House facelift

[bstw]

Our house is in dire need of smartening up, we've got builders coming in a few weeks and scaffold going up. So far the plan is too:

Repoint all brickwork including the chimney
Re-render with monocouche in a chalk-white colour
New sofits and facia boards
Replace dormer cheeks and timber with marley cedral board
New guttering
Re-roof the dormers



Has anyone got any other suggestions or advice? I'd like to have gone with coloured windows but the current ones are only 5 years old so they're staying

[jas xjr]

are there any specialist paints available for the windows?
good luck and i am looking forward to the completed job

[bstw]

jas xjr said:

are there any specialist paints available for the windows?
good luck and i am looking forward to the completed job

You can get them wrapped which I've considered, I'd want to see some examples that had been done for a while first though

[langtounlad]

Improve the insulation around the dormer projection if you are redoing the roof?

[Ricky146a]

I would get the roof pressure cleaned while you are at it.
You will already have scaffolding in place and cleaning the tiles will add the finishing touches to the facelift.

[bstw]

langtounlad said:

Improve the insulation around the dormer projection if you are redoing the roof?

Good call, would like to modernise them a bit, i love this look


The inside of the left hand room is being plastered and the flat ceiling under the dormer will be pulled down as it's leaked in the past so we can insulate from the inside. The sides are single skin blockwork from what I can tell so additional insulation there would certainly help.

[Dr Murdoch]

Change the colour of the front door?

[bstw]

Ricky146a said:

I would get the roof pressure cleaned while you are at it.
You will already have scaffolding in place and cleaning the tiles will add the finishing touches to the facelift.

I'll be giving it a good scrub. Bit concerned about pressure washing though as the felt isn't in great shape underneath, it's bitumen type stuff which is showing it's age.

I've removed a lot of moss since that picture was taken which has left this:

It looks even worse when it's dry, the colours been sucked from the tiles by the moss...

[bstw]

Dr Murdoch said:

Change the colour of the front door?

That's something I'd considered, but again it's only 5 years old. I reckon thats something that would be easy to vinyl wrap

[cossy400]

bstw said:

Dr Murdoch said:

Change the colour of the front door?

That's something I'd considered, but again it's only 5 years old. I reckon thats something that would be easy to vinyl wrap

Whilst I see your point, a new front door would be a set piece in some respects.

Any plans for the driveway?

[DrDeAtH]

Re roof in a different colour. As you say, scaffolding will be already up.

[bstw]

cossy400 said:

Whilst I see your point, a new front door would be a set piece in some respects.

Any plans for the driveway?

Is it feasible to fit a new door into the existing frame?

Driveway is next on the list

[bstw]

DrDeAtH said:

Re roof in a different colour. As you say, scaffolding will be already up.

Would love too, but not sure the budget extends that far, any idea what that would cost?

[cossy400]

bstw said:

cossy400 said:

Whilst I see your point, a new front door would be a set piece in some respects.

Any plans for the driveway?

Is it feasible to fit a new door into the existing frame?

Driveway is next on the list

I don't see why they couldn't.

[Jonesy23]

Is there any actual need to repoint; not clear if you mean repair or a general redo? It's messy work and rarely ends up looking tidy as not many people are actually that good at it, especially cutting out the old mortar. If it doesn't *need* doing to fix eroded joints then leave it.

Could say similar with other jobs where repair and refresh is a better option than redo.


I would sound a general note of caution about face lifting a house - I know the render/new roof /coloured frames/etc. thing is sort of popular right now but remember it will be horrendously unfashionable all too soon plus anyone that does it makes their house stand out as having been redone. Always better to work in sympathy with what's there than to convert too far.

[Jonesy23]

Ricky146a said:

I would get the roof pressure cleaned while you are at it.
You will already have scaffolding in place and cleaning the tiles will add the finishing touches to the facelift.

Surely the only people who think pressure washing a roof is a good idea are the caravan dwellers who do it?

Quite apart from forcing water where it shouldn't be you usually end up stripping whatever surface is left on the tile so instead of just being weathered they end up ruined.

[bstw]

Jonesy23 said:

Is there any actual need to repoint; not clear if you mean repair or a general redo? It's messy work and rarely ends up looking tidy as not many people are actually that good at it, especially cutting out the old mortar. If it doesn't *need* doing to fix eroded joints then leave it.

Could say similar with other jobs where repair and refresh is a better option than redo.


I would sound a general note of caution about face lifting a house - I know the render/new roof /coloured frames/etc. thing is sort of popular right now but remember it will be horrendously unfashionable all too soon plus anyone that does it makes their house stand out as having been redone. Always better to work in sympathy with what's there than to convert too far.

Unfortunately it needs doing, the render's seriously cracked on both sides and the mortar is crumbling away especially on the chminey.

I'm not sure the house would suite a complete refresh, but they were poorly built inthe first place and repairing them back the original standard seems pointless. I'm more inclined to improve whats there with more modern materials and correct some of the stuff that annoys me about it's current state,

[B17NNS]

Ricky146a said:

I would get the roof pressure cleaned while you are at it.
You will already have scaffolding in place and cleaning the tiles will add the finishing touches to the facelift.

Yup, will make a massive difference.

[mickk]

Jonesy23 said:

Surely the only people who think pressure washing a roof is a good idea are the caravan dwellers who do it?

Quite apart from forcing water where it shouldn't be you usually end up stripping whatever surface is left on the tile so instead of just being weathered they end up ruined.

My neighbours had it done about 9 months ago, looks exactly the same as mine now. Dirty and full of moss again.

[ScottJB]

Be interested to see the results of the facelift. Got some similar work to be done at mine this year.

Have you considered any of these companies that spray upvc windows/doors in situ? I imagine you have to be somewhat realistic in expectations but no doubt cheaper than the alternative and a option for those with fairly new white upvc who don't see the value in replacing.