We are looking to do some improvements to our house to make maintenance easier in our retirement. It is a two storey house, with stained weatherboards which require frequent recoating, which I have been doing every two years. The lower level is easy, but as I get older I am becoming more reluctant to get up a long ladder to the top. I have seen houses which have different cladding on the upper level, and wondered if that would be feasible with ours. Even if the triangular bits (see photos) were done with a different material it would be helpful, as these are awkward to access from a ladder. Also, the upper rooms have a sarked ceiling with no air space, so get very hot in the summer. Could an additional roof be installed, with another layer of insulation, in the same way as used to be done with a decramastic tile roof over iron, or is this no longer allowed? We are also looking at getting double glazing, and a ranch slider replaced by french doors, so all of this would be approached as a project for a builder (definitely not considering DIY). Any comments or suggestions will be appreciated.
Paint it. Paint lasts 15 years. Or sell it, the stairs will become an issue eventually.
alleycatz,
Aug 17, 1:24pm
yes friends of friends painted theirs just before retirement and it was still GREAT after 10 yrs when they sold up. stairs will - might be a future problem ? a new lower ceiling may be able to be built in the upstairs room so long as enough head height for council regs
shakespeare6,
Aug 17, 2:18pm
cleaning the chimney looks like a nightmare
rpvr,
Aug 17, 2:27pm
We used to have it cleaned every year but haven't used the woodburner for the last ten years since we got a heat pump. Just kept the burner in case we wanted to use it during power cuts, but could have it taken out now.
trade4us2,
Aug 17, 4:52pm
If it was my house I would paint the weatherboards. A lighter colour makes the paint last longer and the house would be cooler. White paint is the cheapest!
I have used Wattyl Solagard successfully. It needs no primer or undercoat. I strongly recommend double glazing. The house stays warmer and noise from outside is reduced. I have used bubblewrap on half of the windows because I am a cheapskate and I wanted to see if the house is warmer. It is!
rpvr,
Aug 19, 4:07pm
Is a water based paint ok over wood with multiple coats of oil based stain?
trade4us2,
Aug 19, 6:09pm
I have never done that. You could phone Wattyl perhaps. I have not used oil based paints for 30 years.
mazalinas,
Aug 19, 6:17pm
I've heard trying to find a builder for work such as you're suggesting is nigh on impossible. Lovely house BTW - maybe consider something smaller and one level in your senior years?
didi6,
Aug 19, 7:03pm
Water based fine over oil based but not the other way round. I would paint house with a light shade Dulux or resene are also great paints for this purpose. Apart from your double glazing which will help upstairs I would get some one to install the opening skylights .This will help to release the hot air. Good luck.
fast4motion,
Aug 19, 9:46pm
Yes, water based paint over oil based paint is fine, but the potential issue is in painting over a stained surface. It's quite likely the stain will bleed through, meaning a sealer/oil-based primer might need to be applied before the paint.
johotech,
Aug 20, 7:59am
Geez you spout some rubbish. There's no difference in the price of tinted paint.
And tinted paint always covers better so possibly using less paint.
budgel,
Aug 20, 12:29pm
I've found tinted paint to be more expensive than plain white!
trade4us2,
Aug 20, 5:46pm
Maybe the crap brand that you buy is the same price, but mine isn't.
johotech,
Oct 6, 1:02pm
I've never been charged any extra for tinting paint. Dulux or Resene or whatever. Except maybe once years ago when I bought some paint from Mega - Never bought any paint from them again. (not because of the tint charge - but their paint is always more expensive - even with a full trade discount)
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