Moroka finish / Rendering costs?

Ok being a 1st home buyer, it just hit me that the plain finish you see at display homes is EXTRA apart from the Facade you opt for .. Oh lord! .. Anyways, how much has it cost you guys to do a Moroka finish to most of your front facade, leaving a couple of beams or garage top as brick.

Also, what is rendering? How is it different to a moroka finish?
And the most important one, can the moroka finish be done after the house is with you, or does it need to be done with the builder whos building it for you?

Btw, this is for a double story house facade (front only i guess!)

Rendering is a smooth finish - they apply a concrete mix onto the bricks so you get a smooth wall.

Moroka is a rougher finish where you'll see the lines of the brickwork (obviously the brickwork is flush)

We're rendering the entire front except the garage - $5.500
Then moroka for the rest of the house (back and sides) - $10,000

You can always get the front pillars rendered and then moroka for some, then face brick for some to cut down on costs.

Moroka can be done after the house is completed - you just need to make sure that the builder leaves the mortar flush rather than raking it (the mortar between the bricks)

As what stonecutter said. Though our moroka to our entire two storey house is only $4500.

Wow - nice price!

I know! we were very shocked when we saw it on the tender. We expected about double.

Wow .. was that with the builder or did you do it with an external company after the build? In any case, I'd like to know the builder and/or the company anyways

Mine was with the builder. As you have to factor in other costs like scaffolding etc which would already by there if you do it during the build I would assume that doing it after would be more $$$.

Hmm.. Interesing, I was under impression that rendering was the most expensive thing.. One of the turn-offs from going with Lily Homes was the price for rendering -- for a doble-storey it was close to 25K !

rendering is the most expensive - but my cost for render at the front excludes the garage (as we're doing a more expensive option - sandstone )

we'll probably be paying close to the $25k for the whole exterior once it's done

Stonecutter,

Your answer was exactly what I was told by my builder...
Render is applied with cement for a smooth finish and then painted.
Kelly moroka is applied with a roller and will result in a texture finish.

So I am confused when I look at web sites telling me that roll on products like Armawall also can be done with a smooth finish over brick?

I wish to have front of house smooth finished and sides texture finished. My SS then told me he needs to know this as it will determine whether the bricks are smooth or rough facing, again because one will be cement and the other a roll on.

Can you add any light onto this subject.

Cheers
CFHAM

Is render going to be more expensive to get done post construction on a single story home? We plan to do this and re not sure how much it will cost...5k, 10k????

The render probably wont be more expensive post construction but messy it is so negotiate with your flowers!!!

Beware though render/bagging it all cracks and patching render is not a DIY job - its an art. It will crack not because its applied incorrectly but because all houses settle and masonry contracts and expands with the elements at a different rate to the render.

Bagging is much easier to patch.

Bagging is typically applied in a swirling fashion but some products nowadays are applied by a roller so have a smoother appearance. For mine it looks much better.

So what does it all mean - render - expensive to apply and repair and bagging doesn't look as good but cheaper to apply and repair and the rolled application looks much better.

Good luck!

I thought Moroka could be done in a smooth surface like render? That's what we have chosen and we have been given a Moroka colour chart to choose from. On the Taubmans Moroka website it shows different textures??

themax

themax, I've seen 2 different moroka finishes on EB display homes. One has the moroka applied in a swirl method - YUK! THe other was almost like render ie no obvious patterns.
Our SS told us that the finish depends on the person applying the moroka. So he suggested that prior to it being applied to our house, a sample would be done fro me. Thay way I can insist on the plainer appearance and not that horrible swirl effect which looks like it's left over from the 70s.

I have been quoted $8K for Moroka and $28K for render for an EB Windsor 42. Hope this helps.

Thanks Southies. I think that I will have to clarify with our colour lady next week and also will send an email to tender lady to confirm that we won't be doing a time warp back to 'livin'in the seventies'..couldn't stand it all over again...(skyhooks ...remember! )


themax

I dont understand how people think that cement rendering is expensive..... I am a Solid Plasterer (cement renderer) and our price is usually at around $35-$45 p/square metre for smooth 10mm render!!! how is that expensive? now a bag finish like Maroka usually costs more for the material than it does for the labour. Alot of rendering jobs are done by cheap labour bought from overseas! bad bad bad. Keep the work in Australia for Australians

you have no idea what you are saying about the bagging cracking and it being easier to patch!