# Forum Home Renovation Plastering  External Blueboard finishing

## gpkennedy

I have put two coats of render on the blueboard joins and the brickwork in pics. I used Rockcote Premium Render. Is there an external top cote which I could use which is easier to apply?  Any imperfection in the render is easily seen, especially  in glancing light. The render mix has very grainy sand and is hard to trowel smooth. I am looking for a topcote which is less grainy. I intend to cover the wall with dulux textured roll-on paint. 
I now have a healthy respect for guys who do rendering for a trade.  They make it look easy.

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## CPE W&C

You could use James Hardie topcoat, but it shouldnt really be used in this application. The better method would be to trowel on a skim coat and then acrylic texture coat over the top. Cemental products from CSR are quite dear though, but ive heard Dulux makes something similar for half the price...

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## r3nov8or

Dulux's acrylic render range has a basecoat and topcoat for directly onto blueboard. Would check it's OK over the jointing conpound you have used though.  
In hindsight, you could have reduced joins, and only created vertical joins, by using sheets long enough to reach top to bottom. Glancing light is less a problem with vertical joins (as per the harditex system instruction manual).

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## gpkennedy

Thanks gents,
I am looking at using the Dulux textured paint, either medium or full grade. The two middle joints were unavoidable as they were existing brick pillars. So it was easier to do the horizontal joints. The pillars were not flush with the top beam and much discussion with the neighbour about how to complete the job. I will post some pics later, unless it is a complete SU.

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## FreeTV

Gpkennedy, 
Mate I just over the Easter weekend did the same, dulux full texture coat over blue board, pre prepped with the recommend coating and then 24 hrs later, I started using the recommend dulux full texture roller and my wife and I watched the how to videos on the dulux web site. 
So the story goes wife,my father and I started on Fri morning and were still at it 7pm Easter Mon. I would have rather spent the four days in a dentist chair getting teeth pulled with no numbing gas... the whole process was that painful. 
We started using the roller and float also recommend by dulux at a cost of $25 and found the paint going on with the roller left gaps as you rolled, no matter has wet the roller was, the float seemed to just push the paint from one section to the next, nothing like how it looks on brick in the how do video !?! Dumb foundered and fed up and stress boiling beyond belief I moved on to other projects and left the wife and father to finish. 
We found that using a brush filled in most gaps and really required about 3 coats, lucky the prep color was white otherwise you would just see the blue under the paint, we used the colour "dulux horizon sky" I"ll take a few pic tomorrow and post. 
A few tips, this sh*t gets everywhere no matter how many layers of tarps drop sheets you have, it gets on fences, the dog and kids walk over the tarp with paint splatters , it's on their shoes then it's in the house... Some of our painting was over head, so more dropped off the roller than sticking to the underside, again you"ll see when I post pics. 
What else .. This is the best part at a cost of about $140 ( bunnings have the cheapest  my wife later found out Easter Sun) I was buying a tub a fortnight before the big day to lesson the cost, now thu night on my way home from work 5pm before good Friday I call in and pick up my 5th bucket of this wonderful stuff from wait for it, the dulux trade shop at ........... My local supplier and while waiting for the tub to be shaken not stirred ( mmm ref to 007 ) I asked the same guy who has heard the story over and over again, well 4 times, I ask anymore tips, his reply, 
As long as you're  undercoated it with prep paint, or it will be like glass and just slid off. And drying reprint times 24hrs 
Well wanting to start first thing fri I was well joyed that I find this out then rather then weeks earlier and had so much time to do this, here I am till 1am good fri moring under lights still preping...well truck me this is how it all started. 
I've started telling anyone that will listen its crap to apply, don't use, stay clear.... Look it's really up to you, my personal experience I hated it. 
I'll post some pics over this coming weekend as I'm still removing blue tape and cleaning floors, wall, fences the dog, kids slide ( was on my daughters shoe ) , I tried each evening over the weekend to Gerni down and remove as much from the over splash as possible before calling it a day 12 hrs after starting, did I say this went on for four days ? 
Good luck mate, 
Heres the link to the how do  Dulux Mobile  Dulux Full Cover Texture Part 1.wmv - YouTube  
Adam

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## gpkennedy

Thanks Adam for your detailed reply. It did scare me a bit. I may just smooth any imperfections as best as I can, and then use Dylux MEDIUM texture. I look forward to your pics.
George

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## FreeTV

The Project     
 The Tools     
The Mess

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## FreeTV

The ( Just about ) Done Project

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## FreeTV

I also had the same idea to use fine/medium texture, i was recommened to use as much full texture as possible to avoid the patches from underneath. 
Good Luck and let us know how you get on. 
Adam

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## gpkennedy

Thanks for the very detailed pics Adam. I must complement you on the fine decking work, loved the baffle louvres.
My wall is fairly straight forward with no overhead work and remote from the deck, house, slides, dogs, kids, side walls, brush fences, etc. I'm still willing to give the medium texture a try. 
I have shared the pics and videos with my wife, and got the domestic nod:  so if the job goes a bit pear shaped, we can share the pain equally.
George

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## FreeTV

> Thanks for the very detailed pics Adam. I must complement you on the fine decking work, loved the baffle louvres.

  It's a Vergola Elec opening roof system Vergola - 
And the deck cheers Thats another thread, I use kleva Klip system, no nails or screws for that fine finish KlevaKlip Systems Pty Ltd - Home

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## r3nov8or

FreeTV, that's a great overall result. Did you use external angles on the blue board prior to stopping/rendering?

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## FreeTV

r3nov8or. 
Yes I used the white external plastic over the s/s and gal. Clad nailed in and base coated over. 
You can see from the before hand pics number 3 the corner closest to the camera has it exposed. 
Thanks for your comments, Was my first post, Has inspired me to open a Go To Whoa and detail my reno from end to end and i'm just about at the end. !!!

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## r3nov8or

I thought that might have been the white strip I could see. I've used the stainless steel version in the past (very similar/same as gal "exeys" used for plastering inside) but I've not yet done my own rendering. Did you find the Acratex found its own level and was 'easy' to trowel? (notwithstanding the splatter on your brush fence etc)

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