Even in a good economy we all try to save money where we can. For the Australian homeowner, this often means DIY, or do-it-yourself, projects around the house. From plumbing and landscaping to painting and electrical repairs, some people try to do it all themselves. Some people have a knack for DYI home improvements. For the rest of us, it might be prudent to call in the experts, especially when it comes to something as important to our home as house cladding.

2 Reasons to Hire a House Cladding Expert

Is that to say that a person can’t do an external cladding project on their own? Absolutely not; however, there are some mistakes that are commonly made that make homeowners wish they had called a house cladding expert right off the bat. Today we will discuss two of them.

1. Bad Seams. Courier-Journal.com says that when installed improperly, external cladding can make your house look like a “quilting project gone wrong.” Many homeowners try to line up the seams evenly, instead of staggering each piece of cladding. This draws more attention to the seams and looks like a cheap, amateurish attempt at installation.
2. Not Allowing For Natural Expansion. Windows naturally expand and contract as the weather changes. If allowances for expansion haven’t been made, it can easily lead to siding that cracks. This not only looks bad but can lead to structural damage as well.

HGTV.com, a home improvement website that helps homeowners with DIY projects, said that quite often homeowners make mistakes that can turn a “simple and affordable” project into an expensive mess. Not only did they spend money on the materials and spend their valuable time on the project, they have the added expense of fixing mistakes down the road, hiring a professional to fix the problem and even for damage done to the house because of inadequate installation.

Don’t let this happen to you! If you have a house cladding project, call us right away. We will demonstrate our experience and love of Palliside, our external cladding material of choice and how it can benefit you in many ways. We’re here to help make your life easier and are committed to doing so in an affordable way. We look forward to hearing from you.

Call Us Today – Sydney’s House Cladding Professional

Every homeowner is concerned with their home. They want it to have curb appeal, plus they want to make sure that the house is well cared for so that it can be a haven for their family for years to come. For that reason, many homeowners look into the exterior cladding of their home. One of the most popular materials for exterior cladding is vinyl cladding. But is this the best option for you?

2 Important Facts to Think About Before Choosing Vinyl Cladding

Most of us know that just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s going to be exactly right for us personally. So, before you jump in with the crowd and decide on vinyl cladding, here are a couple of things to take into consideration.

1. It’s Not As Durable As You Might Hope. One of the main arguments in favour of vinyl is the durability. It is compared with wood cladding and advertised as the product that won’t rot or flake, and it’s affordable, too. However, this isn’t 100% true. Even the most expensive vinyl is subject to cracking, and the colour can start to dull in the sunlight according to HomeAdvisor.com. Vinyl cladding isn’t infallible.
2. The By-products Are Worrisome. Vinyl can produce hazardous, toxic by-products. There is some concern that these by-products could be cancer causing. Vinyl Cladding uses plasticisers or phthalates (cancer causing). To date, there are no mainstream concerns regarding the use of uPVC (Palliside), which does not use phthalates.

Consider Palliside Instead of Vinyl Cladding for Your Exterior Cladding Needs

Due to the questionable durability of vinyl for exterior cladding, many wonder what other options they have. Of course, there are wood, stucco, steel and aluminium exterior cladding materials. But there is another option: Palliside.

Palliside is a wonderful alternative to vinyl. It is thicker, providing better protection for your home and is more durable to the elements. If you would like more information, contact us, your exterior cladding specialists in Sydney. We’ll be happy to give you the low-down on Palliside cladding versus vinyl cladding. Give us a call today!

Curb appeal – whether you’re trying to sell your home or you just want to have the best looking home on your street, the outside of your home is just as important as the interior. In fact, some people feel it is the most important part of their home. After all, the outside of a home gives passers-by their very first impression about what the rest of the property looks like.

When thinking about curb appeal, often the first thing to pop into people’s minds is landscaping. This is a great way to increase the appeal of your home, but you also need to consider the structure itself. What is the #1 way to improve your home’s outside appearance? House cladding.

Increase Your Home’s Appearance with House Cladding

House cladding is when a material is applied to the outside of your home, like a veneer. Typically, wall cladding is for protection, durability, longevity and aesthetics as opposed to structural support. In other words, house cladding is not added to a home in a load-bearing capacity.

