Rendering in Lichfield

Lichfield is a small cathedral city with a long past. Its three spires, known as the Ladies of the Vale, can be seen for miles across south Staffordshire. Below them sit the Cathedral Close, Stowe Pool and Minster Pool, Georgian streets round the Market Square where Samuel Johnson was born, and timber-framed buildings on Dam Street and Bore Street. Out from the centre are Victorian terraces, inter-war semis, the big estates at Boley Park, Chadsmead and Curborough, and newer homes at Darwin Park and Streethay. RCR Connections Ltd renders, re-renders and repairs homes in all of them.

We’re Birmingham based, covering the whole of the Midlands, and Lichfield is a short run up the A38 for us. Our team has 62 years of combined experience. We fit K-Rend monocouche and silicone render, and we repair old render and pebbledash. This page covers rendering only. For walls and ceilings inside, see our page for a plasterer in Lichfield.

Rendering quotes in Lichfield: WhatsApp me on 07453 614095 or message the page. We work Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm and Saturday 7am to 1pm, and we’re closed on Sundays.

K-Rend monocouche and silicone render in Lichfield

K-Rend monocouche

K-Rend monocouche is a render with the colour running all the way through it. We apply it in one thick coat, or two close together, and once it has firmed up we scrape the face back. That gives a soft, even texture. There is no paint to fade or flake, so it never needs painting, and a small knock shows the same colour underneath.

In Lichfield it is a good choice for:

• Inter-war and post-war semis with old pebbledash or flaking painted render.
• 1970s and 1980s homes at Boley Park, Chadsmead and Curborough, where gables, panels and tile hanging look tired.
• Block extensions, side builds, porches and garage conversions.
• Rented homes, where a finish that looks after itself saves time and trouble.

Silicone render

Silicone render is a thin finish coat that goes over a base coat with mesh in it. It gives a smooth, crisp face, sheds rain, stays cleaner for longer and lets the wall breathe.

In Lichfield it is a good choice for:

• Victorian and Edwardian homes on the Walsall Road, Birmingham Road and the streets near the city station, where a smooth finish suits the house.
• Shady walls near Beacon Park, the pools and the old trees of Leomansley, where green growth builds up.
• Solid walls that need to breathe.
• Newer homes at Darwin Park and Streethay where thin render has cracked or gone dull.

Which should I go for?

We look at the wall first. On many Lichfield homes both would work well, and the choice is about the look you like. On older walls, the wall often decides. We fit K-Rend monocouche and silicone render, and in the oldest parts of the city we will tell you honestly when lime is the better choice. Our guide K-Rend monocouche vs silicone vs sand and cement render explains the differences.

K-Rend in Lichfield: rendering across the city and villages

Lichfield has the Close and its listed streets at the centre, Victorian roads round it, and large estates from the 1960s onward at Boley Park, Chadsmead and Darwin Park. K-Rend monocouche and silicone render suits most of the homes outside the old core. RCR Connections Ltd is Birmingham based, covering the whole of the Midlands, and Lichfield is a straight run up the A38 from us. These are the parts of the city we work in most, the houses you find there and the K-Rend jobs they tend to need.

• Boley Park. 1970s and 1980s detached and semi-detached homes with gables, panels and tile hanging. Swapping the panels for board and K-Rend, and re-rendering gables, is one of our most common Lichfield jobs.
• Chadsmead, Curborough and Netherstowe. Post-war and 1960s to 1980s homes north of the centre, many with pebbledash or render bands. Strip and re-render in K-Rend monocouche, or a meshed base coat over sound dash, are the usual jobs.
• Leomansley and Beacon Street. Victorian and later homes by Beacon Park, under old trees. A breathable base with a silicone finish keeps shady walls cleaner, and K-Rend suits the later houses and extensions.
• Darwin Park and Streethay. Homes from the late 1990s on, many with thin render from new that has cracked at window corners and joins. We repair, re-coat and match new work in silicone or K-Rend. East toward the A38 and Whittington, see our page on rendering in Tamworth.
• Burntwood and Hammerwich. Post-war and 1960s semis and bungalows, many with tired pebbledash. K-Rend monocouche over a meshed base coat gives them a clean, modern front.
• Shenstone and Stonnall. Older cottages, inter-war homes and larger detached houses. Old walls get a breathable system, and the larger homes often suit a crisp silicone finish. South of here, our page on rendering in Sutton Coldfield covers Little Aston and Four Oaks.
• The city centre and the Close. Listed buildings and conservation areas, where lime is usually right. We do small, careful repairs and talk through the consent needed before anything else.

