Have you any experience of Homeguard Wallcoatings?

pyknicpie

I own a renovated barn in Suffolk which has a large rendered front wall. The render has been in place nearly 15 years and has developed a number of fine cracks. I would like to rejuvenate the appearance of this wall and am considering Homeguard Wallcoatings a company based in Edgbaston who have often dropped a leaflet through my door. Does anyone have any experience - good or bad - about them please? Alternatively can anyone recommend another way to tackle the job once and for all?

Zampa · Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 12:24 pm Post Subject:

All these firms make like they are using something special...its normally just masonry paint based on pliolite resin.

They will tell you that youl only need to pressure wash it once in a while..same as you would with any masonry paint.

All of the big names, Dulux, Crown, Sandtex, Leyland, Johnstones etc make a masonry paint based on pliolote...which is a rubberised resin made by dunlop or goodyear..

A mate of mine had a quote from one of these firms for 1800 quid about ten years ago..only the front of his house..it would have cost him about 150 quid at the time to get someone in..that means he could have had it painted 12 times for the same price. Given that most people re do their outsides every 3 years or so..that would amount to, taking into considertion price rises, having it done for the next 25-30 years!

They will tell you their product has a 15 year guarentee...so does nearly every other paint companies..or at least about 10-12...

And like any paint..it will need cleaning..

Get em in to give you a price..dont be fooled by all the old bulls**t, they work on the same principle as double glazing salesmen and orthiopedic beds etc..watch for the 'agree tonight and get a special discount'...'allow us to use your house as a show home and get a special discount'...'can I ring my manager? im sure he will have to agree this special discount (he already has!!)'

...then get a quote from a few decorators..

Then do the maths

It wont take much working out beleive me

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wallcoatingsbloke

hey! While i do not and cannot comment on the company you mention, i take offence that you think all coating comapnies use the hard sell. THEY DONT

Admin · Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 2:28 pm Comment:

Advertising removed

Zampa · Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 5:43 pm Post Subject:

Lots of wall coating companies have had a lot of bad press over the years.

They make like their product is something special..it isnt.

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wallcoatingsbloke · Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 6:07 pm Post Subject: with all due respect.........

MESSAGE TO SITE ADMIN: I POSTED MY SITE AS A REFERENCE TO HIGHLIGHT THE RESEARCH I HAVE DONE (AMONGST OTHER THINGS)INTO THE HARD SELL APPROACH WITH WALLCOATINGS, IT WAS NOT, I REPEAT NOT AN ADVERT!!!!!!!!!!!

to the poster, yes i agree with you and i have written several articles about that very subject, however with ref to the above bit being rmeoved, i cant seem to be able to post my site url for you to read them.

.......anyway, i DO agree with you, but please dont think that we are all the same as we are not!

Zampa · Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 7:17 pm Post Subject:

Send it to my e mail addy mate..im interested in having a read.

No offence meant by the way..its just that ive seen a lot of these firms come and go and leave a bad job behind.

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annwillow

I've just signed up for a £7,000 contract with Homeguard wallcoatings and am now worried whether the company and the product are any good. Could someone who has experience of this company pleased urgently give me their opinion. I've paid a £2,000 deposit - does anyone know what my rights are if I decided to cancel?

Please help

Zampa · Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 3:32 pm Post Subject:

I past a firm on the way home doing it..ok it might work..15 year guarentee..which is the same as Crown Dulux and Johnstones for their paint..

But its only the paint they are talking about..

It will get dirty..no paint is immune from that, it will crack if the substrate below it cracks badly..its not so strong it can hold a wall together.

And as far as I know they will only gaurentee the actual product from failing, if you have paint under it and it lifts then that wont be covered.

The surface tension of the coating when it dries is very strong and it has been known to left existing paint..ive seen that myself.

Did you contact any ordinary decorating firms for a price too?...the last dealing I had with it I found that it was 4 times the price compared to two coats of pliolite based masonry paint.

The product is oviously good..but I just dont think its worth the extra..I have been on jobs and seen problems with it...although bare in mind..ive also seen problems with ordinary masonry paint too..

I just hope you have got a genuince company..theres a lot of snides out there.

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Myrtlepies · Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 10:30 pm Post Subject: Homeguard Wallcoatings

This is a reply to annwillow, but also to pyknicpie who asked about this company last year, and to anyone else who wants to deal with this company (or similar ones).

