Posts

Property damage: most common causes

/in /by

help repair cracked render

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!

 

How to boost the value of your home with external wall coatings

/in , , /by

Boosting house values with exterior wall coatings

Have you ever considered making some changes to your home to increase its value? Almost all of us have, but very few of us take steps to actually realise these ambitions. It is understandable though; where there’s money on the line there is a genuine element of risk involved.

Investing your hard-earned cash into a project that doesn’t pay dividends is nothing short of disastrous. To prove the old adage ‘you’ve got to spend money to make money’ true, we have put together this list of ways you can boost the value of your home.

Identifying and remedying existing problems

Increasing the value of your property starts with identifying any existing issues. No one wants to buy a property plagued by problems. Once they’ve been identified, whatever they may be: damp-prone walls, missing roof tiles, or an unkempt garden, they need to be rectified as quickly as possible. If damp has been a persistent issue, it is an issue that needs prioritising.

Penetrating damp can very quickly lay waste to your home. If it does manage to infiltrate your home’s defences, a sodden floor is the very least of your problems. Damp, at its worst, can even cause respiratory problems.

To ward off damp and its ill-effects, it is well worth considering applying external wall coatings. Weatherproof and designed to last for at least 25 years, they are an extremely effective way to shore up your home’s defences and keep damp out of your home.

Make the most of space

The single most effective way to add value to your home is to simply make better use of the space available to you. There are a number of different ways to do so: loft conversions and kitchen extensions are just two of many.  In the UK though, one of the most wasteful uses of space is a garage. 90% of British garages don’t even contain a car, making their overhaul one of the best ways to boost the value of your home. Swapping out a garage for more living space is ideal for bettering the way your home uses space.

Sometimes, it is even worth sacrificing some of the aesthetic appeals of your home for a practical purpose. In an area where parking is at a premium, it can be a worthwhile move to forsake your garden in favour of a driveway. Providing potential buyers with something that is in great demand is a financially astute move.

The importance of colour

Everyone is aware that the appearance of a property is undoubtedly a defining factor in determining its worth. Even so, you’d be surprised how much of an impact something as little as the colour of an exterior can play in creating value. In the US, greige (grey and beige) exteriors sold for $1526 more on average. Meanwhile, brown (medium brown, taupe or stucco) exteriors sold for $1970 less on average. Subtle tonal differences can actually play a pivotal role.

Exterior wall coatings: what to look for

/in , /by

London Exterior Wall Coatings

Deciding to repaint your home’s exterior is the easy part. Deciding what kind of materials to use to repaint your home is far trickier.

Given the amount of time and money involved, you are going to want to be certain that you are equipped with the best materials possible with which to complete the job. The sheer volume of information online can be overwhelming and sifting through it all to find a kernel of truth is time-consuming.

To shorten this process and to help you make the right decision about your home’s exterior, we have put together this post that illuminates exactly the kind of things you should be looking for in an exterior wall coating product.  

Appearance

Covering the entirety of your home’s exterior in a product that isn’t aesthetically pleasing is the worst thing you could do. Practical features like durability are of course important but they are redundant if the appearance of the wall coatings isn’t up to scratch. Available in a broad range of colours, our wall coatings are designed to fit every exterior and you are sure to find one that is perfect for your home. Regardless of the tone you pick, you can be certain that you will be delighted with the end result.

Weather resistance

Weather resistance is one of the most important qualities to look for in an exterior wall coating. Being able to fend off everything the weather has to throw at your home is integral to maintaining your home long-term. Given the temperamental nature of the British weather, your exterior wall coatings should possess the ability to properly protect your home in a variety of different conditions. Our weatherproof coatings for example, are imbued with silicone, which acts as a water repellent – making your home’s exterior impervious to rain.

Breathability

Breathability is both an underrated and overlooked quality in wall coatings. While it seemingly goes against conventional thinking to make a product that is meant to keep the elements out breathable, it is actually essential. An impassable covering will prevent water vapour that accumulates within your home from escaping – leading to damp problems. A breathable wall coating then, not only keeps water out of your home, it prevents water from causing issues within the home too.

Quick-drying

The application process needs to be conducted in precisely the right conditions if your new home exterior is to stand the test of time. The obvious culprits – rain, wind and snow are all capable of derailing the application process but subtle changes in temperature can be equally culpable. If the temperature is too low, too much moisture will be retained. Conversely, if the temperature is too high, the wall coating will dry too quickly – increasing the likelihood of cracks developing at a later stage. With a quick-drying product, the risks of weather impeding its progress are dramatically reduced.

You also need an experienced and knowledgeable team carrying out the application process

Equally as important as the exterior wall coating product itself, are the people applying it. At All Weather Coating, we have an abundance of experience applying wall coatings to buildings throughout London and the Home Counties.

Over the years, we have perfected our application process and in just a matter of days, you can rejuvenate your home’s appearance and keep it protected for decades. You can take the first steps to achieving this by booking a site visit with us today – you can get in touch by phone, email or through this contact form.