Brick or render: which suits your Melbourne home?

Should you go face brick or render? It is one of the most common decisions for a Melbourne home, and both have their place. Here is how we think about it.

Face brick

Face brick is the brickwork left exposed as the finish. Done well, it is honest, durable and almost maintenance free. It suits period homes, recycled-brick projects, and anyone who wants the texture and character of real masonry.

• Very low maintenance
• Ages well and hides marks
• Huge range of colours and textures
• The bricklaying has to be neat, because you see every joint

Rendered

Render is a coat applied over brick or block to give a smooth, painted finish. It suits modern designs and lets you change the colour down the track.

• Clean, contemporary look
• Colour is easy to update
• Can sit over a cheaper block
• Needs repainting and the odd crack repair over the years

Which one?

If you love the look of brick and want to set and forget, face brick is hard to beat. If you are after a smooth modern facade or want to match a rendered house, render is the way. Plenty of jobs use both, face brick on a feature wall and render elsewhere.

Not sure which suits your place? Send us a photo and we will tell you straight.