Wherever you are in Lichfield, the first step is the same: WhatsApp me on 07453 614095 or message the page with a photo of each side of the house and your road or postcode. We work Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm and Saturday 7am to 1pm, and between us we have 62 years of combined experience.

Lichfield through the years

St Chad and the cathedral

In 669 St Chad made Lichfield the seat of the bishops of Mercia, and there has been a church on the cathedral site ever since. The cathedral you see today was built in red sandstone between about 1195 and 1340. It is the only medieval cathedral in England with three spires.

The Civil War

Lichfield was fought over three times in the Civil War. The Close was walled and held for the King, and the cathedral was badly damaged. The central spire was brought down in 1646. It was rebuilt after 1660, and the cathedral was restored again by the Victorians.

Georgian Lichfield

In the 18th century Lichfield was a busy coaching town on the road from London to Chester and the north-west. Inns and fine brick houses went up on Bore Street, Market Street, Tamworth Street and round the Market Square. Samuel Johnson was born above his father’s bookshop on the Market Square in 1709, and Erasmus Darwin lived in a house by the Close. Many Georgian fronts were later rendered or stuccoed and painted.

Timber and brick

Older timber-framed buildings still stand on Dam Street, Bore Street, Bird Street and in the Close, some hidden behind later brick or render fronts. The Close has houses from many centuries, from medieval to Georgian, and almost all of them are listed.

The railway and the 20th century

Lichfield City and Lichfield Trent Valley stations brought Victorian growth, with terraces and villas off the Walsall Road, Birmingham Road and Beacon Street. Between the wars, semis went up on the main roads out of the city. After 1945, and most of all from the 1960s to the 1980s, large estates were built at Boley Park, Chadsmead, Curborough, Leomansley and round Netherstowe. Darwin Park followed from the late 1990s, and more homes have since gone up at Streethay and on the south side of the city.

The homes we render most in Lichfield

The Close and the old city streets

The Cathedral Close, Dam Street, Bore Street, Bird Street, Market Street and the Market Square. Listed buildings and conservation areas, with sandstone, timber frames, old brick and stucco. Lime is often the right finish here. We do small, careful repairs and always talk through what consent is needed first.

Victorian terraces and villas

Off the Walsall Road, Birmingham Road, Beacon Street, St John Street and the streets near the city station. Solid brick walls, often with render at the back or side. A breathable base with a silicone finish is our usual advice, or lime on soft brick.

Inter-war semis

Along the Burton Road, Tamworth Road, Walsall Road and the other main roads out of the city. Brick below and pebbledash or roughcast above. After so long, much of it is loose. K-Rend monocouche over a sound base, or a strip and re-render, gives a clean, fresh finish.

1960s to 1980s estates

Boley Park, Chadsmead, Curborough, Netherstowe, Leomansley and the streets round them. Cavity walls with pebbledash, render bands, panels or tile hanging. Swapping old panels for K-Rend is one of our most common Lichfield jobs.

Darwin Park, Streethay and newer homes

Built from the late 1990s on. Many have some render from new. Thin render on block can crack at window corners and joins. We repair it, re-coat it and match the new work to the old.

Rented homes

Lichfield has a good number of rented family homes and flats. Landlords want a finish that lasts and needs no painting, and K-Rend monocouche suits that well.

Neighbourhood notes

City centre and the Close

The old core round the cathedral, the pools and the Market Square. Listed buildings, shops with flats above, conservation areas. Lime repairs and careful work on back and side walls.

Beacon Street and Leomansley

West of the centre, by Beacon Park. Victorian and later homes, with older trees and larger gardens in Leomansley. Silicone over a breathable base, and repairs.

Boley Park

A big estate on the south-east side, mostly from the 1970s and 1980s. Detached and semi-detached homes with gables, panels and tile hanging. K-Rend on gables, panels and extensions.

Chadsmead, Curborough and Netherstowe

North of the centre. Post-war and 1960s to 1980s homes. Pebbledash re-renders, panels and gables.

Darwin Park

West of the centre, built from the late 1990s. Newer homes, some with render already. Crack repairs, re-coats and extensions.

Streethay and the Trent Valley side

East of the city, toward the A38 and Trent Valley station. New estates and some older homes. Render repairs and finishes on extensions.

