Matching pebbledash patches

[Prof555]

Around 5 years ago my non-specialist builder patched some vertical cracks in the pebbledashing on an upstairs front bay window (ie v conspicuous). I bought the line about 'oh they will darken in with weathering'. Surprise surprise they haven't.

A few years ago I sat on a church committee where similar work had been done on the church tower, with the same result. I remember the committee getting a quote for some sort of staining with soot to darken the new patches.

Does anybody know what this process involves, and is it recommended ?
Any other ideas ??

Thanks in advance

Prof

 

[roughcaster]

I've never heard of the soot staining method to be honest!!! I'd be wary of that.
As we've said on here many times,, it's more or less impossible to invisibily "patch and match" texture and colour with tyrolean, pebbledashing etc. You can,, "if you're very lucky", get a similar look, but you'll never get it exact. I "wouldn't" go down the soot route though. The only "sure" way to get perfect colour overall, would be to re-pebbledash the whole panel on the bay window. You wouldn't have to remove what's on either,, as long as it's sound, just prep and redo onto the original. Get a couple of quotes from local builders/plasterers.

 

[Prof555]

Many thanks RC - wish I'd read your advice before I agreed to the work ! I didn't know it was possible to pebbledash over an existing surface. How does this work technically ? Do you just reskim thinly over the existing surface to allow the existing pebbles to continue standing proud, or does the prep involve removing the pebbles but not necessarily hacking off the old mortar ?

Thanks again

Prof

 

[external]

i've soot stained myself,under instruction of my old guv,he was a good old spread,dead now god bless him,the soot went in the mix to bring down the colour in tyrolean when we were patching an matching,it does actually work!
nowt you can do with dry work though