If you ask us if it’s possible to lime render a wall that’s constructed of concrete blocks, then the simple answer is ‘yes’ you can. But more importantly, you should be asking ‘why do you want to lime render over concrete blocks?’. It’s at this stage that things get a bit more interesting.

You see, most of our clients at Leyden decide to use lime render because of the obvious reasons around heritage, the sense of ‘doing the right thing’ and of course the technical reason which is to preserve the permeable qualities of the building, the bit that allows the building to breathe. 

However, with a modern concrete block wall construction, it should be built with a cavity which means that the concept of permeability simply doesn’t work in the same way, it’s therefore not needed. So, if the question is altered to ‘why do I want to lime render a concrete block wall’ then the answer is, it’s not for the technical reasons, it’s for the aesthetics.

The best way to explain this is if you have a period building, let’s say a Victorian terrace property and you decide that you want a bit more space by including a ground floor extension. The builder will undoubtedly recommend a modern block construction and it will probably have very effective insulation as part of that plan including a cavity.

The reason for lime rendering those concrete blocks in this case is to enable the new extension to match in perfectly with the rest of the original property. Although clients often want the new space to deliver something very different, they don’t always want it to look that different from the outside and a consistent lime render will help achieve the effect they’re after.   

This might sound like an expensive way of achieving a consistent finish to a recently extended property but when it comes to heritage and period property, it’s often about integrity. We have to face facts, sometimes people want more from their period properties as families increase in size or lifestyles change, they just want those changes to be in keeping with the original building and at Leyden, we understand that better than most.

We’re experts in lime renders as well as hand-crafted pointing, lime plasters and decorative features. Craftsmanship is everything to us and we’re proud of the fact that we’re grounded in our obsession with traditional materials and their ability to help preserve heritage properties. 

If you’d like to know more about how we could with help your heritage property, then get in contact with us at Leyden on hello@leydensw.co.uk, we are after-all, serious about craftsmanship.

Matt & Hannah