Maintaining your house

I haven't really done much on the site about maintenance - but the other day I was at a friends house and it rained.  These two videos say it all.  Without maintenance, houses suffer.  You NEED to be very aware of any minor issues that can cause problems. You might not think a blocked gutter can cause problems, but believe me, they do.

The main issues we see that are ignored are these:

• Blocked gutters
• Moss on the roof - which comes off and blocks gutters, it also holds moisture and causes tiles to spall
• Blocked drains -and cracked drains - if you have not had a drain survey - DO IT!
• Make sure downpipes go INTO the gulley, no just discharge out of a shoe over the top of it
• Plants against walls are not a good idea!
• Plastic paint on timber windows - get it off and use linseed paints which breathe - NO PLASTIC PAINT is breathable, despite what the manufacturers tell you.
• High ground levels - patios get raised, walls get wet.
• Blocked sub-floor vents causing rotted floors
• Make sure the loft is ventilated
• Missing roof tiles, cracked slates

And now for the videos.  You might think it's simple - but the owner of this house is a multi millionaire, owns a big estate, and just leaves all the other houses on the estate to crumble.  No idea why, but it's stupid.