When people talk home improvement, it’s the interior that is usually the focus. But the exterior of your home should never be forgotten! With good exterior maintenance, you can protect your home from the elements, keeping moisture, pests, rot, and decay out of your home.
When it comes to exterior material, undoubtedly timber needs more maintenance than brick. So if you have a weatherboard home, listen up! Weatherboard homes look stunning, and will remain stunning, with a little tender loving care.
As a natural material, timber expands and contracts with changes in humidity and weather. These constant changes can cause paint to chip and crack, and can put a bit of stress on the caulking around windows, doors and corners. It’s unavoidable and something you should be keeping an eye on. Small repairs can be made as required, but your whole home will need a repaint every 10 to 15 years.
Dirt is also a common cause of discolouration and damage on a weatherboard home. A good pressure washer will help keep this at bay in between painting. A weekend spent cleaning the exterior of your home will have it looking like the best house on the street again.
But we get it, these jobs are hard work, and often quite precarious if you have a two storey house. If things have been left by the wayside a bit, and the damage is beyond a good clean or paint touch up, the weatherboards that are showing signs of damage can be replaced. That’s where we would come in. Repairs to the weatherboards require experts like us to remove the damaged boards while leaving the surrounding ones intact.
While brick homes need less maintenance and generally last for decades, they are not entirely free from wear and tear and should be checked regularly. You should be inspecting your home for crumbling bricks, cracks, bulging walls, signs of water, damp patches (internal or external); and inferior mortars, paints and sealants previously applied.
A rendered home has a lifespan similar to bricks. However, a rendered home is still susceptible to the elements and needs some maintenance now and again. One of the biggest issues with rendering is cracking. These cracks should be repaired quickly, before they grow and grow, and next minute you see large sheets of render coming off the house. A potential hazard and expensive issue to fix! Be sure to inspect your home annually for any potential cracking and get in the experts to fix!
And don’t underestimate the power of a good pressure washer, a good clean can make a real difference. On all surfaces!