Pebble Dash Removal and Re-rendering in Woodford Green and Loughton
Tired pebble dash made smooth again. If it is still firmly stuck it can be primed, meshed and rendered over; if it is loose or hollow it comes off and the wall is rendered from scratch. Either way it is a rendering job, and we price it after seeing the wall.
Render over it, or take it off?
The first question is whether the pebble dash is still holding on. Tapped across the wall, sound pebble dash feels and sounds solid; where it has blown it sounds hollow, and there are often cracks running through it. If it is solid, it does not need to come off: it is primed so the new render grips, meshed, and rendered over smooth. If large areas are hollow, rendering over them only adds weight to something already letting go, so those parts are hacked off back to the wall first. We tell you which yours is on the free visit, and price that job rather than the bigger one.
A pebble-dashed bay, smooth in two days
In September 2023 we took a pebble-dashed bay on a terraced house back to a smooth finish. On the first day the pebble dash was primed and meshed, with the bay windows wrapped; on the second it was rendered. The before and after are in the photographs below. A single bay or porch is a small job. A whole front takes longer, and needs safe access to the upper floor, which is part of what we look at on the visit.
When it has to come off
Hacking off is the messier route. The old dash and the render under it come off down to the brick or block, a bonding primer or grit coat goes on where the wall needs it, and beads go on the corners and window reveals so the edges finish straight. Then a scratch coat, then the finish. Paths, drives and windows are sheeted and wrapped first, and everything is cleared up before we leave.
New pebbledash, and patching old
We put pebbledash on as well as taking it off. In May 2023 a 1930s semi had new pebbledash put on round its bay and extension, over bare blockwork, in a morning. Patching old pebble dash is the hardest repair to hide: the stones and the colour of a wall that has weathered for decades rarely match new material, so where a patch would stand out we will say so, and talk through doing the whole elevation or rendering it smooth instead.
Pebble dash in Woodford Green, Loughton and Chingford
Pebble dash is common on the 1930s semis and terraces round here. We are based in Woodford Green, Loughton and Chingford are both a short drive away, and we cover the rest of east London and west Essex. Swapping pebble dash for smooth render changes how the front looks, so on a house in a conservation area or a listed building, ask the council first: Epping Forest for Loughton, Redbridge for most of Woodford Green, Waltham Forest for Chingford.
What is included
- A free visit, with the wall tapped for hollow patches
- Sound pebble dash primed, meshed and rendered over
- Blown pebble dash hacked off back to the wall
- Beads on corners and reveals for straight edges
- Scratch coat and finish coat, smooth or textured
- New pebbledash, and repairs to existing dash
- Paths, drives and windows sheeted and wrapped
- A fixed price and a 12-month guarantee
Some of our work
What customers say
In their own words, from verified reviews. Read more reviews.
“I needed some new rendering on the house and confirm that Sean was professional, tidy and a lovely fella. He has done a great job and I’m very happy. The next time I need a plasterer I will be calling ST.”
Verified customerWoodford Green, IG8December 2023 
Common questions about pebble dash
Can you render over pebble dash?
Yes, if it is still firmly stuck. It is primed so the render bonds, meshed, and rendered over smooth, which is how we did a pebble-dashed bay in September 2023. Any parts that have blown come off first.
Is it better to remove pebble dash or render over it?
Render over it when it is sound: less work, less mess and less to pay for. Take it off when it is hollow or cracked across large areas, because new render is only as good as what it is stuck to. Often a wall is mostly sound with a few blown patches, and those are hacked off and made good before the whole wall is rendered.
Do you do pebble dashing as well as removing it?
Yes. We put new pebbledash on bare walls and extensions, and repair existing dash. Patches on old pebble dash are hard to match, and we will tell you on the visit if one would show.
Do I need planning permission to remove pebble dash?
It can need it. Permitted development covers outside walls finished in materials similar in appearance to the rest of the house, and swapping pebble dash for smooth render changes the look, so it is worth asking your council before booking. In a conservation area, on a listed building or on a flat, check first without fail.
How long does it take?
A single bay or porch rendered over is a couple of days, as the September 2023 bay was. A whole front that has to be hacked off takes longer, and outside work waits for dry weather without frost. We give you a timescale with the price.
How much does it cost to remove pebble dash and re-render?
It depends on the size of the wall, how much of the dash has to come off, and how easy the upper floor is to reach. We come and look for free, then give you a fixed price for the job your wall actually needs.
Need a wall or a ceiling sorting?
Tell us what needs doing and we will come and look, usually within a day or two. The visit and the quote are free, and there is no pressure at the end of it.
- Free quote, usually within a day or two
- A fixed price for the job, not a drifting day rate
- Everything sheeted up and swept before we go
- Fully insured, with a 12-month guarantee
Rather talk it through?
Tell us what needs doing and Sean will come and look. The visit and the quote are free, and the price you are given is the price you pay.
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