Your Home’s Exterior
We spend a lot of time on the interior of our homes but often neglect the exterior. It is just as important to keep the outside of the house in peak condition, making it sound and enjoyable to live in and adding value should you come to sell.
Once you’ve stepped inside the front door, it is extremely easy to forget about the outside. Money and time spent revamping the interior can be wasted if you don’t pay attention to the structure of the house. Problems can arise such as, cracks in the paintworks, leaky roofs and rising damp. Any new décor will feel the effect of this and as a result may need to be done all over again.
Summer is the best season to tackle maintenance on the exterior of your property as the weather can allow for sufficient drying times for paint work and sealing treatments.
By maintaining the structure of your home, you are helping to hold or even improve the value of your house.
PROTECTION
- Start by carrying out regular checks for subsidence and damp as this will help to stop serious structural problems occurring later on. Look out for any zigzag cracks and call out a surveyor to inspect them. You will need to keep monitoring them to make sure they aren’t getting any bigger.
- Check that brickwork and mortar are in good condition. Crumbling mortar is a sign of deterioration from weathering. Wherever the weathering has occurred, will need to be re-pointed. For a professional finish, employ a builder.
- Check that any soil is 15cm below the damp-proof course to prevent the risk of rising damp.
- Blocked gutters and constant dripping on the exterior can cause damp problems. Make sure you clean out the gutters regularly and ensure the joints aren’t leaking. If they are, use a specialist sealer.
PLANNING PERMISSION
As a homeowner, you have the right to carry out some work and make some alterations to your property, but it is up to you to always check if planning permission is necessary. Do this by writing to the planning department of your local council and explaining the changes you would like to make. They will then let you know if planning permission is necessary. If so, you will need to fill in forms and pay a fee.
Planning and building controls on listed buildings are very strict and conservation areas are also protected. The council must approve even small alterations such as painting the exterior or installing a satellite dish.
PAINTING
Paint the outside of your house in warm, dry weather and never in winter.
Before you start clean and repair gutters and down pipes.
For Masonry- Wash the walls with sugar soap and warm water, treat signs of mould with a fungicide, remove flaky paint with a wire brush and fill any holes with a filler. Choose a specialist masonry paint and apply using a brush or roller.
For Woodwork- First rub down the painted surfaces using wet/dry paper and fill any cracks using a flexible wood filler, scrape out loose putty from window frames and reseal, cut out any rotten wood and replace with new. Finally paint woodwork with an exterior gloss.
THE FRONT DOOR
It is important that your front door looks right as well as being secure. If you live in a period house, the door should be in keeping with the age and style of the house.
For advice about restoring an original door, speak to a specialist such as The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.
For advice on a suitable replacement ask The London Door Company, who specialise in the design and manufacture of period doors.
If you would prefer to source a door yourself, look at salvage yards for reclaimed doors. Victorian and Edwardian doors are the easiest to find and often have the original glass.
You could think about adding or altering a porch to make more of a feature out of your entrance. The design should be in scale with the size of your home, reflect its character and be built using the same materials. Some companies offer a bespoke service, offering wooden porches that are tailored to fit in with the architectural style of your home.
REPLACING AND RESTORING WINDOWS
To change windows you will need approval from the Building Control Services of your local council. Of course, if you live in a conservation area you will need planning permission or listed building consent.
Double-glazing reduces draughts and noise, however, think twice about replacing old, architecturally interesting windows with inferior modern versions, as these can devalue a property. If possible, it is best to replace such windows with exact replicas- an experienced joiner should be able to make these or sympathetic designs with double-glazing.
Replacement windows range from PVCu versions to ones with timber frames.
Old metal windows need expert care, restoration or replacement: try The Cotswold Casement Company or Clement Windows.
