With the majority of the UK being battered by both high winds and torrential rain throughout August, now is the time to have your guttering, cladding, fascia boards, barge boards & soffits checked for blockages and damage.
The west coast regions such as Cornwall, Wales, South Cumbria & Barrow have bared the brunt of this battering and Planet South Lakes cannot stress enough the importance of having a pre winter check up.
The recent high winds have littered our streets and gardens with leaves & twigs from many trees. This coupled with the torrential rain which has dislodged much of the moss which grows on many roofs has highly increased the chances of a blockage in either your guttering or drainpipes from this debris.
When a drainpipe is blocked with dislodged moss and/or leaves the water in the guttering cannot drain away. Ineffective drainage can lead on to further problems with your fascia boards, barge boards, soffits & cladding. When rain water fails to drain from the gutters, or in a case of the rain being too heavy for your gutting system to cope with, the excess rainwater overflows the guttering and cascades against the protective fascia boards or cladding.
Over the long term, this constant torrent of abuse from the elements can cause irreparable damage to your property, and being just below the roofline, this damage is hard to spot and even harder to repair.
Many properties will feature their original wooden fascia boards, barge boards, soffits and cladding as these features were designed to last for decades. However, due to the exposed position of such protective features, coupled with the now typical British summer’s high rainfall, strong winds and the occasional warm sunny day, the potential damage to these original wooden features could be immense for the following reasons;
Strong Winds – Strong, blustery winds can damage the paintwork of your protective cladding, fascias, soffits & bargeboards. If you have trees close by, debris can be blown from the trees and hurled towards your property, causing chips and cracks in the paintwork of doors and windows, as well as the protective roof cladding. These chips & cracks lead to vulnerabilities in the cladding which the unforgiving elements are all to keen to take advantage of.
Heavy Rainfall – If your paintwork is compromised in any way, then the rain can get beneath it. Wood being a natural material will soak up moisture and change its size by several millimeters. For this reason we tend to seal exposed woodwork with paint or varnish in order to minimize the way wood reacts to weather conditions, however, if moisture can get in, it will get in and the porous nature of the wood will more than happily soak up this excess moisture.
Warm Sunny Days – Once the wind and rain has retreated to make way for some actual ’summer’ weather, many of us breathe a sigh of relief and make the most of the fine weather. However it’s a different story for the exposed woodwork which protects our homes. Bearing in mind strong winds which damage the paintwork, heavy persistent rainfall which causes the wood to soak up excess moisture through the hairline cracks and chips followed by warm sunny days which then cause the wood to dry out.
Due to the fact the wood is sealed with either paint of varnish, this drying out process is hindered somewhat. Poorly treated woodwork can easily swell and warp as the cycle of wind, rain and the odd warm summer day perpetuates. Although this swelling and warping is of little concern as the weeks or months progress, over several years this will lead to more troublesome cracks and splits in the woodwork which will in turn lead to rotting, a problem which needs to be dealt with as quickly as possible.
The latest uPVC fascias, barge boards, soffits and cladding do not suffer these problems which are inherent in their wooden counterparts. They do not need painting, making them maintenance free and very cost efficient in the long term. They are strong and durable and will withstand a good battering from the elements for decades. Being a man made product, they will not take on moisture as wood does and do not swell or warp over time, giving you piece of mind for many, many years to come.
Planet’s range of Roofline products is available in the ever popular classic white finish, a stylish light oak finish and an elegant rosewood finish. The range of uPVC guttering, uPVC cladding, uPVC fascia boards and uPVC barge boards are designed to suit and complement any home, regardless of age or style.
Whether your property is a 200 year old converted barn, a Georgian town house or a modern property, Planet South Lakes have a maintenance free solution to suit both your budget and your needs.
