now for the woodwork
7 Paint has made a bit of a comeback after several years of stain or varnish being the preferred option for new woodwork. I think this is due in part to the popularity of primed MDF mouldings, but also due to the range of paint finishes now available. When I started, woodwork was white gloss; there was little else available. But now I get asked for all sorts of finishes — and I have to admit I don’t miss the ‘gloss headache’ at the end of a fume-filled day indoors!
Again, it’s all in the prep, and time spent filling and sanding is time well-spent. Modern waterbased paints are very good and much easier to work with, but if you are set on satinwood or gloss, then two coats of undercoat followed by a coat of gloss or satin is the minimum for a top finish. I recommend using medium wire wool to flat the surface between coats.
Doors should, ideally, be removed to paint but you should at least mask the hinges and remove the handles. There is a recognised
sequence for painting a door which dictates that you should start with the panels or glazing beads followed by, in order: top half centre stile, top rail, top half side stiles, bottom half centre stile, centre rail, bottom rail, bottom half side stiles and edges last. It sounds complicated but it makes perfect sense when you do it. H
“Large areas of render can be a maintenance nightmare”
Perhaps the most important issue to consider is the movement of moisture through a house. While our ancestors built draughty dwellings a million miles away from the airtight boxes that modern house-builders aim for, they were, in many ways, less tricky to manage — moisture in the air was easily dispersed.
If moisture in the form of warm, wet air is allowed to condense into water as it cools within the construction, it can eventually cause damp and rot — the antithesis of low maintenance.
There are two ways to deal with this. The first is to incorporate mechanical extraction ducts that remove the moist air, with some models able to replace it with fresh air from outside that is heated to a comfortable temperature as it enters the house (mechanical ventilation with heat recovery).
While these systems undoubtedly work well, they do not necessarily equal zero maintenance. Systems need to be balanced and cleaned and the filters need to be replaced several times a year.
For a truly hands-off home, think about designing a building that can breathe by itself, choosing materials such as lime plaster, mortar and render. These materials allow moisture to evaporate and move to the outside of the walls easily.
BuilDing Materials
Material longevity and durability should be paramount for a low-maintenance home. Some building materials expand with heat and moisture, while others will disintegrate when exposed to freezing conditions. Although low-maintenance materials may not always be the cheapest option, if this will be your home for the foreseeable, the investment will be worth it.