Shenstone and the villages

South of the city, Shenstone, Stonnall and the villages round them have older cottages, inter-war homes and larger detached houses. We also cover Alrewas, Elford and Hammerwich.

Planning, listed buildings and conservation areas in Lichfield

Lichfield has a large city centre conservation area, and the Close has one of the finest groups of listed buildings in the Midlands. Lichfield District Council looks after planning here. In a conservation area, putting new render over brick or stone on the front of a house usually needs consent. Listed homes need listed building consent for almost any change outside. Like-for-like repairs to existing render are often fine, but always check first.

We will write down what we plan to do, so you can talk to the council. We never start work that needs consent until it is in place.

Sandstone in Lichfield

The cathedral and some of the oldest walls in the city are local red sandstone. Sandstone is soft and takes in water. If it is covered in hard cement render or pointed with hard mortar, the water can’t get out, and the face of the stone starts to crumble. On sandstone walls, lime is the right material, and modern render is not. If you have a sandstone wall, garden wall or plinth, we will tell you honestly what it needs, and point you to a stone specialist if that is what the job needs.

Common render problems in Lichfield

Hard cement on soft walls

Many old Lichfield homes were given cement render in the 20th century. On soft brick, sandstone or timber it traps damp, and the wall behind starts to break down. We take it off and use a breathable system or lime.

Hollow pebbledash

Inter-war and post-war dash has had decades to fail. Tap it and you hear the hollow patches. Water gets in behind, and frost pushes it off. We mark the loose areas, take them off, and patch or re-render.

Render below the damp course

Render taken down to the path bridges the damp course and soaks up water. We cut it back and fit a base bead.

Cracks round windows and doors

Window and door corners crack first, mainly where no mesh or beads were used. We cut out, fit mesh and beads, and render over.

Green growth by the pools and parks

Shady walls near Stowe Pool, Minster Pool, Beacon Park and the old trees round the city go green. A gentle clean and a silicone finish help.

Tired panels and tile hanging

On homes from the 1960s to the 1980s, panels rot and fade and tile hanging slips. Render gives a clean, solid finish in their place.

Pebbledash: keep, cover or strip?

1. Keep and patch if only a few areas are loose.
2. Cover if it is firmly stuck over most of the wall. A base coat with mesh first, then the finish.
3. Strip if large areas are hollow, or we need to see the wall behind.

We tap every wall before we decide, and we won’t go over dash that is coming away.

Getting the wall ready

1. Scaffold or towers go up.
2. Paths, drives, lawns, plants and sills are covered.
3. Windows, doors, gutters and pipes are masked.
4. Old render, loose dash and old panels come off where needed.
5. Cracks are repaired and bad joints filled.
6. Beads go on at corners, edges, openings and the base.
7. Mesh goes in where needed.
8. Base coat, then K-Rend monocouche or silicone finish.

Beads, mesh and joints

• Base beads keep render off the ground and give a clean bottom line.
• Corner beads give strong, sharp corners.
• Stop beads give tidy edges at windows and doors.
• Drip beads throw rain clear over openings.
• Mesh stops cracks, most of all over joins between brick and block.
• Movement joints let long walls move without cracking.

Colours that suit Lichfield

Lichfield is a city of warm red brick and red sandstone. White, off-white, cream and soft stone shades look good against both. In the old streets, soft creams and pale stone sit well with the painted Georgian fronts. Light greys suit newer homes at Darwin Park and Streethay. On a semi, think about next door. We can bring sample boards so you can see colours against your own brick and roof.

Extensions, garage conversions and garden rooms

Rear and side extensions are common on Lichfield estates, most of all at Boley Park and Darwin Park. If they are block, render is the neatest finish. We can match the house or pick a contrast, such as white on red brick. Garden rooms and outbuildings are quick, tidy jobs.

Detached houses

Boley Park, Leomansley and the villages have many detached homes with four sides to think about, and often a mix of brick, render and panels. We talk through where the lines between brick and render should sit, so the house looks planned.

Bungalows

There are bungalows across several estates and in the villages round Lichfield. Low walls make access easy. Dormer gables take the most weather and often need the most work.

Damp inside the house

Damp low on a wall that gets worse after rain often comes from render bridging the damp course, or cracks letting rain in. Damp in cold corners that gets worse in winter is more often condensation. We will tell you honestly what we think before we suggest any work.

When we render

Render needs dry, mild weather. We don’t render in frost, heavy rain, strong wind or hot sun on the wall. Spring to early autumn is best. In winter we do repairs on dry, mild days.