Cladding can make your home look like it’s had a complete makeover in a short period of time. Depending on the material you choose it can also be easily maintained. House cladding, according to BusinessInsider.com, is one of the least expensive ways to dress up the outside of your home. With just a bit of investment you can make your house look brand new!

With quality cladding you can choose a fabulous colour that looks fresh, clean and new without having to ever pick up a paint brush or roller ever again. We recommend Palliside cladding because, besides looking incredible, it is so easy to maintain. Just a simple soap and water mixture is all you need to clean off dirt or dust. It doesn’t take much work, and that means that your house can always look its best with minimal effort.

We’re Sydney’s Palliside Experts

On an article about cladding, HGTV.com said one of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is trying to do the installation themselves when they don’t fully understand how to properly install the cladding. While it’s not impossible to do an installation on your own, it’s easier and ultimately less costly and time consuming for you to call in a professional. If you would like to discuss your house cladding options and would like a quote, give Peter Bracey a call today!

Purchasing a home is one of the most important, not to mention expensive, investments of your life. Your home will likely be in your family for many years. To make sure that happens, it is likely you will want to take exceptional care of your home – inside and out. One of the biggest concerns facing homeowners is the longevity of their home. Time and weather can do a lot of damage. That is why it is imperative that we consider why an exterior cladding solution that low maintenance, long lasting and looks great.

3 Ways Exterior Cladding Protects Your Home

Of course, the type of material we choose is important, and we will consider that in a bit. Here are three ways that house cladding can protect your home:

1. House Cladding Can Protect Your Home From Weather Damage. Sometimes we face weather extremes – very hot weather followed by some cold spells and even severe storms. House cladding wraps your home in a strong layer of protection. The Australian government describes cladding as a protective layer that helps shed water and helps to prevent the house from cracking or splitting which can be caused from exposure to the sun, wind and rain.
2. It Can Protect Against Water Damage. Exterior cladding protects your home against water damage because it doesn’t allow the structure to easily absorb water. Whether you live in an area that rains once every few days or week or an area that rains constantly—house cladding will help protect your home.
3. Exterior Cladding Can Increase the Strength of Your Home. According to Ehow.com, house cladding can increase the “mechanical strength” of a home. It is like a layer of support added to the exterior of your home, one more layer between you and the changing climate conditions of the outside world.

What Type of House Cladding Should You Choose?

Not only will exterior cladding protect your home, the right material can actually increase the value of your home. So, what type of material should you invest in? We highly recommend Palliside exterior cladding. It is regarded as one of the best options in cladding due to its durability and longevity. For more information on this incredible product, contact us today. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you have about Palliside cladding.

The exteriors are what make your home create a statement, a good impression. It’s one of the aspects of your home that you should invest in. Here at Peter & Lesley Bracey Home Improvements, we make it a point to provide you with indispensable advice when it comes to choosing what fits your home and your specific requirements.

We recommend that you use Palliside cladding if you want your exteriors to endure the passing of time and the harshest of external elements. If you’re confused which colour to choose, here are some tips:

The Theme of Your Home

This is the first thing off your list. Specific architectures or themes require the use of specific colours. For instance, Victorian themes are more drawn to pastel and bright shades. Rustic and cottage themes, on the other hand, favour colours derived from reds and yellows.

Complementing Nature and the Neighbourhood

The colour of your home’s claddings should go well with the surroundings. If your backdrop is mostly green, it will be advisable if you use shades that will create an interesting contrast, such as those derived from green. Check the dominant colours the adjacent houses use.

Other Elements to Consider

See to it that the exteriors match the colours of your landscape. If your flowers are bright and overwhelming, you may want to use faded or pale colours to serve as the garden palette’s backdrop. Be sure to coordinate the cladding’s shades with the colours of the roof and the door.

Choosing the right colour of your Palliside cladding need not be difficult. All you have to do is identify which colours complement each other; you can easily pull this off by looking at the colour wheel. If you want to find out more about our products, visit our other pages. Better yet, contact us today and let us help you with your cladding needs.

Just when we thought cyclone season will be over without any major disturbance this year, the winds started shifting. In February 2015, two major tropical cyclones hit Australia’s eastern coast at the same time.

Category 4 Cyclone Lam and Category 5 Cyclone Marcia wreaked havoc from the Northern Territory all the way to New South Wales, leaving behind a trail of destruction with damaged homes and other establishments. Since the cyclone season is expected to last until the end of April 2015, and with the chances of another tropical cyclone forming any time after that, it’s always best to beef up your home while the skies are clear.

