0800 300 444
Your plaster cladding is the barrier between your home’s timber frame and the elements, specific maintenance and upkeep needs to happen (often in the form of small corrective work) to help prevent leaks. At HomeSmart we have tested systems and products over many years to provide maintenance solutions making the best use of your budget and provide peace of mind.
Be sure to ask us about our Maintenance Program
Many plaster cladding homes don’t have a cavity system installed and worse still, they don’t have treated timber framing. This can cause considerable problems over time. Water can get in through cracks in the plaster, anywhere the sealant has broken down including windows, doors, pipes – the list goes on. Because the water can get in but can’t get out, it can cause major problems which is why you see so many homes having to be completely re-clad costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, if you put in place a fairly simple maintenance schedule you should be able to protect your home from potentially catastrophic damage.
When looking at painting or performing cladding maintenance on a plaster home, there are a few things you need to consider. Are there any of the following:
Cracks in exterior plaster
Impact damage to plaster cladding
Clearance issues from bottom of cladding to ground level
Lack of diverter/kick out flashings to direct water away from the wall structure
Lack of expansion joints to assist movement in the building structure
Poor waterproofing to penetrations in the plastered walls
Lack of fall to plastered handrails and parapet tops
Plaster bands or plaster eyebrows above windows to assist with diverting water away from penetrations.
Our System:
We have built reliable systems and solutions and have a reputation for quality to uphold. We specialise in exterior plaster repairs and have carefully selected the best repair products to achieve a cost effective maintenance solution. For example; cracks are re-meshed, then we apply a highly flexible, durable and water-resistant acrylic plaster membrane then carefully match the existing texture followed up with 2 coats of Elastomeric paint. We specifically use Elastomeric paint, it is crucial for plaster cladding as it is one of the key waterproofing agents. Achieving the required finish for your home takes a high level of training and skill and therefore we only use our experienced staff to work on your plaster clad home. Our system for isolated cracks and cladding repairs has been successfully applied in hundreds of homes and our repairs are virtually undetectable.
Before
After
We recommend that you:
Make sure every single door, window and cladding penetration is resealed every time the house is painted.
Check and repair any exterior crack in the plaster
Paint your home at least every 10 years using an elastomeric paint that has an LRV of no less than 40.
Wash your house annually
Clean your gutters out regularly
Have an annual moisture inspection
By doing these simple things you are adding value to your home. When you are ready to sell you can show potential purchasers that you care for your house and it is a good investment.
Research:
Get different quotes, but don’t automatically select the cheapest. We all know if a quote is too cheap it’s normally cheap for a reason, so ensure your preferred contractor will actually take all necessary steps to protect your home. Make sure you do your research. Ask about the products they use and why they use them. Ensure you use a company that has faith in the products they use and deliver exceptional results. See our testimonial page for references from previous customers. Time and time again we repaint homes that were just painted and ‘ready for sale’ only for the prospective buyers building report recommend for us to perform the required maintenance and repaint the home.
Value:
To ensure you are receiving the best possible value, we also own and erect all our own scaffolding. Safety is of utmost importance to us, but to minimize additional costs for you we only charge for the time it takes to erect and dismantle the scaffolding, there are no additional rental charges. This also guarantees there aren’t delays around waiting for 3rd party scaffolding. Additionally we also provide a free colour consultancy service through both Dulux and Resene.
For additional and simple answers to some of your questions, head over to our frequently asked questions page.
If you are interested in arranging annual maintenance or have any concerns about your home, Call us today on 0800 300 444 for a free quote or contact us here.
