Rendering in London

It depends on the wall, and we would rather say so than quote a figure off a web page. Size, height, what is on there now, the system you choose and how hard the property is to reach all move the number.

After a site visit you get one written figure with the system named and the scaffold counted in. If we open something up and find a problem nobody could have seen, we stop and talk to you before any extra work is done.

Often not, on an ordinary house outside a protected area. London, though, has a great many conservation areas and Article 4 directions, and listed buildings always need consent. Flats and maisonettes do not have the same permitted development rights as houses.

Check with your borough's planning team before you commit. If an application is needed we will write up the proposed system and finish for you to submit.

Usually the outside walls belong to the freeholder, so you need their agreement first, and often the other leaseholders are involved too. We are happy to quote to a freeholder, a managing agent or a group of neighbours splitting one job.

No. It is the normal situation on most London streets. For work at the back, materials and tools come through the house, so floors and door frames are protected before anything is carried in, and mixing is done outside.

Scaffold that stands on a public pavement needs a licence from the council, and the scaffolding firm applies for it. If a parking bay has to be suspended for a skip or deliveries, that is arranged with the borough as well. Both take notice, so they are booked as soon as you give the go-ahead.

Traffic film and tree shade are what turn a pale wall grey or green. A silicone finish sheds water and dirt better than painted render, which helps a great deal, and a gentle wash every few years deals with the rest. On a main road we will also talk you through shades that are more forgiving than brilliant white.

In most cases, yes. On a terrace or a pair of semis it is worth doing so the fronts read as one building. Tell us which house, and we will look at the texture and colour and bring sample boards to hold against it.

A typical terraced front or rear is a few working days of rendering, with scaffold going up beforehand and coming down a few days after the last coat. Whole houses take longer. Your quote gives expected dates, and cold or wet weather can move them, because render must not go on in frost or onto a soaked wall.