Sad about what's happening to bricks

[IwishIcouldski]

So many of the renovations round areas where I live seem to cover up the nice red bricks by k-rending the hell out of the houses. I think the traditional full or part brick facias of British homes is so beautiful and that there is just something about them. The bricks convey some sort of interesting status to the house.

I am not from Britain so maybe its nostalgia about what I think makes Britain, Britain.

AIBU to think this trend of smooth k-rendering the whole house, covering up the traditional red bricks, is unfortunate? I hope the trend stops and that we don't end up with more k-rendered homes than brick-facia homes.

Anyone?

I don't know what K render is, but I do like the look of bricks or stone.

I quite like both 🤷‍♂️

Plus those houses are going to need painting at some point. Bricks are easy are

Oh, it's just regular render.
No, I don't mind it and most of the inter-war semi-detatched houses around here are half brick, half render.

Depends on the brick, really. Some of the cheap post-war bricks used are ugly and poor quality, and especially if they've been poorly laid, it's no great loss to cover them up. But the beautiful, hand cut bricks that speak of the local vernacular style of a specific geographic area, they are part of our history and our culture and I agree it's a shame to cover them.

But like so many things that short-sighted people do in the name of 'modernising' or 'improvements' (UPVC picture windows where there should be wooden sashes, pebble dashing, ripping out coving or period fireplaces, changin front door styles) those things themselves will date pretty quickly and someone else will come along and spend money restoring the place to how it was intended to look.

Rendering will be the cladding of the future. People will be paying thousands to have it taken off.

Good quality brickwork (along with stonework) is the lowest-maintenance, best-looking finish. Correctly repointed, it lasts centuries. It is also patchable or can be modified with matching materials. A wise architect once told me 'never apply a coating that will create a maintenance issue'. However, render can improve insulation. Older brick walls may be uninsulated, while newer have an insulated cavity.

Our house is going to have some parts rendered due to the bricks crumbling etc, the joys of being exposed to the harsh weather at the top of a hill near the coast.

Yanbu I live in a village full of old brick houses.

The few new houses are all red brick under slate. The only refurbed (once beautiful) house has been done in New England style planks painted mid grey which make it look like an institution and is already dating. Grim.

I hope the next owner rips off the planks and exposes the brick work, at least some of it. And paints it a less dreary colour.

Depends. Sometimes it fits with the vernacular but I suppose covering up brickwork for no good reason is a shame

K-rendering is the same as rendering. I don't know why it is called K-rendering.

Insulating cavity walls but rebuilding in part brick or full bricks look good. It is when the whole house is rendered that's what I find is unfortunate. It takes the character away. What's more when it is coupled with black or grey roof tiles and black window PVC surrounds that definitely removes the character and "traditional" charm.

I don't imagine rendering insulates to an extent very noticeable. I also think these older houses, whilst they need insulating should not be over-insulated otherwise, damp can become a problem.

I look at Westminster Palace and marvel at the construction and building skills that existed back then. These days, I think we have lost taste. On the aesthetics, I think house building/renovations are losing their way. Some renovations look gaudy (in my personal opinion).

Agreed!

It depends on the type of render

The half-brick / half-render style on post war houses is a more traditional render

It’s the ultra modern, smooth render with anthracite windows and grey resin driveway that people hate

Oh yes, gosh. The resin driveways. I love brick driveways even if they get wonky sometimes but they can be easily fixed.

Someone mentioned upthread that eventually, people will pay money to reverse these trends and return to the good ole bricks.

I visited a friend the other day and on that street, the home owners seem to have paid a company to refresh the brick facias. I imagine it must have been by power spray or something. But all the brickwork cleaned up brilliantly and they all looked glorious.

Only the nice bro is, our house is completely rendered because it was built with horrible brown bricks

This is why so many houses on the coast have pebble dash - no one ever thought it looked nice!

Yes black frames and grey rendering

not great

My childhood home was a 1930s Accrington brick semi. I walk past it occasionally and the brick work still looks good now 😄

Agree, we’ve just done a big renovation and kept all the brickwork. Most of it was still in good condition but it’s been repaired/replaced where necessary and looks great in my opinion.

I agree. I'm in a small terrace of 1920s houses with red brick and pebbledash facades, red brick tile details and plain but stylish multipane windows. They look lovely all together.

The youngish family on the far end has tried to turn it into a new-build on a tight budget: UPC single/double pane windows, off-white render and plastic wood-effect boarding over the tiled areas. It doesn't look very nice. It's been unfinished for years too.

It doesn't bother me unduly, but I think it's a shame.

I'm so much the opposite that I'm determined to keep the original windows even though it's an EPC folly until such a time as I can afford expensive VIG (vacuum insulated glass, I think) .... so that's never 😩

I grew up in a 30s pebbledashed house. Took that much skin off me as a kid, I reckon I'm literally part of that house now.

In London I think lots of lovely brick houses are pebble dashed due to ww2 bomb damage. Certainly on my street. Just a part of the houses' history as you can tell by the style that some pebble dashing company came along and did loads of them at a time. Part of me thinks we need to remember that war can and did happen in Western Europe.

You are right. Maintaining links to the past and honouring the past is good for history, memory and continuity of a something. Call it culture, call it human connection.

I think that is probably why it is sad to see the obliteration but what is put in their places isn't aesthetically better. That's the problem.

The white render, anthracite windows and doors is going to go the same way as the wood effect UPVC windows. Out of fashion and very dated.