Guide
Render types compared: sand and cement vs monocouche vs silicone
Updated
The system you pick moves the price per m2 less than you would think, and the maintenance bill more. Here is the honest comparison, at typical 2026 rates.
The four systems side by side
| System | Typical 2026 rate | Finish | Upkeep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sand and cement | £40–60 per m2 | Flat, painted after curing | Repaint every 5–10 years; most prone to cracking |
| Monocouche | £45–70 per m2 | Through-coloured, one-coat, scraped texture | No painting; occasional clean; colour weathers slowly |
| Silicone thin-coat | £50–80 per m2 | Through-coloured, flexible, water-repellent | Resists algae; periodic soft wash |
| Insulated render (EWI) | £90–150 per m2 (typical, quoted separately) | Insulation boards plus a silicone or mineral top coat | As the top coat |
How to choose
- Tightest budget today: sand and cement, but price in the repaint cycle, it is the only system here that needs painting at all.
- Lowest maintenance: silicone thin-coat. The flexibility resists hairline cracking and the water-repellent surface stays cleaner for longer.
- The middle path: monocouche. Through-coloured so no painting, familiar to most renderers, and forgiving on typical masonry.
- Solid or cold walls: consider EWI rather than bare render, you are paying for scaffold and access anyway, and Part L may require insulation improvements once you strip more than half a wall.
Whole-life cost, not headline rate
Sand and cement at £40–60 per m2 looks cheapest, but two repaints over 15 years can close most of the gap to silicone at £50–80. Through-coloured systems win on the decade view; sand and cement wins when the budget is fixed and labour is local and cheap. All figures are typical 2026 quotes, not fixed prices, your substrate and postcode set the real number.
Whichever system you pick, the area does the pricing. Get your range in the calculator, then let local quotes fight it out.