The aesthetics of a building can make a big impression. Whether it’s a family home, retail outlet or government building – a quality exterior finish is important for owners and visitors. That’s why when it comes to specifying render beads, builders and developers are choosing PVC designs to deliver architectural looks that last.
Render beads are a sharp finishing touch to the outside of a building, providing a clean, defined stop to external render systems. There are multiple designs to achieve this for different structural elements. Angle beads fit at corners and reveals, while bellcast beads are usually found above the damp proof course. Expansion joint beads are best to separate large panels of render that would otherwise be prone to cracking, and stop beads are installed at window and door frames. While a relatively small, unobtrusive element of the building’s facade, choosing the wrong render bead can have a disproportionately large effect on exterior aesthetics.
Saying no to shabby buildings
Anyone who has taken even a cursory look around their town or city will be familiar with the staining associated with steel render beads. This unpleasant effect is created by the beads corroding in areas of high atmospheric moisture or salt, causing rust to run down the sides of the building. Staining makes structures look dated before their time, ruining the clean exterior design. This isn’t only applicable to older buildings; staining can even occur in newer developments.
Either way, the result is a shabby looking frontage, which will leave the wrong impression on visitors and devalue the building. To solve the issue means removing the render, cutting out the steel beads and starting all over again. Costly, time-consuming remedial work is not something builders want to engage in and causes damage to both profitability and reputation. To avoid this outcome, many specifiers now only use PVC render beads.
Stopping stains at source
PVC does not rust in areas of high atmospheric moisture or salt, so it can’t cause the unsightly staining associated with steel alternatives, helping to preserve the pristine exterior finish of the structure. With PVC render beads, there is no risk of the expensive remedial work that comes with corroded metal designs. As well as solving the render staining problem, PVC offers more aesthetic options too.
Steel render beads often need painting to fit the colour scheme of a building and subsequent repainting over time, but PVC designs can be properly colour matched with the intended render ahead of time. For example, Renderplas offers nine distinct colour options to seamlessly integrate with popular renders from recognisable brands. By choosing PVC render beads that are UV stabilised, builders can ensure that beads blend in with the render for many years to come.
Beyond staining, PVC render beads also help protect the render so it can stay looking its best. Renderplas guarantees that its products will last the lifetime of the render, or at least 25 years – a service life that beats even stainless steel beads. Additionally, polymer modifiers in the material improve impact protection. It’s no secret that render beads damaged by corrosion also harm the overall integrity of the render. Conversely, extruded PVC profiles have more design freedom than folded and pressed steel, which allows additional provision for water ingress protection, helping to safeguard vulnerable areas of the render.
Looks for the long term
It’s good advice to never judge a book by its cover, but we can’t help but judge a building by its exterior. For homeowners, businesses and other organisations, an appropriate aesthetic finish is a key element of a structure regardless of its purpose. It can convey a warm welcome, attract customers or reflect professionalism.
In all areas, corroded steel render beads make a bad impression. Furthermore, their inferior application performance reflects poorly on builders and developers, dragging them back to projects that were considered completed. On the other hand, PVC render beads from Renderplas have no such penalties. By selecting this material, the desired aesthetic of a building can be maintained for decades, pleasing owners and builders alike. Looks can often fade, but with PVC, that needn’t be the case for modern developments.
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