Can you render down to ground level?

[Marmitelover55]

Our extension has been built from concrete blocks and not bricks per the architects original plans. The plan is to render it, but I'm not sure how far down the render can go....Can you render over the DPC, or will this cause problems? Friends had their first few courses in brick rather than block and then render above - wish we had thought of this. Also if we have light coloured tender down to the ground, then I imagine this will get very dirty at the bottom. Any comments/suggestions very welcome please. Thanks.

Hi there - do not render over the DPC as it will potentially cause problems. I bought a house where render went to the ground and it had to be cut back before the mortgage company would progress. Luckily for all concerned it was one small area of render.

Can the block work be painted?

I guess it can but won't it look rather ugly? I asked the builder about rendering over the DPC and he said it would be ok...he said there would be a bead of some kind at DPC level but that as its a cavity wall that damp wouldn't be a problem... He seems very good, but not sure about this having googled a bit...

I think he meant like this:

Yes you can render to the floor - just don't render over the dpc

So would the scenario in the above photo be ok? Thanks

Give me half am hour and I'll check with suitably qualified dh - I suspect that it's fine it looks very similar to ours!

Thank you Fragglewump!!

Okay have checked with dh and we have the above picture on our house I.e. Bell bead at dpc line and render above and below I think then of the damp gets in and blows the render it doesn't blow the whole wall. Ps our original house has been like this for 40 years and we've just done the same on our extension.