Looking after your render

• Keep gutters clear, most of all in autumn.
• Keep soil and paving below the base bead.
• Cut back plants so the wall can dry.
• Get small cracks looked at before winter.
• Clean gently with a soft brush. Don’t jet wash close up.

What to ask a renderer

• Which system will you use, and why?
• Will you strip the old render or go over it?
• Will the render stop above the damp course?
• Where will you put mesh?
• Have you worked in conservation areas?
• Can I see jobs you have finished?

How a Lichfield job runs

Photos

WhatsApp me photos of each side of the house and your postcode.

Visit

We look at every wall, tap for hollow patches, and talk through the finish you want.

Quote

A clear written quote setting out the work, the system and how long it should take.

The work

Scaffold up, house protected, old render off where needed, new render on.

Walk round

Scaffold down, site cleaned, and a walk round with you to check every wall.

Working safely and tidily

Proper scaffold or towers on every job that needs them. Lawns and borders protected. Paths kept clear where we can. Site left safe and tidy every evening.

What a good finish looks like

• Straight, crisp corners and edges.
• Even colour and texture.
• A neat line at the base, above the damp course.
• Clean windows, sills, doors and paths.
• Tidy finishes round pipes, vents and fixings.

Shops and flats in the city centre

Bore Street, Market Street, Tamworth Street, Bird Street and the streets round the Market Square have shops, cafes and offices with flats above. Back walls are often rendered and hard to reach. We plan access with care, work round opening hours and finish from the top down. If you own one of the flats, check your lease to see who looks after the walls.

The pools and damp ground

Stowe Pool and Minster Pool sit right in the middle of the city, and there are brooks and low ground on the edges of town. Homes near water often have damper walls and damper air. We take extra care at the base of these walls, so the render stops above the damp course, and we make sure sills and drip beads throw rain well clear.

Corner houses

Corner plots show two faces to the street and take more weather on the open side. On long side walls we fit movement joints so the render doesn’t crack, and we think about how the colour looks from both roads.

Garden and boundary walls

Lichfield homes often have brick garden walls, block walls by the drive or low front walls. Render can tidy block and newer brick walls so they match the house. Old brick and sandstone walls in the conservation areas are best left as they are or repaired with lime. Every garden wall needs a good coping on top.

Shared walls and neighbours

On semis and terraces, the render often runs right up to next door. Have a word with your neighbour before work starts, as scaffold may need to go on their side. Agree where the render will stop and finish with a neat bead. If your neighbour wants to render as well, doing both at once looks best.

Swapping panels for render, step by step

Boley Park, Chadsmead and Curborough have a lot of homes with panels under the windows and on the gables. This is how we replace them.

1. We check the panels and the wall round them, and look for pipes, cables or vents behind.
2. The old panels come off. Often there are timber battens behind, and sometimes rot.
3. Rotten timber comes out. Open areas are built up with block or a board made for render.
4. Beads go on round window frames and at the edges.
5. Mesh goes over the joins between old and new.
6. The base coat goes on, then the K-Rend monocouche or silicone finish.

Lime render in a few words

Lime render was the normal finish on buildings for hundreds of years. It is softer than cement and lets damp pass through and dry out. It moves a little with the wall instead of cracking off. It takes longer to put on and needs more care as it sets. On Lichfield’s oldest buildings, lime is the right answer. On many Victorian solid walls, a breathable base with a silicone finish is a good middle path. On cavity walls from the 1930s on, K-Rend monocouche and silicone render both work very well.

Render systems at a glance

• K-Rend monocouche: through-coloured, scraped finish, never needs painting, hard-wearing. Best on most homes from the 1930s on, and on extensions.
• Silicone render: thin coat over a base with mesh, smooth and crisp, sheds water and dirt, breathable. Best on Victorian homes, shady walls and walls that need to breathe.
• Lime: for sandstone, timber-framed and listed buildings in the old city.

Busy roads and clean walls

Homes on the busier roads, such as the Birmingham Road, Walsall Road, Tamworth Road, Burton Road and the Eastern Avenue, pick up dirt from traffic. Light colours show it most. Silicone render resists dirt better than most finishes, and a soft stone or off-white shade hides what does build up.

Commuters and new arrivals

With two stations and fast links to Birmingham on the Cross City line, Lichfield is popular with people who work in the city. If you have just moved in and your new home needs work outside, sort the render before you decorate inside, as damp from failed render can spoil new paint. Send us any survey notes, as they often show which walls need the most work.

