraduncker
last year
They re did it using silicone render in brilliant white and looked so much better!
Em B
last year
This is such a helpful post, thanks to all who have contributed. I feel fortunate that we are still at the decision making point so can take all this advice onboard. Was leaning towards Weber chalk but not so sure now. Reading comments on here and other platforms about K rend and Weber makes me wonder if we should just go for sand and cement render instead and gave it painted WHITE 🤔
Lisa Mullen
last year
Hi all what is the best render colour to go for? I have picked these
HU-235082607
last year
That depends on your taste. I think the main point to remember from this post is that polar white isn't white white, but rather and off white (or casse on your sample)
Lisa Mullen
last year
I want white, what is casse?
tj_giles
last year
If you want a truly brilliant white then go for a thin coat polymer or acrylic render system like weberplast TF or K Rend TC15.

i think the ones you are looking at are monocouche renders which inherently contain sand and cement and therefore it’s very difficult to get a true white
tj_giles
last year
Blanc casse translates literally to off white
Teresa Gaudiano
last year
I've just had my house rendered in webber stone grey and its come out much darker than the sample we were given. I'm really not happy with it and actually waned to cry when i saw it yesterday. I know its got to dry more but it's not going to be that much of a difference. Can we render over it with a lighter colour?
Sarah L
last year
Give it a couple of weeks to dry out
Kathryn Dunning
3 months ago
This looks fab!! Can you please advise how you got this white?
I asked for polar white and it looks yellow/beige - I wanted it white - did you paint
over it?
seanrawlinson
3 months ago
Hi Kathryn, I’m not sure which picture you are referencing as it just shows your post at the bottom on my phone. But if you mean my picture, I painted my K-Rend.
Thanks,
Sean
Kathryn Dunning
3 months ago
Yes your photo …did you paint with masonary paint? Thanks Sean
HU-235082607
3 months ago
last modified: 3 months ago
Dulux Trade Weathershield Smooth Masonry Paint Pure Brilliant White

I used that in mine. 2 years later it looks immaculate
Kathryn Dunning
3 months ago
Thank you
HU-235082607
3 months ago
last modified: 3 months ago
No need to prep the wall unless the substrate is loose. I'd personally wait 6 months before painting to allow the wall to fully cure, below the after an d before(couldn't find better pictures)
Kathryn Dunning
3 months ago
Looks great!! Thanks for you help 😁
Jackie Jennings
6 days ago
I’m glad I found this post. Feeling like I could cry. Just had front and back of the house rendered in Atlas ‘off white’ (renderer said white was too stark) so went with off white…The colour looks like it has a tinge of pink/lilac/grey to it 😭 😭😭 Feeling very depressed as it was a big job.
I was advised by the renderers to repaint using silicone paint.
Kathryn Dunning
6 days ago
I wonder what is better silicone or masonry? I am waiting until we get good weather to paint over mine as it’s yellow not white 😭
Or are silicone and masonry the same - mine is scratch k-rend

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