Protect the exterior of your home

NOW is when you should check exterior walls for cracks. No other time of year is better for ensuring your home is protected from pesky hairline cracks that gradually enlarge to become bigger problems that allow water to penetrate the exterior cavity wall. Untreated cracks will cause dampness and even structural damage to the property’s foundations if left unchecked.

Concrete might be one of the most compact substances there is but fluctuating weather can weaken it over time. Intense hot and cold temperatures, storms and driving rain all test the limits of concrete over many years which is why you should not ignore any cracks that appear, particularly on exterior walls.

Take a stroll around the house and examine the lower walls up to a distance of three to four feet for any signs of wear and tear. Most of the cracks will be tiny hairline cracks and are not a problem so long as they remain hairline.

Don’t delay in doing this job as it’s much harder once the cold and wet days arrive. Once you’ve completed this simple task, the next course of action is to monitor any cracks that are likely to get worse. The easiest way to assess this is to fill it in the first place. It’s easy to quantify the extent of the damage after that. But just ensure you keep the rain water away.

YOU don’t need a degree in psychology to know colour affects moods in a multitude of different ways, especially at this time of year when natural light and colour is so scarce. It’s also a good idea to think colourful thoughts by sourcing a colour chart and start planning ways to bring colour to your home.

For thousands of years colour has meant different things to different people and its role as a ‘mood modifier’ should not be dismissed lightly. Colours can be determined by our age, gender and climate, so whether it’s radiant Red, mellow Yellow, glorious Green or outrageous Orange, it matters not - all that really matters is that it matters to you.

Painting your home while the weather is still lousy is also a good idea as this is when the colours will perform their best and stand out even more. You should even consider devising your own colour scheme as this will be more personal to you.

Colour schemes are often presented as some sort of fait accompli when the reality is a home doesn’t need a colour scheme to look wonderful.

A simple step-by-step process is all that’s needed:

Step 1. Pick up a colour chart;

Step 2. See what colours you like and bring home testers;

Step 3. Start painting. Lastly, colours enhance the emotion, harmony and tranquillity of a setting therefore by choosing wisely you will have set the tone in every room of your home.

Pay attention to the north/ south orientation of rooms: north facing rooms get less natural light and benefit from lighter colours, while south facing rooms are naturally brighter meaning you can get away with darker shades.

All that’s left is for you to start selecting.