Practical points for Lichfield rendering jobs

Rendering a brick house near the cathedral

If it is in a conservation area or listed, new render on the front will need consent, and the council may say no on a brick street. Repairs to render that is already there are a different matter and are often fine.

Rendering just the back of the house

Yes. A lot of our Lichfield work is on the back and side walls, where old render has failed or a new extension needs finishing.

Cracked render on Darwin Park homes

Yes. We cut out the cracks, fit mesh where needed and re-coat so the repair blends in.

The villages round Lichfield

Yes. We work in Shenstone, Stonnall, Alrewas, Elford, Hammerwich, Burntwood and the villages round the city.

The year in render

• January and February: a good time to send photos and book in. Small repairs on mild, dry days.
• March and April: the season starts. We watch the forecast closely.
• May to August: the best months. On hot days we work round the sun on south-facing walls.
• September and October: still good, and often busy before winter.
• November and December: repairs on dry, mild days. Bigger jobs planned for spring.

Weather in Lichfield

Lichfield is fairly open to the wind across the flat land of the Trent valley, and winters are cold, wet and frosty. Water that gets into small cracks freezes and pushes render off from inside, so a small crack can soon become a hollow patch. Fixing cracks early, and using mesh in new render, stops that.

Flats and maisonettes

There are blocks of flats and maisonettes in the centre and on several estates. The outside walls are usually shared or owned by a freeholder or management company, so check your lease before any work. We are happy to quote for a whole block, so all the owners can see it together.

Why through-coloured render saves you work

Painted render looks good for a few years, then fades and starts to flake. Through-coloured render has no paint layer to fail. The face wears very slowly and the colour underneath is the same. A gentle wash now and then is usually all it needs, which is why so many Lichfield owners and landlords choose K-Rend monocouche.

Georgian fronts and painted render

Many of the Georgian houses in the city centre have brick fronts, but a fair number were rendered or stuccoed and painted, often in the 19th century. On these, the old render was usually lime. Over time it has been patched with cement and painted with plastic paints, which hold water in the wall. The paint then bubbles and the render behind starts to blow. The right repair is to cut out the loose and hard patches, make good with a lime mix that matches the old work, and finish with a breathable paint. On listed buildings this needs consent.

Old inns and big old buildings

Lichfield’s coaching past left it with several old inns and large buildings with yards and back ranges behind them. These back walls are often a mix of old brick, later brick and patches of render, all built at different times. They need a careful look before any work. We will tell you which parts can take a modern render and which need lime.

Living near the A38

Homes near the A38, the A51 and the Eastern Avenue get more road grime and more wind. Light colours on these walls show dirt sooner. A silicone finish or a soft stone K-Rend colour copes well. On the windy side, good drip beads and a sound coping on any garden wall help keep the rain off.

Garages and outbuildings

Many homes on the Lichfield estates have a block garage at the side or end of the garden, often left as bare block or old painted render. Rendering it to match the house is a quick job that makes the whole plot look neater. If you are turning a garage into a room, the new block in the old door opening needs mesh over the joins before it is rendered, so no crack shows where the door used to be.

Before you sell

If you are selling a Lichfield home, tired pebbledash or cracked render is one of the first things buyers and their surveyors notice. A clean, fresh finish makes a strong first impression from the road. Send us photos and we will tell you whether a repair or a full re-render makes more sense.

Areas we cover around Lichfield

We render homes across the whole city, including the city centre, the Close, Beacon Street, Leomansley, Boley Park, Chadsmead, Curborough, Netherstowe, Darwin Park and Streethay, along with Shenstone, Stonnall, Alrewas, Elford, Hammerwich and Burntwood.

Nearby pages include plastering in Lichfield, rendering in Tamworth, rendering in Sutton Coldfield, rendering in Aldridge, rendering in Cannock, plastering in Burntwood and plastering in Shenstone. See every town on our rendering areas page.

More services: Rendering with sand and cement · Rendering new extensions.

Get a rendering quote in Lichfield

WhatsApp me on 07453 614095 or message the page. Send pictures or videos via WhatsApp for a quick response, a free quote and advice. Send a photo of each side of the house and your postcode.

Opening hours: Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm, Saturday 7am to 1pm, Sunday closed.

You can also email rcrconnectionsltd@gmail.com or use our contact page. See finished jobs on our projects page.

More from RCR Connections Ltd: All plastering and rendering services · Plasterer in Lichfield · Rendering areas · Areas we cover