Exterior Cladding Types: Which Should You Choose?
The external cladding of homes and other structures is not a new practice. In fact, it’s been around for centuries, dating back to a time when Pharos roamed the earth. That’s right — the Great Pyramids of Giza are one of the first large-scale examples of exterior cladding, except they used limestone for the job. Cladding has come a very long way in recent years and cladding materials are a little more accessible, versatile, and easy-to-install. To learn all about the best exterior cladding types for your home, check out the rest of this blog for more.
Why Use Exterior Cladding?
Think of external cladding as a form of skin that protects your home from the elements. Cladding is a robust layer of material that covers the internal ”shell” of your home.
Cladding is also used to add texture, color, and pattern to your house exterior. All-in-all, this also helps to boost the resale value of your property. You can use external cladding to create beautiful feature walls and textural facades that add character and plenty of visual interest to your home.
Not only does cladding protect your home from wind, rain, and harsh sunlight, but it also ramps up your home’s insulation. Basically, your home traps heat or deflects heat when it needs to. This additional layer also acts as a sound barrier, blocking out excessive noise pollution from neighbors, and street noise.
An insulating layer of cladding will help you to save on energy consumption, lowering your overall electricity bills each month. So not only is your home well protected, but you’re also doing your part for the environment — it’s a win-win!
7 External Cladding Types to Consider For Your Home
With so many different cladding materials on the market today, it’s important to do your research on the best type of material to suit your home, your local climate, and home aesthetic preference. Here are some of the top options on the market:
1. Vinyl Cladding
This is one of the most popular, versatile, and affordable cladding options for most homeowners. It’s also low-maintenance because it’s manufactured from PVC.
These horizontal vinyl boards are also coated with an insulating material, which means that they require very little upkeep throughout their lifetime, too. This includes repainting, resurfacing, or even having to clean them.
Vinyl is a very hardy material so you can expect this exterior cladding to stand up to all the elements without fading or cracking over the years. This is also a great material choice for the environment as vinyl is long-wearing, easy to recycle, and offers brilliant thermal qualities for home insulation.
2. Plywood Cladding
Plywood cladding saw a massive boom at the beginning of the 20th century because it was so affordable. Well, not much has changed, and plywood cladding is still as popular as ever. This is because it’s easy to install, it’s cost-effective, and looks just like real wood.
Another benefit of plywood is that it’s robust — in fact, it’s rated as stronger than real wood. This is due to plywood’s cross-grain structure which distributes its strength more evenly across each plywood sheet. This being said, plywood is far lighter than real wood, making it an effective substitute for external cladding.
This cladding material is pliable and can be manipulated to fit all corners of your home. It’s also eco-friendly and recyclable.
3. Metal Cladding
Aluminum cladding is yet another popular cladding material amongst homeowners. This is because aluminum has a modern sheen to it which can uplift even the most tired and rundown looking home.
Aluminum is just as versatile as vinyl and is also very malleable. This makes it easy to work with, and it can be shaped to suit almost any home style and shape. The maintenance of aluminum cladding is minimal and it’s also resistant to the growth of mildew, mold, and algae because it does not absorb moisture.
This type of cladding material is fire-resistant, lightweight, and particularly energy-efficient. Aluminum cladding comes in a variety of colors and textures, so it’s bound to suit almost any homeowner’s aesthetic.
Other popular forms of metal cladding include corten steel. While it may not offer the same insulation as aluminum, it can be longer-wearing.
4. Cement Sheet Cladding
Cement sheet cladding is also referred to as blueboard cladding, due to the fact that these cement sheets are coated in a blue priming material, known as an acrylic render. There is a myriad of cement sheet options on the market today.
Cement sheet cladding is versatile, sleek, and modern, and also lightweight. Generally, sheeting dimensions are slim at just 7.5mm, but this material is very durable and strong. Cement sheet siding is available in a range of different sheet sizes, and can be installed as a plain, straight wall, or more intricately for a decorative touch.
5. Composite Siding
Composite is basically a fancy word for a combination of different materials that are combined to form a long-wearing, hardy cladding material. Composite siding is made from materials such as scrap wood, sawdust, and many other products. This cladding material is also low in VOCs, it very cost-effective, and produces little-to-no waste.
This is one of the best cladding materials if you’re looking for a true wood look and feel on the exterior of your home. It looks almost exactly the same as real wood, however, it’s far less vulnerable to the elements. Other cladding options that fall under composite materials include PVC composite and fiber cement.
6. Natural Wood Cladding
This is one of the most versatile cladding products on the market today because you have so many options to choose from. Natural wood siding is abundantly available in different forms such as board and batten, shiplap, shake, shingle, clapboard, and bevel variations.
You can also choose from different types and species of wood to suit the look and feel of your property. Some of the most popular wood variants include pinewood, cedarwood, redwood, reclaimed wood, and more.
7. Stucco
Stucco cladding has really grown in popularity in recent years because of its energy efficiency, insulation, and low-maintenance qualities. It also gives your property a modern and sophisticated touch.
Stucco is basically a combination of sand, water, and cement. There’s also acrylic stucco, which is generally used to provide a crack-resistant coating on top of cement plastering.
This type of cladding can easily be colored to your liking by adding pigment to its mixture so that it matches your home’s overall aesthetic. Due to the nature of stucco, it’s fire-resistant and is also super long-wearing.
Bring Your Cladding Vision to Life With CLADCAN
Looking for professional cladding services for your home or business premises? CLADCAN specializes in all exterior cladding types and provides modern and innovative solutions to meet all your exterior cladding expectations.
If you have a cladding vision, we can do it for you. Be sure to get in touch with our team, whether it’s residential or commercial, we have you covered!
