Author Topic: Thoughts on exterior wall-coating?  (Read 5912 times)

jade

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Thoughts on exterior wall-coating?
« on: February 15, 2017, 07:54:08 AM »
Hi all,

My husband are in the UK and need our 2 bed cottage painted. It was done last about 4-5 years ago and there's lots of areas that need treating. As it's also too tall for us to do ourselves,we will be getting someone to do it for us - originally thinking a normal paint job which we've been quoted £1k for. We got a leaflet through the door yesterday from a company called "Top Cote: Long-Life Wallcoating" with a 20 year guarantee / never paint again type promise. I can't find anything about them online but found this article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/advice/8743838/What-do-you-think-of-wall-coating-companies.html and wanted to get some thoughts. Any experiences or feedback on whether such things work and are worth paying more for? I have found a local company doing the same type of thing with good reviews which makes me a bit more comfortable than the company with no reviews etc - they are saying it will cost about double a normal paint job so around £2k with a 15 year guarantee.

Many thanks!
« Last Edit: February 15, 2017, 08:00:51 AM by jade »

paddedhat

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Re: Thoughts on exterior wall-coating?
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2017, 11:43:34 AM »
Oddly enough, the expert adviser's column you linked to, pretty much parrots what I tell folks when these types of products are marketed, here in the states.  We generally don't have a lot of homes that feature painted exteriors, but plenty of shady outfits offer "magical" roofs, siding and windows. Typically at 2-3X the value of an honest installation, by a reputable local contractor. Invariably, when issues with the products occur, years after the salesman got his commission, customers end up unhappy. The warranty rarely is honored for a variety of reasons, from the fact that the contractor no longer exists, to some weasel language in the original warranty that allows the contractor to squeak out of standing behind the product.

As you might of guessed by now, I'm not a fan of the idea. It sounds like the combination of older masonry buildings and the lovely UK climate results in exterior coatings that last last 4-5 years. I would just budget that amount in coming years, and see if any of your neighbors have had success with paying double for a "magic coating"  Good luck.

jade

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Re: Thoughts on exterior wall-coating?
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2017, 01:06:32 PM »
Ah, that's good to know, paddedhat - thanks for the info. When I read that article it described the leaflet we received to a tee which was a red flag. We'll stick with the usual then, as you said no getting around UK weather!