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A Personal Encounter with Exterior Cladding

The reason why exteriors of your home remain in good condition for many years is because of an exterior layer called cladding. It prevents the brick you used from soaking up rain water. There are different types of cladding today and they all have various functions. Here are some of them.

  1. Metal

Metal is an indispensable material for building. If your house has been integrated with metal building materials, you can clad it with a protective layer that will prevent it from corroding easily. When metal is exposed to moisture and oxygen, rust tends to form.

Affixing metal armour to existing metal building materials is actually a lot more cost-effective than buying building materials that are inherently resistant to rust and corrosion. So if you are on a tight budget, you might want to opt for adding a protective layer to your existing metal building materials.

A very thin layer of the armour material is administered to the metal building material. This will then be subjected to high heat. This will then force the metal and the protective layer to bond together.

  1. UPVC Cladding

UPVC Cladding is a popular treatment for fascias. UPVC is one of the most durable materials today. One of the advantages of using UPVC as a protective layer to your fascias is its resistance to high heat and moisture.

It protects your fascias and preserves its colour for a long time. In addition to that, UPVC is also easier to clean. You do not have to add a coating to it or even repaint it. It maintains its natural state for a long time. Maintenance is comparatively easier. You just need to wash it with water and a mild cleanser.

It can also be easily repaired if there are any damages. Also, UPVC cladding for your soffits or fascia is cheaper than any other type of coating such as fibre, stucco or even wood.

  1. Over cladding

This is very common in building and much preferred by builders. This is because it helps increase the resistance of walls from weather damages. This keeps the building a touch more weather resistant.

Over cladding basically refers to the installation of another wall or skin. This is built on top of the external layer of the building. You basically have two external layers after this has been installed.

Builders use an assortment of materials here such as ceramics, aluminium, glass, concrete and metal.

  1. Copper

In the past, you rarely saw copper as a home accessory, although builders do use it for basic construction. In recent years, we have seen quite a number of uses for copper. There are now copper kitchen and bathroom sinks and even copper utensils. It is also used as an exterior coating for buildings.

One of the advantages of using copper as an exterior building material is its durability. It is one of the most steadfast materials today that will not rust or succumb to corrosion easily. It is also lightweight so builders have an easier time working with this material. Copper is also a renewable material.

Another reason why copper might be a more ideal option for external coating is its inherent ability to suppress microorganism growth. Moulds, dust mites and many other microorganisms are less likely to grow in materials incorporated with copper.

In Summary

It is very common that various types of exterior wall claddings dominate more and are more popular in certain geographic regions. The type of exterior wall cladding may be related to the availability of materials and labour, in that specific locale coupled with characteristics of the various wall surfaces

Moisture intrusion through the exterior cladding and into the building envelope will greatly impact the durability of the structure and the health of its occupants.

Cladding is very important for building. When constructing a house or a large establishment, it is important to choose the best form or material for external coating. UPVC cladding might be more ideal for homes incorporated with fascias. Use them to give your home a new style or look.

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Jamie Watson

Thursday 9th of June 2016

Thanks Kelly, The choice for exterior cladding is much more difficult than I thought. But it is really important. Thanks for the article.

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