When building or renovating a home, exterior cladding plays a vital role in protecting the structure from environmental elements while enhancing its aesthetic appeal. Choosing the right cladding material can make a significant difference in your home’s durability, energy efficiency, and overall visual impression.
In this guide, we’ll explore the different types of exterior cladding, their pros and cons, and help you understand how to choose the best option for your project.
Let’s Get Straight To The Point
Exterior cladding is essential for protecting your home from environmental elements while boosting its aesthetic appeal. Various materials like brick, vinyl, wood, composite, stone, metal, and stucco offer different benefits and challenges.
Brick is durable but energy-intensive, vinyl is affordable but has environmental drawbacks, and wood is natural but requires maintenance. Composite and metal are low-maintenance, stone is luxurious but expensive, and stucco is energy-efficient but vulnerable to moisture.
Key factors in choosing cladding include climate, budget, aesthetic preferences, and environmental impact. Cladding improves insulation, reduces maintenance, and increases home value.
What is Exterior Cladding?
Exterior cladding, also known as siding, is the outermost layer of a building’s exterior, designed to protect it from weather and external damage. Beyond its protective function, cladding contributes to the kerb appeal of a house, giving it a unique and stylish look.
From wood to metal and vinyl to stone, there are several materials available, each offering its own set of benefits and challenges.
Types of Exterior Cladding
- Brick Cladding
- Vinyl Cladding
- Wood Cladding
- Composite Cladding
- Stone Cladding
- Metal Cladding
- Stucco
Each of these materials brings distinct advantages and disadvantages, which we’ll discuss in more detail below.
Brick Cladding: Traditional and Durable
Advantages of Brick Siding
Brick cladding is a popular and durable material made from baked clay. It offers several benefits:
- Longevity: Bricks last a lifetime and never need painting.
- Thermal Mass: Bricks can store heat, making them ideal for passive solar designs.
- Aesthetic Appeal: They add a traditional yet sophisticated look to any home.
- Eco-Friendly Options: Bricks made from recycled materials like fly ash can reduce construction-related carbon emissions.
Disadvantages of Brick Cladding
Despite its benefits, brick has some downsides:
- Energy-Intensive Production: Manufacturing bricks consumes large amounts of energy, contributing to carbon emissions.
- Cement Use: Mortar used for brick cladding requires cement, which accounts for a significant portion of global CO2 emissions.
Vinyl Cladding: Affordable and Low Maintenance
Benefits of Vinyl Siding
Vinyl is the most popular siding material for newly constructed homes, with cost-effective and long-lasting benefits:
- Longevity: Vinyl siding can last up to 50 years with minimal maintenance.
- Cost-Effective: It’s one of the cheapest cladding options available.
- Energy Efficiency: Insulated vinyl siding can improve the overall R-value of your home’s insulation.
Drawbacks of Vinyl Siding
- Environmental Concerns: Made from non-renewable resources like PVC, vinyl releases toxic dioxins during production and when burned.
- Health Hazards: Vinyl siding contains chemicals linked to cancer in humans.
Wood Cladding: Natural and Versatile
Advantages of Wood Siding
Wood cladding offers a natural and sustainable option for home exteriors. Key benefits include:
- Renewable Resource: Sourced from responsibly managed forests, wood can be replenished over time.
- Aesthetic Flexibility: Available in various styles like board and batten, shingles, and clapboard.
- Eco-Friendly Treatments: Techniques like charred wood or thermal modification make wood more durable without harmful chemicals.
Disadvantages of Wood Siding
- Maintenance: Wood requires regular treatments to protect against pests and decay.
- Environmental Risks: Non-certified wood may come from unsustainable sources, harming forests.
Composite Cladding: Low Maintenance and Durable
Benefits of Composite Siding
Composite materials combine different substances like wood scraps or sawdust with a binder, offering a durable, low-maintenance alternative:
- Cost-Effective: Composite siding is affordable and easy to maintain.
- Durability: It resists moisture, pests, and UV damage better than traditional wood.
Downsides of Composite Siding
- Uncertain Long-Term Benefits: Warranties vary, and some products contain formaldehyde and VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds).
- Recyclability: Depending on the materials used, some composite sidings may not be recyclable.
Stone Cladding: Natural Elegance
Benefits of Stone Siding
Stone cladding is a luxurious option that offers both durability and a timeless look:
- Longevity: Stone is a long-lasting material that requires minimal maintenance.
- Fire and Pest Resistant: Stone is impervious to fire, insects, and mould, making it highly durable.
- Eco-Friendly: While energy-intensive to mine, stone lasts for decades and can be recycled.
