What is K Rend

K Rend' is often used in the external insulation business as a catch-all term for render. K Rend, in fact, is a brand with a large range of different renders, manufactured by Kilwaughter, the chemical manufacturer parent company in Northern Ireland. K Rend traditionally produced ‘thick coat’ renders such as dash receivers and monocouche and has recently also ventured into the family of silicone render products.

K-rend is a mineral-based product traditionally processed using limestone. It is delivered on-site pre-bagged. The company produces organic resin renders (or 'bucket mix') which come in over 500 colours. The range includes Base Coat for new block applications prior to finishing with an approved top coat, as well as Fibre Base Coat, a fibre reinforced version of the standard that can be applied by hand or machine where impact resistance is a premium consideration.

They also offer Backing Coat of a pre-blended sand and cement base coat that can be applied as an internal pargetting render and for basic external base coat applications. This is available alongside Overcoat Dash Receiver, a high performance option for general drydash applications. It can be applied by hand or machine and includes a silicone and an algae inhibitor.

This firm also produces Silicone Dash Receiver which provides a robust substrate for the traditional K-Rend Silicone Roughcast finish or a Decarock Drydash aggregate. Alternatively, Scratch Render can be troweled, floated and left smooth to get a full render thickness. The surface can also be brushed down with a clean soft brush to achieve an attractive broken stone effect.

Finally, K-Rend Silicone Roughcast is a traditional wet dash finish achieved with a fully blended product straight from the bag, with only the addition of clean water required. Silicone Thin Coat is an organic resin render which is usually hand applied to give a decorative finish.

Advantages of K-Rend Over Traditional Rendering Systems

K Rend render is a water-repellent, breathable solution – low maintenance and available in most colours. They are incredibly low maintenance and durable. The silicone additive provides exceptional water repellency and the wide variety of colours make it a practical product for jobs where painting would be an additional time and cost burden. The main difference is they contain fewer pores than traditional renders, have no sparkle and provide a smoother finish.

There are many benefits of using K-Rend instead of a traditional render, including the fact it offers a natural looking finish, has excellent levels of reliance, as well as being easy to apply, by hand or by machine. It is readily workable and comes with a product range for all situations, offering flexibility in your render. Finally, it offers optimum adhesion to a range of substrates and has a high degree of water repellency.

Where Can K-Rend Be Applied?

The K-Rend range includes base coats suitable for most substrates. To ensure you have a successful render system applied to your building that will offer the performance longevity that you require, it is important to select the correct base coat. There are solutions for most substrates including; clay bricks and blocks, insulation boards, lightweight blocks, existing painted and un-painted renders, sandstone and standard blockwork.

You can apply K-rend onto unpainted surfaces. However, if the original render is painted, then the paint MUST either be removed or a barrier created by means of a breathable membrane interface. Talk to us for advice on the best K-Rend product to suit your needs.