Cladding is done for three main reasons; first is to provide protection & insulation for houses, second to decorate fences and third to add privacy to a fenced property.
There are a lot of cladding products available in the market today. The most common ones are naturally sourced. Others are synthetic or man made.
Weatherproof or weather resistant materials are used for external cladding of houses. This is a job best done by professionals. For homeowners who prefer to do it themselves, professional advice is still recommended so that the correct procedures are followed, specific to the cladding products being used.
A few examples of cladding products are stone, bricks and stucco. Of the three, stone cladding is the most expensive simply because it cannot be done by a DIY builder. Many modifications are needed before the stone pieces can fit the surface that they will be applied to. It’s ideal though if all you want is to put emphasis on a certain area of your house. On the other hand, bricks offer a wide range of colours and sizes for all types of applications. They’re still expensive but not as much as stone. Yet another popular cladding product is stucco. It’s ideal for weatherproofing because it’s water resistant. For fence cladding, there’s brushwood cladding, which is made up of melaleuca “brush”. These are easy to attach to the fence and give it a naturally attractive look. Other options are bamboo, timber and fibre cement.
Eco friendly cladding products are all the rage these days, what with the drastic changes happening in our environment. Of all the materials mentioned, bamboo and wood plastic composite are the most eco friendly. Bamboo provides a tropical look while wood plastic composite is as elegant as wood but more durable and easier to fix.
It’s not enough for cladding products to be attractive and economical to use. They must also be sturdy, affordable and easy to work with like Futurewood’s enviroslat cladding boards. These are made from recycled products like wood flour, discarded rice husks and post consumer waste. They come in standard long lengths and can be fixed using 10 gauge countersunk screws. Once they are fixed, the only maintenance required is a quick washdown using a strong household detergent.
If you’re in the market for high quality cladding products, make sure you take the time to learn as much as you can about each option. If you’re the type who likes doing things for yourself, opt for materials that are simple to use. On the other hand if you prefer to hire professionals, you can go for products requiring more prep work like stone and bricks.