The first thing to say is that my experience was by no means all bad, and I am letting you know what happened for information purposes; you can then make up your own mind how to proceed.

I invited about 6 of these wallcoating companies to assess my property, plus I got an assessment for traditional rendering. Homeguard was not the cheapest - I didn't go with the cheapest as their salesman tried to push me to sign up for £6500 there and then and I won't stand for that. The Homeguard rep visited on 2 or 3 occasions and made a few calls but wasn't excessively pushy. However, when the crew turned up to do the job I was working away and the MD called to say scaffolding would be needed and I would have to pay. Other quotes I'd had varied as to whether scaffolding would be needed and/or supplied but the Homeguard rep NEVER said scaffolding would be required. Homeguard TandC's state that the customer pays for scaffolding, but I argued that the job hadn't been assessed by a competent rep and eventually the MD offered to pay half, which I thought was reasonable. I got a good price for the scaffolding and he did indeed pay up.

The crew who did the job were efficient and courteous, and they made a nice finish, although it was a hell of lot of money for a week's work! However, the company promise a 25 yr guarantee so I guess that's a lot of what you're paying for. But now I have just been sent an invoice from the MD for ‘loss of wages and profit’ because the crew had ‘no choice but to go home while I redid my guttering one day’. That’s a load of rubbish as it was written into the contract that the guttering needed redoing. I’ve spoken to Trading Standards and Homeguard are now in breach of contract so I’ve written back to say if they want more money they can go to court, where frankly they wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.

So I guess the moral is try to check everything and consider every angle. Make sure everything is in writing and agreed, although of course there always has to be an element of trust as you can’t think of every single thing. By the way, annwillow, if you cancel, you’ll lose your deposit (read the TandCs). Good luck.

confidentincompetent · Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 10:53 pm Post Subject:

Interesting that . Thanks for Feedback.
Sorryto hear of your experience with this lot.. OMG £6,500

Thay wanted you to pay for the scaffold? incredible...surely this should be writte into quote? am I missing something here ??
Hope others will heed the warnings in your story mate.

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GRAWATTS · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:53 am Post Subject: homeguard coatings

My property was treated by Homeguard in 2001 and now needs remedial work in several places where cracks and bubbling have appeared. So far in the last three months the company have ignored all attempts to contact them so appear unlikely to honour a 25 year warranty. So my advice is don't touch them them with a bargepole! The previous owner had the work done and I am having the walls repainted as they have become dirty and washing has no effect.
The local painter doing the work says there are several well known products which will do at least the same job without the horrendous costs of Homeguard etc and their worthless warranties.

Zampa · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 3:54 pm Post Subject: Re: homeguard coatings

GRAWATTS wrote:

My property was treated by Homeguard in 2001 and now needs remedial work in several places where cracks and bubbling have appeared. So far in the last three months the company have ignored all attempts to contact them so appear unlikely to honour a 25 year warranty. So my advice is don't touch them them with a bargepole! The previous owner had the work done and I am having the walls repainted as they have become dirty and washing has no effect.
The local painter doing the work says there are several well known products which will do at least the same job without the horrendous costs of Homeguard etc and their worthless warranties.

That been my point..its an expensive waste of money and the industry is littler with con men.

The warrenty is as good as worthless anyway because its only on the paint..if they painted over existing they will blame that.

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oldhenry · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 4:03 pm Post Subject: wallcoating

so from reading this I would deduce these firms are to be avoided and you should stick to local decorators as you are paying for massive advertising a fat commissions to MD's and to slimy salespeople.

I remember using Sandtex on my mother's house and it was still good after 20 years, worn in parts.

katieann · Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 6:30 pm Post Subject:

We have just recently signed a contract for £4000 with Homeguard. We changed our minds almost immediately assuming we had a 7-14 day get out. This was not the case and we have lost our £1200 deposit. A warning to everyone to read the contract very very carefully. The MD was not at all helpful and threatened us with court action if we did not pay the deposit. We had not suggested we wouldn't pay! Don't be conned by promises of reduced price for a show house or a one off chance for a good price !!!!

Zampa · Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 7:23 pm Post Subject:

[quote]Don't be conned by promises of reduced price for a show house or a one off chance for a good price !!!![quote]

Oldest one in the book..along with the 'can I ring my manager' routine.

Its a rip off.

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