Key Take Aways
Foundational faults are common culprits: Failures in original build—such as poor render, missing damp‑proof courses, defective flashing, or failed pointing—often lead to structural issues and moisture ingress.
Environmental factors accelerate damage: Sun, rain, frost cycles, wind‑driven rain, salt spray, and pollutants all contribute to external wall deterioration over time.
Human and mechanical impacts matter: Accidental knocks, vandalism, garden tools, mower stones and planters can damage coatings, render, and drainage systems.
Poor maintenance is a key risk: Blocked guttering, unchecked plant growth, neglected sealants and cracks allow moisture entry, undermining wall integrity.
Below‑ground and roof issues can ripple outward: Problems such as failed cavity trays, leaking roofs, penetrating rising damp, and flat roof leaks create cascading damage to walls and finishes.
Proactive inspections and repairs are vital: Early detection of defects (cracks, delamination, moisture alerts) allows timely remediation—whether re‑pointing, repointing, rerendering or recoating—to prevent large‑scale damage.
Sustaining damage to your property is a disaster. And, as much as we believe we have prepared to account for every eventuality, sometimes we are completely helpless. Faced with the irresistible force of the elements, our home’s defences can very quickly be rendered inadequate. Sometimes we only have ourselves to blame: a failure to act quickly enough to neutralise a potential threat or purely through accidental means. A detailed understanding of the most likely threats to your home gives you the ability to better prepare your home to weather these threats and come out the other side unscathed.
Accidental damage
From the series of storms we’ve had to brave in 2018 thus far, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the weather was the most likely cause of property damage. In reality though, we are more likely to be levelling blame at ourselves for damage, rather than the elements. Data collated by a range of home insurance websites makes it clear that accidental damage is actually the number one cause in the UK.
Mistakes are an unavoidable aspect of human nature. Some mistakes are easier to forgive than others. Spilling a glass of water that ruins a laptop? Forgivable. An ill-advised attempt at DIY that leads to damage? Much harder to forgive. Botched DIY jobs account for a sizeable portion of accidental damage claims, which only demonstrates the importance of leaving certain jobs to the experts. Foremost amongst them is painting the outside of your home. And, as regular readers will know, All Weather Coating is more than well suited to accomplish this task effectively.
Escape of water
The second most frequent cause of property damage is normally a preventable one – escape of water. Outside of freak accidents, escaping water is usually the result of a burst pipe, which is entirely avoidable. When temperatures grow cold, the water that courses through the pipes that service homes can freeze, causing the pipes to burst in the process. The homeowners that fail to take the prerequisite precautionary mistakes suffer the inevitable fallout. Ensuring that these pipes are properly insulated isn’t the most arduous ordeal to go through to prevent such a costly outcome.
Storm damage
Storm damage, perhaps surprisingly, has to settle for third place in the property damage stakes. Global warming has only intensified the already drastic impact storms can have, and yet, here it is languishing down in third place – just how adept are we at damaging our own homes?
Met Office climate models, based on the minimum expected increase of global temperatures (1.5°C), have predicted that global warming is expected to raise the cost of windstorm destruction by more than a third in certain parts of the country. The increasing power of the wind is reason enough to ensure your home is outfitted with weatherproof coatings, but when you factor in the equally destructive power of floods, it becomes essential.
Get in touch
If you are looking to protect your home for damage for up to 25 years, it is well worth considering what All Weather Coating have to offer: a tried and tested exterior wall coating service. Equally, if you have already been on the receiving end of property damage, they can help repair cracked render and a worn exterior. Get in touch by calling or emailing today!
