Client: Wheal Northey Centre
Contractor: Steve Turton Plastering Ltd
Type of works: supply of PVC-U external render beads from Renderplas.

The vibrant, Ivory-coloured facade of a new healthcare facility and offices in Cornwall posed no problem for the Renderplas range of coloured PVC-U external render beads.

Renderplas was able to provide a decorative and durable solution to match the through-coloured render of the £1.9m Wheal Northey Centre, built by Midas Construction on the site of a former tin mine in St Austell. In addition to enhancing the building’s fresh-looking façade, Ivory-coloured Renderplas PVC-U beading has ensured straight, durable joints, corners and edges on all external rendering. The PVC-U material is scratch resistant and will not discolour over time, so any exposed joints and edges will continue to complement the colour of the facade indefinitely.

External rendering applied on blockwork to a depth of 15mm was undertaken by Plymouth-based Steve Turton Plastering Ltd. The commercial plastering specialist had no hesitation in recommending PVC-U beads for the project, says proprietor Steve Turton, who has used PVC-U beads for much of his working life. He comments: “I find Renderplas PVC-U beads far superior to metal alternatives, which can introduce potential thermal bridges and are less durable. PVC-U is robust, non-corrosive and easy to cut to length. Also, using Renderplas beads that match the through-coloured render saves time and money on site as they don’t need painting like metal beads.”

Steve Turton and his team used Renderplas corner beads on external corners and reveals to ensure a straight arris and to offer protection against impact. Stop beads from the range have been used to prevent cracking around door and window surrounds, while Bellcast beads above DPC level and window heads allow rainwater to drip clear of the underlying substrate. Renderplas movement-joint beads were specified for several areas with a structural movement joint under the render.

Both functional and aesthetic, through-coloured renders are widely used by architects to create bright, bold building facades. In addition to the aesthetic benefits, they are an increasingly popular solution as the facade never needs to be re-painted, so the delivered project is lower in maintenance and the building exterior can simply be washed using normal cleaning materials. Renderplas PVC-U beads need no alternative maintenance and eliminate the time and cost of re-painting, which would be required when using metal beads. In addition to White and Ivory beads to match two of the most popular through-coloured renders, Renderplas offers a wide choice of other colours to meet the individual design requirements of all types of building. The standard range comprises 12 colours including Terracotta, Willow, Slate and Sky, to match the vast majority of renders available from leading manufacturers.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2010, Renderplas was the UK’s first manufacturer of PVCu beads for the rendering, plastering and dry lining industry, and over the past two decades has led the market with innovations and developments. Renderplas gives a comprehensive choice of 12 colours across a range of different profiles, including ‘wide wing’ solutions and the pioneering PowerBead - the first PVCu bead that truly out-performs stainless steel to ensure ultra strong, straight edges, and which can be fixed directly to the substrate to save time and money. Renderplas PVCu beads can also be used internally for wet plastering, and there are a further five profiles specifically for skim plastering. Renderplas PVCu beads conform to BS EN 13914-1:2005.