Finishes on your new home
As you settle into your new home and beautifully decorate the inside, it’s worth knowing how to take care of the outside, too. Here are some quick tips for keeping it looking shipshape.
We take great pride in the fact that your home was individually hand-built. This means you may notice some variation in its finish and appearance from your neighbours’ properties, which is perfectly normal and to be expected.
Efflorescence
Over time you might notice white marks appearing on your outer walls. The fancy word for this is efflorescence, which is caused by the natural seepage of salt from bricks and mortar. Removing it is easy: either use a dry stiff brush on it, or simply leave it to Mother Nature to do all the heavy work.
Be aware that you should not try to wash it off, as that could make it worse.
External render
Over time some hairline cracking and crazing is likely to occur on your external render. This won’t affect the performance of the render in any way and usually no repair work will be needed.
External timber
You should repaint or stain all external woodwork (other than your windows) after approximately 18 months. This will help to protect the timbers for about 5 years. When it comes to garden fences, we’d recommend treating them with a preservative every couple of years.
Three ways to protect exterior timber:
- Gloss paint: Before applying gloss paint, ensure all surfaces are sound, dry and free from dust or grease. Remove any mould or algae with a fungicidal solution then rub down loose paint and apply a good quality undercoat and gloss. Repeat every three years.
- Woodstain: Before staining joinery (e.g doors, windows, fascias and soffits) wash down with a mild solution of detergent then rinse thoroughly with clean water and leave to dry. To finish, apply two coats of quality woodstain in your chosen colour. Repeat annually.
- Wood preserver: Before painting fences, ensure timber is free from dirt or mould growth by cleaning down. To finish, apply a quality wood preserver.
Internal paint finishes
Please be aware that gloss paint used to decorate your home may yellow over time if it's situated where little or no sunlight can reach it.
Check out the rest of our guides on caring for your new home:
- Support after you move into your new home
- Staying safe in your new home
- Caring for your new kitchen
- Caring for your new utilities
- Caring for the outside of your home
- Caring for your lawn and driveway
- Caring for your doors and windows
- Caring for your loft space and garage
- Dealing with moisture in your new home
- Electrics in your new home
