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– Roughcast Composition:
– Coarse plaster surface for outside walls
– Made of lime, cement, sand, small gravel, pebbles, or shells
– Mixed into a slurry and thrown onto the surface
– Stones incorporated in roughcasting; added on top in pebbledashing
– Used for decorative effect on country houses

– Popularity and Use:
– Unpopular in the UK since 2006
– Reduces property value by up to 5%
– Popular in Scotland and rural Ireland
– Frequently used in new house construction
– Became popular in England and Wales in the 1920s due to cost-cutting

– Materials and Varieties:
– Modern pebbledash uses sharp flint chips
– Varieties include spar dash, Canterbury spar, sharp-dash, etc.
– Pebbles dredged from seabed for building materials
– Used to cover poor-quality brickwork
– Provides rudimentary weather protection

– Historical Significance:
– Roughcast used on St Albans Cathedral’s central tower
– Removed around 1870
– Employed as exterior coating on common dwellings
– Became decorative on country houses
– Tudor period used glass fragments for variety

– Related Topics:
– See also: Harl, Plasterwork, Stone cladding
– References on rough cast
– EwaGlos glossary on conservation terms
– Encyclopædia Britannica entry on rough cast
– Incorporates text from a 1911 publication