Rendering service
Brick bagging in Sydney
Grey rendered piers and white bandsA Finishing Touch job in Sydney
- Licensed rendererNSW licence 298643C
- Since 2012Rendering Sydney homes
- Owner on every jobFrom the quote to the clean-up
- Free quotesConfirmed in writing after a visit
- Best for
- Face brick houses, extensions, fences and garden walls where you want an even, painted look and still want the brick pattern to show
- Suits
- Sound face brick and blockwork. Not a fix for cracked, damp or crumbling brick, which is repaired first
- Before paint
- Bagging is cement-based, so it is left to dry and cure before paint goes on. The data sheet for the masonry paint you choose sets the wait.
- Upkeep
- Treat it like any painted masonry: repaint when the paint wears, keep gutters and downpipes working, and deal with damp at the base of the wall.
The short answer
What it is and when you need it
Bagging is a thin coat of cement-based mix rubbed over brickwork with a hessian bag, a sponge or a float, which is where the name comes from.
It fills the mortar joints and smooths the face of the bricks, but it is too thin to hide them, so the courses still show through. Most bagged walls are then painted.
It sits between face brick and a full render. Render is built up in coats to a flat wall that hides the brick; bagging keeps the texture and rhythm of the brickwork and changes its colour and evenness.
People bag brick to tie together a mix of bricks after an extension, to update dated face brick, or to bring fences and garden walls in line with a rendered or painted house.
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Questions answered
What people ask about brick bagging
What is the difference between bagging and rendering?
Render is a thicker build-up, usually two coats of sand and cement or an acrylic system, floated so the wall reads as one smooth surface. Bagging is a single thin coat rubbed into the brick, so the joints and the brick shapes still show, softened.
If you want a flat, modern wall, render it. If you want to keep the character of the brick with an even colour, bag it. We do both, so we can tell you which suits your walls when we see them.
Can any brick wall be bagged?
Most sound face brick can. The wall needs to be clean, free of loose paint, salt and moss, and dampened so the coat does not dry too fast as it goes on.
Cracked brickwork, failing mortar and damp at the base of the wall are fixed first. Bagging is too thin to hold a moving or wet wall together, and cracks come back through it.
Is bagging allowed on my house?
Check the planning controls first if your house is heritage-listed or in a heritage conservation area. Several Sydney councils do not allow original unpainted face brick to be bagged, rendered or painted there, including under Woollahra, Willoughby and Canada Bay controls, and Bayside applies the same rule to low-density housing that adds to the street.
Our area pages list the controls suburb by suburb, with the source for each one.
3 more questions
Does bagging hide the bricks completely?
No. It is thin, so the outline of the bricks and the joints still show, softened. If you want the brick gone, the wall needs rendering.
Can a brick fence or garden wall be bagged?
Yes, if the brick is sound. Fences and garden walls are often bagged to match the house, and the same preparation applies: clean, repair, dampen, then bag.
Can you bag part of the house?
Yes, but the bagged walls will look different from any face brick left beside them. Bagging to a corner or a natural break gives the cleanest result.
Start to finish
How a bagging job runs
- 01
Look and quote
We look at the brick, the joints and any damp or cracking, then confirm the quote in writing.
- 02
Prepare the wall
The surroundings are covered, the brick is cleaned down, and cracks and failing joints are repaired.
In the quoteSurroundings covered · Cracks and joints fixed first
- 03
Dampen the brick
The wall is wetted so the bagging does not dry out too quickly as it goes on.
- 04
Bag the wall
The mix is rubbed into the brick and joints, section by section, to an even finish with the brick pattern still showing.
In the quoteWorked section by section
- 05
Cure, then paint
The bagging is left to dry and cure. Once it has, your painter seals and paints it.
In the quoteClean-up
Planning brick bagging?
Ask for a free quote: a rough figure first, then a visit to confirm the quote in writing.
Sydney conditions
What changes this job in Sydney
Heritage areas that keep face brick
In many conservation areas the original face brick is part of what is protected. In two Woollahra heritage areas in Bellevue Hill, for example, painting, bagging or rendering original face brick is not to occur.
Source: Woollahra DCP 2015, Chapter B2 Neighbourhood HCAs, B2.6, B2.7 and B2.1.7 C5
Bayside's rule beyond heritage areas
Bayside's DCP says painting, rendering or bagging original unpainted masonry that adds to the street is not permitted on low-density housing, heritage-listed or not.
Where bagging is the original finish
In some older suburbs bagging is the traditional finish. The Leichhardt controls for Balmain East list rendered or bagged masonry among the appropriate materials, so repairing or re-bagging an existing bagged wall is in keeping there.
Salt and damp in older brick
Older Sydney brick houses can have rising damp and salt in the lower walls. The Heritage Council of NSW's salt damp guide describes salt crystallising in masonry and render on damp walls, so the damp source is dealt with before a wall is bagged.
Source: Heritage Council of NSW, Salt attack and rising damp technical guide
Pricing
What changes the price
We price every job ourselves: a free quote first, then a visit to measure and check the walls.
- The wall area and height, and whether scaffolding is needed
- The condition of the brick and joints, and any cracks to repair first
- Old paint, salt or moss to clean off
- Windows, corners, piers and openings to work around
- Access around the house and how much needs covering
Reviews
What our clients say
Courteous, tidy, protected the area from debris, cleaned up after and a good job
“Very professional and so helpful! Good communication and a fair price! Arrived nice and early! The rendering was done very well and looks great. The boys were very careful and made no mess! I have no hesitation in recommending Ali and his workers! I am definitely a very happy customer! Job: rear of house rendering plus a variety of rendering repairs in various places! Thank you so much!”
★★★★★Gregory Williams · “We loved dealing with Ali and his team. They are all lovely and really good renderers. We wanted something a little different (a thickly applied splattered style) in some parts of the house,”bagged” in other areas and smooth render in other parts…all was no problem, and expertly done. All fairly priced too. We would definitely recommend Finishing Touch Rendering. Stephanie and David.”
★★★★★Stephanie Hammond ·
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Guides, other finishes and areas
Free quote
Get a free brick bagging quote
Quotes are free. Quotes are free. Photos of each wall help. We give you a rough estimate, then visit to check the brick before the final quote.