Regular exterior home maintenance is essential to protect your property from water damage, structural deterioration, and costly repairs. Whether it’s heavy rain, harsh winds, or seasonal wear and tear, your home is constantly exposed to the elements. Without proper and regular maintenance, small issues such as blocked gutters, cracks in brickwork, or roof damage can quickly escalate into serious problems.
A proactive approach can help extend the lifespan of your home. In this guide we cover the essential exterior property maintenance steps to keep your home safe and weatherproof throughout the year.
Reasons for Water Damage
One of the biggest threats to your home is water ingress, which can lead to wood rot, damp and condensation, and water damage to brickwork. Water damage is often caused by neglected roofing repairs, blocked gutters, and damaged brickwork. Without regular exterior building maintenance, moisture can filtrate into your home, potentially leading to significant structural damage. Here are some common causes:
- Roof and Chimney Damage: Missing tiles, lead flashing deterioration, and cracks in the chimney stack can allow rainwater to seep in.
- Blocked Gutters and Downpipes: Debris like leaves, moss, and silt can lead to a blocked gutter downpipe, forcing rainwater to overflow.
- Unsealed Windows and Doors: Gaps around windows and doors can allow moisture to enter the property.
- Deteriorating External Surfaces: Peeling paint, cracks in brickwork, and damaged render allow water to penetrate.
How to Protect Your Home from Water Damage
Proper roofing and property maintenance helps prevent expensive repairs and prolongs the life of your home. Here are some essential steps to take:
Clean Your Gutter & Drainage
Regular gutter cleaning is essential to prevent blockages that cause water damage to brickwork. We recommend gutter maintenance at least twice a year to ensure effective drainage.
Installing deep-flow gutters increases capacity by 30% compared to standard gutters, helping to manage heavy rainfall more efficiently. Drainage maintenance should also be performed to keep ground-level systems clear and functional.
Gulleys and down pipes often get blocked with things such as leaves, pine needles and moss that should be cleared and water tested twice a year. Earth borders and hard landscaping abutting the house should have a French drain installed to the perimeter of the structure and in particularly wet areas, have a soakaway connected to the French drain.
Roof Inspections and Repairs
A roof survey should be carried out every five years to check for potential issues. Regular roof inspections can identify roof leaks, lead flashing issues, and problems with the chimney stack before they lead to costly water damage roof repairs.
If you have a flat roof, regular flat roof repair and maintenance is essential to prevent standing water and leaks. A professional roofing contractor can assess your roof’s condition and recommend necessary roofing repairs to keep it in top shape.
Seal Gaps Around Your Windows & Doors
Properly sealing window gaps and using a door gap seal helps prevent water ingress and improves insulation, reducing damp and condensation issues inside your home.
Check window and door putties and glazing beads for cracks or splits. Cracked putties should be raked out and replaced and rotten timber beads or large corner mitres should be either replaced or filled with Repaircare. Cavity trays should also be checked and cleared as these allow water to flow out of the cavity above windows and doors and weather bars and drips should be repaired or replaced as necessary if defected.
Cables and ventilation points can also act as water entry points. Using cable grommets and applying a solid silicone seal prevents moisture from penetrating your walls. For larger gaps, lime cement pointing with soaked Oakum twine inserted into the gap or sand and cement pointing followed by silicon sealant ensures a secure and durable solution.
Inspect Painted Wood, Render & Brickwork
At least every two years, inspect your home’s exterior for signs of deterioration and quickly tend to masonry repairs or restoration to painted wood where needed.
Rotten wood should be removed with chisels, applying wood hardener and scarfing/splicing in new treated or hardwood timber. You should always go 300mm from the last trace of rot when carrying out splice repairs to ensure the treated area isn’t contaminated with rot. Smaller cracks and gaps in wood can be raked out and treated with a waterproof sealant such as Repaircare resin.
How Can Marshels Help?
At Marshels, our exterior home maintenance services ensure your home remains in excellent condition year-round. We offer our customers a free exterior property survey which can include the exterior woodwork, render and brickwork as well as your gutters, drainage gullies and downpipes. Once the survey is complete, we can carry out essential repairs and provide an annual maintenance plan that can be paid monthly, quarterly or annually to suit your needs. Our tailored services include:
Roof Inspections and Repairs
We provide professional roof inspections and roofing repairs, identifying potential issues before they become serious. Whether you need a flat roof repair, chimney lead flashing maintenance, or a roof survey, our team ensures your home stays leak-free.
Gutter, Downpipe, and Drainage Maintenance
Our gutter and drainage maintenance services includes a free survey and a comprehensive maintenance plan, including cleaning, downpipe unblocking, drainage maintenance repairs, and upgrades such as deep-flow gutters for greater capacity.
Sealing or Replacing Window Seals, Door Frames, and Cable Penetrations
As part of our exterior home maintenance services, we ensure vulnerable areas around windows, doors and cable entry points are sealed, protecting your home from hidden water damage and insulation loss.
Regular Exterior Maintenance
Our team can inspect the exterior of you home and provide essential works such as painting, sanding, and crack repairs for restoring painted wood, brickwork, and render to ensure your home not only looks great, but is protected from the elements at all times.
Why Choose Marshels?
- Certified & Trusted Specialists – A trusted company with Safe Contractor Approval and CRB-checked professionals and have been carrying out interior and exterior painting and decorating, roofing and refurbishment services since 1986.
- Tailored House Maintenance Services – Providing customised exterior home maintenance solutions ensuring every aspect of your home is properly maintained.
- Precision and Care – With a focus on detail and craftsmanship, we guarantee exceptional results whether we’re performing chimney repairs, gutter maintenance, or restoring painted wood.
- Flexible Payment Plans – We offer convenient payment options, allowing you to spread the cost of roofing and exterior building maintenance monthly, quarterly, or annually.
A well-maintained home not only looks great but also resists water damage, roofing problems, and exterior deterioration. With Marshels’ expertise in exterior surveys, restoration and maintenance, you can keep your home protected from the elements all year round.
Don’t wait for small issues to turn into major repairs. Request a free quote today and keep your home standing strong and looking its best through every season.