1. Gutters and Downspouts
When gutters fail, your home’s foundation is at risk. The pouring of rainwater from the roof to the soil might not be an immediate concern, but after some time, it can affect the ground, saturating it and making it unstable.
Be sure the gutter is clean, secured, and intact. We recommend having it checked and restored during a general home inspection or renovation. Our products are an ideal choice, as we only use Australian-made Colorbond products engineered to handle our country’s harsh climate.

2. The Roof
Many of the destruction left behind by Cyclones Lam and Marcia include roofs peeled off due to the strong winds. This is of particular concern if you have an aging roof, as the combined effects of strong winds and pounding rain can really take its toll. Damage from hail is also another factor that affects the structure’s integrity.
Have your roof checked by one of our professionals to ensure it’s still up for the task of protecting your home. If it’s already worn or in need of a fix, our team can do it right. Be it concrete of terracotta, we can restore it to be water and weatherproof—good as new.

3. The Walls
The walls are always exposed to the elements, which mean they take the brunt of the storm. Be sure to fortify it by padding it up the next time you’re doing home improvements. We recommend using our insulated Palliside UPVC weatherboard over vinyl cladding, as the Palliside cladding is engineered to withstand the unique and extreme climatic condition of our region.

Moreover, authorities are urging everyone to work only with licensed repairers when it comes to fixing their properties. We are proud to be the only NSW-approved wholesaler-installer of insulated Palliside UPVC weatherboard for Sydney houses.

At Peter Bracey, your safety is our business. Get in touch with us today and we’ll be more than happy to help make your home safer and stronger.

Sydney Palliside Cladding Renovation in Frenchs Forest from Peter Bracey on Vimeo.

This is a “Before and After” video of a Palliside cladding renovation of a Sydney Home in Frenchs Forest by Peter & Lesley Bracey Home Improvements.

The results speak for themselves.

A growing number of home builders going insolvent in Victoria and NSW has required insurers to pay out more than $300 million over the past decade for unfinished or substandard work. There is the same amount in outstanding claims yet to be settled.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/taxpayers-bear-brunt-of-costs-as-building-underwriters-withdraw-20140312-34mmd.html#ixzz2vtw6i86z

Examples of Before and After Palliside Cladding Renovation in Sydney from Peter Bracey on Vimeo.

Peter Bracey specialises in top quality, environmental friendly installation of Palliside exterior wall cladding sheets for houses in Sydney Metro and surrounding suburbs. Here are images of completed external wall cladding installations/Renovations.
For more information on external cladding for your house call Peter Bracey on 1800 631 541.

Australia is home to diverse weather conditions in different states because of the geographical size of the country. In Sydney, locals enjoy a warm climate for almost the whole year.

There are no particular spans of days when rainfalls are ample; it’s equally distributed throughout the year. During the summer season (December-February), the average maximum temperature is around 26°C, while the average maximum temperature in the winter season (June-August) is roughly 16°C.

Recognising the climate in your local area is important because it’s an essential factor if you’re planning to renovate or build your house. You can’t just erect a structure basing only on the aesthetics and features. You have to consider the external factors that may affect its durability and function over time.

Enjoying the Full Potential of Home Protection

If your house isn’t suitable to withstand the weather that the area experiences, you’re not getting the most out of its value and function.

There are specific building materials that may work for a particular season, but not for the others. You need to know the specific details you have to include to enhance the stability of your home. For instance, you need stronger roofs to sustain the weight of snow or waterproof walls to resist wearing from the rain.

Saving Huge Amount of Time, Money, and Effort

By using the right materials for the specific local weather, you can save more money. You would not need to spend a lot for maintenance and repairs, whether you’ll do it yourself or hire professionals. Moreover, you’ll reduce sufficient amounts on your energy bills because you wouldn’t exhaust your air conditioning system to get the comfort you need during summer or winter.

In choosing the materials for your house building or improvement, you don’t have to sacrifice aesthetics for performance. You can have both of these aspects in your home without spending too much money.

For a particular house improvement that comes with both appeal and low maintenance qualities, take Palliside cladding into account. At Peter Bracey, we offer the Insulated Palliside Weatherboard for your home. This provides an exclusive finish on the exteriors and unique functionality against different weather conditions. Contact us now and let our prowess in home improvement provide the protection you have always wanted.