I have just had the outside of my 3 bedroomed semi chipped off and re rendered by a local tradesman. I could have got the job done much cheaper but decided to go with the tradesman because I thought that I would get a good job done and he had a very good reputation. The job was done in march of this year and it entailed plaster bands around the windows and doors and the full house pebble dashed in a sunflower dashing. The plasterer used a yellow dye mixed in with his plaster and the finished product looked lovely, I coughed up my £3400 and was well pleased with the job. However now I have hairline cracks in the plaster around some of the windows and doors and rusty bits coming through the dash in places and don't understand what is happening. (I am looking for some advice before I contact the tradesman to come back and look at the faults). (I have noticed lots of houses locally that has been dashed in the same colour with the rusty bits coming through). Can you please tell me what has happened and what can I expect to be done about this problem.

Diane, July 2009

A neighbour of mine had his dashing done last year, and he noticed similar rusty spots in the dashing. On closer inspection, we found small pieces of steel similar size to the dashing stones. This is often known as ‘tramp iron’ which are stray pieces of steel that drop into the stones during processing. We just scraped them out with a screwdriver and the problem went away.

macca, December 2009

hi bigbuffer, I dont know what scud the walls means. can you explain? As far as I know the plasterer chipped the old dash off, scratch coated the walls, put the bands around the windows and doors and then dashed the house. The rusty bits are coming through the dashing itself and not the bands and seems to be getting worse the more it rains. I have tapped the bands where the cracks are and it seems to be sound. Do you know how long a job like this is normally guaranteed for?
Thanx

Diane, August 2009

Diane bigbuffer here. go outside and tap the bands around the windows and doors and if you here a hollow sound when you tap them.They are what is called boased and will fall of at some stage.tap the cones around house also, and see if they are boased as well.07708032798

bigbuffer, August 2009

hello bigbuffer here. can i ask you when he chiped the old dash of, did the plasterer scud the walls before putting the sracth coat on. what i mean is you must scud the walls first,then you scracth the walls, then you put your bands around, then you put the new dash on.tell me are the rust spots coming though were the bands are round the house.
and if they are then the plasterer put metal beads on instead of plastic beads.and what is happening is the beads are rusting. the only way to stop that from happening is to remove the metal beads sorry to say.

bigbuffer, August 2009

what damage will the cracking do if it is left? will it fall off? do you know how long the job should be guaranteed for?
thanx for your help and advice

diane, July 2009

all the rusty bits are the metal coine beads he has used around the windows and doors the cracking could be he did not wet the rough coat before he dashed it and it has dryed out to quick hope this helps

bazza, July 2009