The Why, When and How of Cladding Repairs
WHY
By far the biggest reason for both recladding and cladding repairs is the leaky home fiasco that started in the 1990s through to the early 2000s. It really was a perfect storm: a housing boom combined with a change to the building code led to the increased use of monolithic plaster cladding without proper ventilation and untreated timber being installed by inexperienced tradesmen.
It took some time for the houses’ poor performance to catch up, and we now have far too many homes, buildings and offices leaking and in desperate need for cladding repairs.
Leaky Homes – customers often approach us to repair their cladding once a leak is found. Look out for obvious signs like moisture and cracks in the plaster as well as darkening along the cladding’s edges, which can imply a leak.
Prevention – if you have a monolithic cladded house from this time period, preventative repairs to your home’s exterior might be a good idea even if a leak isn’t detected.
WHEN
The big question for those affected is whether a complete re-clad is necessary or if a cladding repair will do. If the damage isn’t extensive, or if you want to pre-empt a future disaster before leaks are found, cladding repairs, followed by maintenance, can help.
The factors below help determine whether repairing the cladding is appropriate:
• Localised versus widespread entry point of leaks
• Water tightness
• Risk of future leaks and confidence in the repair
• Timber treatment level
• House maintenance plans for the future
HOW
Repairing cladding is certainly a job for the experts. Each home’s requirements are unique, and specialists in monolithic cladding, like the team at Surecoat in Auckland, know how to undertake a repair cladding properly.
The first step is always an inspection of the house’s exterior, looking out for plaster cracks, defects and leak sources so the damage can be assessed. Once done, we have a better idea of how to begin the plaster repair process and our experienced professionals can move on to perform a high-quality plaster repair.