Cladding means that a layer of material is applied over another material to protect or beautify. In home building, this refers to the external finish of the house, usually to protect the home from the elements, and for ease of maintenance. A wide variety of cladding material is available, and most of these will enhance the appearance of the home as well, thereby adding value to the home. Cladding that provides insulation brings another benefit, that of reduced living costs.
As wood is commonly used as a cladding material, but often is expensive and as a material is vulnerable to fire there are synthetic claddings that give the appearance of wood that may be a preferable cladding material option. These products are weather-resistant and long lasting, and require a minimum of maintenance. An example is fiber cement, a composite material made of sand, cement and cellulose fiber, which is less costly and easy to install. Another manufactured innovation is high density wood composite cladding.
Metal claddings are made of aluminum, steel, zinc, copper, or various alloys. Permanence and low maintenance are the key features. They also provide excellent protection from weather elements and insulate the home well. The unique appearance of color and texture, even as they age, make metal a popular choice for cladding.
Brick is one of the most flexible cladding materials with a range of textures and colours to choose from. Requiring minimal maintenance, giving an impressive look to any home and with so many styles to choose from it is no surprise brick is a popular cladding material. With colour treating, glass cladding is an alternative material to consider when selecting cladding for your home.
Concrete blocks used as cladding bring many natural advantages: they are strong, insulate well, block out traffic and outside noises, resist termites or white ants, and require practically no maintenance. Aerated concrete blocks, such as Hebel panels, are now commonly used for retrofitting older homes, and bring the advantages of better insulation and water resistance.
Stucco is an exterior cement plastic wall covering, made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Traditional stucco was made of lime, sand and water; modern stucco is made from Portland cement, sand, water and lime, with sometimes the addition of acrylic and glass fibers. This cladding is durable, attractive, and weather resistant.
Exterior Insulation and Finish System (EIFS) is a multi-layered wall system consisting of foam plastic insulation under two synthetic coatings. The finished surface has the appearance of stucco. EIFS has suffered in reputation because of widespread discovery of severe water damage due to a lack of vapor barrier in the sheathing, which has been replaced by drainage EIFS which uses a secondary weather barrier.
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