Pebble Dash Removal Cost Guide

In the 20th century, pebbledash became an increasingly popular choice for outside walls of a building. Its practicality and low maintenance requirements were appreciated by many. A lot of people in today’s date also prefer pebbledash for its rustic and rugged charm.

However, exposure to environmental pollutants and weather conditions can cause pebbledash to deteriorate. That’s one of the major reasons you may need to remove pebbledash from the outside wall. Also, some homeowners find the pebbledash rendering to be dated and want an upgrade.

Pebbledash removal is a labour-intensive process. It often requires the assistance of a professional team to remove the render and reveal the original brickwork. As a result, the cost to remove pebble dash is comparatively higher than the usual exterior wall coating removal job.

If you are willing to remove or repair pebbledash from your walls, here is what you need to know about the process and the cost.

What is Pebbledash?

Pebbledash is a form of coarse plaster surface that is used on the exterior walls of buildings. While it is more common in the UK, this type of exterior surface can be seen all around the globe. It is made using a layer of mortar, followed by a layer of pebbles.

Over the years, homeowners and builders have used pebbledash to protect their walls from harsh weather conditions. Its durability, weather resistance quality, and aesthetic appearance made pebbledash extremely popular in the UK.

Pebbledash became a widely used rendering technique in the early 20th century as a part of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Also, the post-war years of housing development saw a significant usage of pebbledash as it was more cost-effective and durable.

In the 21st century, people’s preference for exterior wall coating has changed a lot. While some homeowners still prefer to keep this vintage form of render, a significant portion of the population wishes to update the exterior by removing pebble dash from their external walls.

Reasons Why You May Want to Remove Pebbledash Render

Even though pebbledash render offers several advantages, homeowners often choose to remove the existing render of pebbledash for various reasons. Let’s look at all the major reasons you may want to remove the existing pebbledash render from your external walls.

The Render May Be Damaged

Exposure to weather conditions and environmental pollutants for years can damage the pebbledash render. As a result, the pebbles can come off the wall, making the wall look patchy. Also, the wall may start to appear discoloured and dull with time. A complete removal job makes more sense than repairing the pebbledash render in such cases.

Aesthetic Improvement

Pebbledash used to be extremely popular in the 20th century. However, the definition of aesthetics has evolved over the years. Not to forget, people’s preference has also changed significantly. In order to upgrade the exterior to something more trendy and contemporary, homeowners need to remove the existing render of pebbledash first.

The Reason Why it Was Added May Be Obsolete Now

Earlier, people had used pebbledash rendering on the outer walls to make their houses more weatherproof. The little stones on the surface and the rend itself enhanced the weather resistance properties of the wall. With the introduction of weather-resistant paints and treatments, the pebbledash render has lost its relevance.

You may also have some other reasons for pebbledash removal. However, most homeowners choose to do it for the aforementioned reasons. You should consult an expert if you are not sure whether to get the pebbledash removed. Since the cost of removing pebbledash is on the higher side, you need to make the decision wisely.

What Choices Are Available to You?

When it comes to treating the pebbledash render, you get a few options. Depending on the condition of the outer wall, your home improvement requirements, and the budget, you can choose any of the following services from a professional team of pebbledash removers.

Remove Pebbledash and Re-render

If you want to remove the pebbledash coating and then re-render the wall to get a different finish, this is the right option for you. This is particularly useful when you only want to update the exterior of your house to something more contemporary.

In this process, you must apply some force to break loose the pebbles embedded in a thick layer of cement mortar. You can use a hammer and chisel or a power drill to chip away at the surface of the wall. However, professional pebbledash removers use a chipping gun or a pressure washer for the job.

Once you are done removing the pebbles from the wall, you can re-render the wall as per your preference. A professional team of experts can suggest what type of renders can be achieved on that wall. Remember, if the wall is damaged, you need to repair the wall first before you can re-render it.

Repair the Pebbledash and Paint Over It

If you want to repair the pebbledash and improve its appearance, this is the right approach. Exposure to different weather conditions and various pollutants deteriorates the quality of the pebbledash render, causing cracks and discolourations. Get it checked by an expert and understand what kind of repair work it requires.

Based on the evaluation, the professional team can make the necessary repairs – including filling the cracks, fixing the loose pebbles, and more. Once those repairs are done, you can ask the experts to apply a few coats of masonry paint over the render to improve its appearance.

Nowadays, masonry paints are available in different colours. Moreover, the paintwork helps protect the wall from further damage by providing an additional layer of safety. Consult an expert to know which paint will be ideal for your pebbledash.