Disadvantages of Stone Cladding
- High Cost: Stone cladding is expensive to install and requires professional masonry work.
- Heavy Weight: Transporting stone has a high environmental cost due to its weight.
Metal Cladding: Industrial and Long-Lasting
Benefits of Metal Siding
Metal cladding, often made from galvanised steel, aluminium, or copper, is a robust option:
- Durability: Metal siding can last for many years with minimal maintenance.
- Resistance: It’s resistant to harsh weather conditions, fire, and pests.
- Recyclability: Metal is easy to recycle, making it an environmentally friendly option.
Drawbacks of Metal Cladding
- Prone to Dents: Materials like aluminium are susceptible to damage from hail or debris.
- High Initial Cost: While durable, metal cladding can be more expensive than other options.
Stucco: Traditional and Energy-Efficient
Advantages of Stucco
Stucco is a type of plaster made from cement, sand, and water, offering:
- Energy Efficiency: Stucco provides good insulation, helping maintain consistent indoor temperatures.
- Low Maintenance: Once applied, stucco requires little upkeep.
- Durability: Resistant to fire and pests, stucco can last a long time with proper care.
Disadvantages of Stucco
- Vulnerability to Moisture: Stucco doesn’t fare well in humid climates or areas with heavy rainfall.
- Application Costs: Stucco is labour-intensive and requires several layers, making it more expensive to apply.
Key Benefits of Exterior Cladding
Exterior cladding is not just about aesthetics. Here are some of the main benefits:
1. Protection Against the Elements
Cladding shields your home from weather-related damage such as rain, wind, and snow. It also provides a barrier against UV radiation, preventing the structure from degrading under sunlight.
2. Improved Insulation
Certain cladding materials, like insulated vinyl or composite, can significantly improve a home’s energy efficiency by providing better insulation.
3. Low Maintenance
Materials like vinyl, composite, and metal require minimal maintenance over their lifespan, reducing long-term upkeep costs.
4. Increased Home Value
A well-chosen exterior cladding can enhance a home’s kerb appeal, increasing its market value. Options like brick, stone, or wood are visually appealing and create a lasting impression.
5. Fire Resistance
Materials such as metal, stone, and fibre cement provide excellent fire protection, offering peace of mind in fire-prone areas.
How to Choose the Right Cladding Material
Selecting the right exterior cladding for your home depends on several factors, including:
1. Climate
For regions with heavy rainfall or humidity, materials like vinyl or composite siding offer better moisture resistance. Dry climates may benefit from wood or stucco.
2. Budget
If you’re on a budget, vinyl or composite cladding is cost-effective and durable. However, for those seeking long-term value, brick or stone may be worth the higher upfront cost.
3. Aesthetic Preferences
The visual style of your home plays a big role in the choice of cladding. For a modern look, metal or composite cladding might be ideal. If you prefer a traditional appearance, wood or brick offers a classic touch.
4. Environmental Impact
For environmentally conscious homeowners, wood, especially from FSC-certified sources, and recycled metal or composite cladding are excellent eco-friendly choices.
Conclusion
Exterior cladding not only protects your home but also enhances its aesthetic and energy efficiency. Whether you opt for brick, vinyl, wood, composite, stone, metal, or stucco, each material has its own set of advantages and drawbacks. By understanding the unique properties of each cladding option, you can make an informed decision that fits your budget, environmental goals, and design preferences. Whatever choice you make, exterior cladding is an investment in both the appearance and longevity of your home.
FAQs About Cladding
What Is The Cheapest Outdoor Cladding?
Timber. Timber is by far the cheapest option for external cladding. Depending on the size of the building and design of cladding chosen, the number of boards needed varies. On average around 600 boards will be required for a single-storey small property installation.
Is Cladding A Good Idea?
Adding Wall Cladding to your home is a fantastic way to change the appearance of your building, but it could also help with insulation, maintenance, and boosting the curb value of your home.
What Are The Different Types Of Cladding?
The most common types of cladding are Stone Cladding, Brick Cladding, UPVC Cladding, Timber Cladding, Metal Cladding, Concrete Cladding, Weatherboard Cladding, Glass Cladding.
How Long Does Plastic Cladding Last?
First things first, how long does PVC cladding last? Easily lasting around 20 years, high-performance PVC cladding (like ours!) can last up to 50 years with the right care and attention.
Which Type Of Cladding Is Most Popular?
The most popular materials used for metal cladding include steel and aluminium; both of which come alongside their own individual benefits and drawbacks. One of the most significant benefits of the use of metal cladding in a commercial building is that the material is non-combustible.
