
Older villas, newer estates
Milngavie runs into Bearsden and shares much of its stock: inter war and post war villas and bungalows, roughcast from new, with newer housing added round the outside.
The older ones are re-dash or smooth render jobs. The newer ones are usually repairs, where a render has cracked along the block joints because the backing coat was rushed on a busy site.
Sitting at the edge of the moor
Out towards the reservoirs there is very little shelter, and a wall facing that way weathers faster than the same wall two streets further in.
It shows as staining long before it shows as a crack. Staining in a straight line down an elevation usually points at a gutter rather than at the render, and that is worth checking before anybody quotes you for a wall.
What else the walls in Milngavie are like
Out towards the reservoirs and the moor there is very little shelter, and walls facing that way weather faster than the same wall two streets in.
It shows as staining long before it shows as a crack, and staining in a straight line down an elevation usually points at a gutter rather than at the render.
If you are outside the city, we work across Renfrewshire and up to twenty miles from Renfrew. See the areas we cover.
Before and after
The same wall, both ways


White and black dry dash on a corner semi. Drag the handle to see the before.
Past work
Jobs of this kind


Brick to white dash with charcoal corner pillars
Roughcasting and dry dash, New build and extension render
See this job
Painted brick and old roughcast taken to white and black dash
Roughcasting and dry dash
See this job


What customers say
What customers said about work in Milngavie
Real Checkatrade reviews, word for word.
Checkatrade
from 60 reviews, 45 of them 10 out of 10
Roughcasting Masterclass
I can’t recommend McLellans Master Plasters highly enough. They rough casted our house to an excellent standard and also fixed our neighbour’s guttering and roofing, all for a very reasonable price. From start to finish they were prompt, professional, and reliable. Communication was clear, the work was carried out efficiently, and the finish looks fantastic. It’s refreshing to deal with tradespeople who take real pride in their work and deliver exactly what they promise. If you’re looking for high-quality workmanship at a fair price, McLellans Master Plasters are a brilliant choice.
Fantastic Job All Round
I recently hired Fraser from McLellans Master Plasterers. The quality of the plastering was brilliant the finish is perfectly smooth, clean, and ready for decorating. He paid great attention to detail and made sure everything was completed to an exceptionally high standard. He kept everything neat and left the place spotless once the job was done, which I really appreciated. If you’re looking for a plasterer who delivers top quality workmanship with great customer service, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Fraser at McLellans Master Plasterers. A fantastic job all round!
Emergency removal, reboard and replaster a collapsed ceiling.
Can't thank Fraser and him team enough for the urgent response and restoring of our hallway ceiling. Thankfully Fraser was able to attend within hours of me reporting the issue and due to the danger of the collapse he was able to move around jobs to deal with what was a very scary situation. Job was fully completed within 3 days of my initial request. New ceiling looks great. would highly recommend. Thank you, Val & Fabio.
living room ceiling plastered over artex
the guys that done the job seemed very happy workers, singing away to their boom box as they worked. very pleased with the results, obviously with plastering it's messy, but expected, though these guys took great care with what furniture we couldn't move and cleaned up after themselves, very courteous guys. said it would take bout 3-4 days drying time so great, feet up and catch up TV for a wee bit. gonna get them back again soon to do the back bedroom. good rates, and would recommend as a go to company( before and after photos enclosed.
Straight answers
Questions about roughcasting and dry dash in Milngavie
Can you just patch the bit that has failed?
Sometimes, and when we can we will say so. A single failed area on an otherwise sound wall is a repair. The problem is colour: a patch of new dash on a wall that has weathered for twenty years will not match, and on a front elevation that is usually worse to look at than what you started with. On a gable or a back wall it often does not matter at all.
What is the difference between wet dash and dry dash?
Wet dash has the chips mixed into the mortar and the whole lot is thrown at the wall, which gives a rougher, more random finish. Dry dash has the mortar on first and the chips thrown onto it, which gives a more even, sharper look. Dry dash is what most people picture when they say pebble dash.
Is harling the same thing as roughcasting?
Yes. Harling is the Scottish word for it and it is what most older folk round here still call it. If somebody quotes you for harling and somebody else quotes you for roughcasting, they are quoting for the same wall.
My new render has cracked along straight lines. Why?
Lines that follow the blocks behind are telling you about the backing coat rather than the finish. Filling them is treating the symptom.
What is roughcasting?
A render finish with stone aggregate in or on the top coat, over a backing coat that levels the wall. It is what most houses round here were built with and it is what keeps the weather out of them.
How much does it cost to roughcast a house in Scotland?
It turns on how much of the existing coat has to come off, the access, what the background is and the finish you choose, not on the wall area alone. We have written up what moves the number rather than printing a figure we would have to take back.
Get in touch
Get a price for roughcasting your house
Tell us what the wall or the room looks like now and we will come back to you with a price and a straight answer about what it needs.
Call us for your instant, no obligation quote
07501 844432