Remove the Pebbledash & Expose the Original Brickwork

You will need professional assistance if you want to remove the pebbledash and expose the brickwork underneath. The pebbledash removal process can be significantly challenging as the stones are difficult to chip away from the thick layer of cement. While a lot of people try DIY pebbledash removal techniques, it is wiser to hire a professional team.

The professional team of experts usually has the right tools and materials to perform the job. Also, you will need protecting gear while chipping away the pebbles from the wall. Unless you have the time and necessary gear for the job, it is better to leave it to the professionals.

In this process, removing the pebbles is not enough. You also need to grind the existing render and expose the original brickwork. This will help you identify the damaged bricks and other issues with the wall. You can also replace the old bricks with new bricks once the underlying brickwork is exposed. A professional team can handle it better.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Removing Pebbledash

If you plan to get pebbledash removal done, you need to consider the cost of removing pebbledash in your area. Here are a few factors that determine the average costs of removing pebbledash by a professional team.

House Size

The size of the house and the wall surface is one of the major factors determining the price of pebbledash removal. If you want to remove pebbledash from only one or two walls, the charges may be a lot less than getting the job done for all the outer walls. Also, if you have a 2-bedroom house, you will have to pay less than the same pebbledash removal job for a 4-bedroom house.

Re-Rendering

Re-rendering, or applying a plaster finish to the outer walls, is often used by the professional team to improve the house’s appearance. The price of the whole process may also depend on what renders you choose. You have the following options:

• Cement renders
• Polymer renders
• Acrylic renders
• Silicone renders
• Monocouche renders

Check out the pricing of these rendering options and see which one fits your budget.

Restoring Brick Façade

If the brickwork underneath the pebbledash was damaged or has deteriorated over the years, you may need to replace the brickwork as well. The professional team of experts may charge you additional money for the replacement bricks and the service required to restore the brick facade. In most cases, the team must break up the mortar and remove the old bricks, which can add to the pebbledash removal charges.

Scaffolding

The pebbledash removal process may require scaffolding if you need to remove the pebbledash from upper floors. You must set up scaffolding around the house once the pebbledash has been removed from all sides. The costs may be lower if you want to remove pebbledash from one side of the building.

Access

The cost of removing pebbledash may be higher if the exterior of the house is difficult to access. If one side of the house is hard to access due to the closeness of the adjacent building, the professional team will have to take other measures to remove the pebbledash of that side. This will increase labour costs, making the overall charges slightly higher than usual.

Exterior Painting

Once the pebbledash removal is performed, you may need to repaint the window frames and the plinth at your house’s base. Since pebbledash removal can be quite untidy, this new paint job can help protect your home from excessive moisture. The charges for the paintwork depend on the hourly rate of the painters and the type of paint you select for your home. You can use a paint sprayer if you want to save money on this exterior painting.

Cleaning Inside

Removing pebbledash with drills may cause minor cracks in the property’s walls due to the vibrations. You will have to fill the cracks and paint the walls. Also, removing the rubbles from the property will be a big task. The professional team may remove it for you as a part of the whole pebbledash removal process. However, they may charge extra if you have additional cleaning requirements.

Consult the professionals and share all your requirements. They can give you a quotation for the required job. You can also ask them to look at the area to know if they need to charge extra.

How Much is the Average Cost for Pebbledash Removal?

If you want to remove pebbledash from your outer walls and reveal the brickwork, you will have to spend somewhere between £2000 and £4000 for a professional service. This service generally includes labour charges, supplies, and additional repairs that may be required.

Choose the Right Plasterer for the Job

When choosing a professional plasterer for removing pebbledash from your house, you will have to ask yourself a few questions. Answering the following questions will help you choose the right team of professionals for the job:

• “Does the team have significant experience removing pebbledash for other clients?” Since it is a skill-intensive task, an experienced team will be more useful.
• “Does the service provider have client reviews and testimonials on the Internet?” These client reviews can help you understand what to expect from these plasterers.
• “Does public liability insurance cover them?” If an accident occurs during the pebbledash removal, this insurance cover protects you (the client) and the plasterers (service provider) from liability claims for property damage or injuries.
• “Does the service provider belong to any professional associations?” Service providers with a strong history of service are usually part of esteemed trade associations.
• “Does the service provider arrange scaffolding and skip hire?”
• “Is there an upper limit on the number of bricks the service provider can offer, or does the client need to pay for each brick separately?”
• “Does the given quote also include the cost of all materials?” Clarify this issue, as it may lead to a huge discrepancy in the final payment.

Conclusion

The process of removing pebbledash can be extremely tedious and complicated. While some people try the DIY methods, a professional team gets the job done with perfection. Now that you have some idea about the cost of removing pebbledash and re-rendering, you can find the right service provider and give your house a complete makeover with their assistance.