Whether you’re thinking about construction or renovation, it’s all too easy to overlook the fine detail of the exterior design of your home. Although the interior of your home is hugely important, the outside is the first thing that both you and your guests see every time you make your way up to the front door.
The more time you spend on creating your ideal design, the higher the kerb appeal of your home and the happier you will be. Sometimes just a few small changes are all you need to make a world of difference, but for some projects, it may require more extensive work. However, you should always ensure to check whether you need planning permission to change any element of your exterior before you get started.
A better brick
All across London and the UK as a whole, there has long been a rich tradition of using brick as the exterior cladding material of choice for homes. While some parts of the country have a higher proportion of stone or timber homes, brick continues to reign supreme, thanks largely to its well-deserved reputation for safety and security.
While a brick home might once have been considered boring, this is no longer the case. A growing number of brickwork contractors in London are providing homeowners the opportunity to create truly striking designs thanks to a wealth of new varieties of brick on the market. Consider a variety of bond designs (the pattern used to lay out the bricks) as well as different colours of brick and different types of mortar. You can even use specially-shaped bricks to provide an interesting texture to the exterior of your home for an even more contemporary design.
On your blocks
If you want the exterior of your home to be virtually maintenance free and capable of outlasting even the longest lease on the property, you have to restrict your choice of cladding to three materials: bricks, stone or blocks.
Blockwork is a great alternative to a timber frame, offering a number of advantages in terms of speed and ease of building. Another advantage is that employing blockwork contractors can be highly cost-effective when compared to other forms of construction. Although blockwork is usually rendered, fair-faced concrete blocks can be left unfinished to create a specific look at many finds attractive, especially on smaller buildings such as summer houses or studio spaces that are in the garden of your property.
Set in stone
Although stone often costs more than other forms of exterior building material, it offers a variety of benefits. You can instruct your stonework contractors to choose rougher, more unfinished pieces of stone can create a rustic appearance and help your home blend into its surroundings. Stone is also the most durable of building materials, able to resist fire, insect damage and wear from wind, ice and rain.
Regardless of whether you choose natural or man-made materials, high-quality stonework evokes an earthy quality that compliments classic, contemporary and traditional designs. With a wide range of styles, textures and colours available, both designers and builders have a huge amount of freedom of choice, making it easy for you to end up with the home of your dreams.