Weber external finishes are attractive and durable. If you’re planning on attaching anything to a facade which has been finished with a Weber render or external wall insulation (EWI) system, then we’ve got a bit of advice to make sure your house looks great. Depending on your choice of decoration, and the fixings required, you may need to take extra care when it comes to the exterior of your home.
First things first: using a ladder
All rendered wall surfaces (including EWI systems) can be permanently damaged by the use of ladders. Even ladders with protected ends can mark the surface. To ensure your home is protected make sure you spread the load on the surface with a batten wrapped in cloth or sponge. Take care not to drag the ladder over the surface when you need to move. The most important aspect of using a ladder is always your own safety so don’t fly solo! Make sure you have someone on the ground holding the ladder, and of course that you’re on a solid, level piece of ground.
A few basics depending on your home’s finish:
If your home has a panel construction with a Weber render system applied to it, you’ll need to ensure you use the correct fixings for a non-solid wall. When you’ve attached the fixing you’ll need to make it weathertight by using an appropriate sealant around the edge.
If your home has a webertherm EWI system, you’ll need to take a bit more care when attaching items to the outside of your property. You’ll need to use fixings that are long enough to pass through the insulation into the masonry, as anything you attach will need to be anchored to the original wall and not the EWI system. Take care not to compress the system as this can be detrimental to performance. Percussion drilling is not suitable with an EWI system as there is a risk of snagging the mesh layer. This can be minimised by the use of a diamond tipped drill bit. As with all our render systems, a sealant should be used to prevent any water getting into the wall.
With many other options such as gutter hooks, decorating clips and adhesives now on the market, you may choose not to use screw hooks which require drilling into your walls at all. While screw hooks drilled into the wall are permanent, solutions such as gutter hooks are disposable, and are easy to remove at the end of the festive season.
Whatever you choose, the most important thing is that your house looks great – and your render doesn’t suffer!