Pebbledash has been in use since the Tudor times but in recent years it has fallen firmly out of fashion. The term is used to describe the practice of throwing – or ‘dashing’ – smooth pebbles onto a topcoat of render to protect bricks from deterioration or damage, creating an exterior that is hard wearing, but perhaps not very pretty. If your house has pebbledash then you’re stuck with it unless you want to embark on a costly project to remove it, so it’s a much better idea to learn to love it instead. Here are five reasons why.
It’s tough
Pebbledash is incredibly strong and resilient, meaning that it will protect your home from the elements in even the most exposed environments. Having a house that has been weatherproofed with pebbledash will help stop water getting into the bricks and freezing, which then causes them to crack.
It’s low maintenance
Because it’s so hardwearing, pebbledash is rarely damaged by weather or any other external elements. The increased surface area maximises evaporation, meaning your home is less likely to suffer from rain-related problems, and if you don’t have problems you don’t have to spend time and money fixing them.
It’s easy to freshen up
You might be tempted to slap on some paint, but cleaning pebbledash is the best way to give it a makeover that will last. Pebbledash cleaning products are sprayed on the walls, and then rinsed off. Choosing to soft wash your house like this means that no pebbles will be dislodged or lost as they can with high pressure washing systems. It’s an easy and inexpensive way to give your house a fresh look.
It can cover a multitude of sins
If your house isn’t already pebbledashed, it’s well worth considering if you are thinking of rendering your house. If your home is looking a bit worse for wear due to poor quality brickwork, cracking or staining, pebbledash is a great way to hide any aesthetic problems behind a uniform façade. As well as neatening up the look of your house, it will also help to halt those problems due to its hardwearing nature, as mentioned above. As long as it’s cleaned regularly, pebbledash can improve the look of an old or neglected building.
It’s due a comeback
From avocado bathroom suites to crazy paving, every method of decorating our homes and gardens falls in and out of fashion, and the same will be true for pebbledash. Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud has described it as a ‘beautiful, excitement, beautifully textured finish’ for which ‘a revival is long overdue’. So, if your home has pebbledash, don’t get rid of it because its time to shine is just around the corner.