Repairing pebbledash crack

[Diyisfun]

The front of the house has a crack in the pebble dash, at the bottom.
My concern is water getting behind, freezing & the popping the pebbledash off.
As the crack is only about 2/3mm wide about 1ft long, I was thinking of trying to put dry cement in the crack to seal it, should I do this or use a clear silcone.
Any advice appreciated.

 

[KenGMac]

Hi.

One way that I have seen working [ and have advised others to try ] is as follows.

1/. Using a fine dry clean thin paintbrush, remove as much dust and spiders as possible.
2/. Get some clear mastic, fill the crack with the mastic, DO NOT smear the mastic on the top surfaces of each side of the crack. Keep the mastic in the crack. Important to try to get the cut in the applicator nozzle to fit the crack.
3/. Borrow a dust pan and brush, using this form of catchment, go to other areas on the dame elevation, carefully remove some of the pebble dash with the brush, catch it in the dustpan.
4/. Now for the "clever bit?" carefully place the individual bit of roughcast that you have brushed off of the surface into the wet mastic, job done, almost like "invisible mending"

Points to watch.
A/. As above be careful not to smear the mastic on to the surface of the roughcast each side of the crack. If you do it will shine and bring attention to the crack.
B/. Take your time, try and get the mastic well into the crack, after all it is a very small length of crack you are about to repair.
c/. Because you are using "clear mastic" it tends to become difficult to see when the chips you have removed from other areas are applied to the wet mastic.
D/. Advantage of brushing off the roughcast from areas on same gable is that the "overall appearance" of the small individual stones very closely matches the colour of the stone render on each side of the crack being repaired.

Do not use cement, why? because it will fill the crack, BUT it will show up as a very different colour on the wall and in effect draw attention to the crack, the method as I have described above, clear mastic and identical coloured stones will tend to vastly reduce the visual impact of the crack, as well as sealing the crack, preventing rain water from entering in behind the roughcast.

Hope this assists?

Cheers.

Ken

 

[Diyisfun]

Sounds like a good idea.

 

[roughcaster]

Agreed. Patching any other way will stick out like a sore thumb. I've seen people cut out the cracks in roughcast, patch it up with mortar/chips, then wish they'd left it alone.

 

[^woody^]

If you are painting afterwards, don't use silicone, but use an acrylic mastic

 

[Diyisfun]

not painting,Im only doing it to stop frost damage

 

[nomadros]

Hi.

One way that I have seen working [ and have advised others to try ] is as follows.

1/. Using a fine dry clean thin paintbrush, remove as much dust and spiders as possible.
2/. Get some clear mastic, fill the crack with the mastic, DO NOT smear the mastic on the top surfaces of each side of the crack. Keep the mastic in the crack. Important to try to get the cut in the applicator nozzle to fit the crack.
3/. Borrow a dust pan and brush, using this form of catchment, go to other areas on the dame elevation, carefully remove some of the pebble dash with the brush, catch it in the dustpan.
4/. Now for the "clever bit?" carefully place the individual bit of roughcast that you have brushed off of the surface into the wet mastic, job done, almost like "invisible mending"
Hope this assists?

Cheers.

Ken

I know this is an old thread, but blinding advice... I've just done this and I can't even tell where the crack was from 2ft away. Many thanks!

 

[pred]

Hi.

One way that I have seen working [ and have advised others to try ] is as follows.

1/. Using a fine dry clean thin paintbrush, remove as much dust and spiders as possible.
2/. Get some clear mastic, fill the crack with the mastic, DO NOT smear the mastic on the top surfaces of each side of the crack. Keep the mastic in the crack. Important to try to get the cut in the applicator nozzle to fit the crack.
3/. Borrow a dust pan and brush, using this form of catchment, go to other areas on the dame elevation, carefully remove some of the pebble dash with the brush, catch it in the dustpan.
4/. Now for the "clever bit?" carefully place the individual bit of roughcast that you have brushed off of the surface into the wet mastic, job done, almost like "invisible mending"
Hope this assists?

Cheers.

Ken

I know this is an old thread, but blinding advice... I've just done this and I can't even tell where the crack was from 2ft away. Many thanks!

Should have gone to specsavers!