Acrylic or cement render: which suits your walls?

Render gives a house a clean, solid look and protects the wall underneath. The two most common choices are traditional cement render and modern acrylic render.

Cement render is strong and economical on brick and block walls. Acrylic render contains polymers that make it more flexible, so it handles small movements in the wall with less cracking.

Quick tips

• Cement render: strong and economical
• Acrylic render: flexible, fewer cracks
• Preparation matters more than the product

On many homes the best answer is a cement base with an acrylic finishing coat, then a quality paint system on top.

Whatever the choice, preparation decides the result: cracks repaired, loose material removed and the wall properly primed.