Growing in popularity over the past 10 – 15 years Monocouche has become a common sight on new build homes and commercial premises. It’s easy-to-spot distinctive ‘scratch patterned’ surface provides a uniform and clean appearance that lends itself to modern architectural standards. Furthermore the product is pre-coloured during manufacture so does not require painting. The ease of which it is applied, generally in a single coat with or with-out mesh reinforcement, provides further incentive for its use compared to other multi-step products.
Monocouche is generally applied by machine or by hand in two passes of a wall, then ‘ruled’ off to remove high spots and even out he surface. The next day the surface is then ‘scratched’ back in a consistent pattern to achieve a uniform and clean look. Alternatively the finish coat can be sprayed on to achieve a more traditional ‘Rough-cast’ appearance
What is Monocouche made of?
When we talk about Monocouche renders they are generally either cement based or lime based in their formulation. Cement based Monocouche systems are the most commonly used on new build properties. Lime based Monocouche requires a mesh reinforcement layer as standard, but provides a more moisture permeable and breathable render; suitable for older properties. Both main types of Monocouche are available in a wide range of colours and suitable for finishing in both scratch and ‘Rough-cast’ styles.
Benefits of Monocouche:
Thru-coloured and available in a wide range of colours
Installation times are faster than other renders, it’s usually applied in one coat
It can provide an insulating factor to your home as Monocouche is usually at least 15mm thick
Permeable, allowing for water to transfer and evaporate from the surface of the wall
A general 25 years of expected low maintenance, before repainting.
Downsides of Monocouche
It can be more expensive than traditional sand and cement renders
It is water proof but not water resistant unlike silicone based renders
Although durable, it is not immune to cracking. As with all renders cracks may appear, these however tend to be hairline in Monocouche systems. They can however get worse with time and can be difficult to repair *
Prone to retain dirt and may require regular cleaning
* At Render Surgeon we provide solutions to repair hairline and larger cracks in your Monocouche Render. It is important that you check your render for any cracks, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem, especially in Monocouche systems.
Our repairs are fast and effective. We specialise in repairing hairline cracks and we colour and texture match our repairs to the surrounding render. Areas of more significant damage are also no issue for our team. We always use complimentary products that are formulated to provide the best repair and finish possible.
We cover all areas of South Wales including Cardiff, Bridgend, Newport, Cowbridge, Neath, Swansea, Carmarthen, Llanelli and Ammanford. We also provide nationwide rendering repairs across the UK.