In order to get the best value for money when you are getting cladding done at home, you should know the answer to this question and which are some of the more popular types of cladding that are available in the market. With so many different types of cladding being made available today, it is very important that you know what you want before you go out and purchase the product.
There are different companies on the market today that specialize in making and manufacturing all sorts of different cladding products. When you are looking to buy these products, you should be aware that there is a huge range of different prices, not to mention different types of cladding that you can get your hands on. The more you know, the more you will be able to spot the differences in products and the type of product that you may be looking at when you look at the price. For help from a Timber Merchants Southampton, visit a site like Timbco, a leading Timber Merchants Southampton company.
When you are looking for a good quality product, it is important that you know what type of timber cladding you are looking for as well as the quality of the material itself. As you would expect, wood is a very expensive product that will normally be of a very high quality. With this in mind, you should make sure that you do a bit of research before you go out and get the wood cladding product of your dreams.
Cladding is older than you might think
Cladding is often thought of as a modern practice, but wood and brick cladding have been around for centuries. Covering a building is a little like dressing it, whether for decoration or to protect what lies beneath.
In Europe the practice is thought to date back to the Dark Ages. As Christianity spread, the church became the most important building in the village, and cladding helped protect it. By the 16th century, timber cladding, or weatherboarding, was in common use to keep out winter wind and rain.
The industrial revolution and the Victorian era brought the real rise of brick, as factories and workers’ housing needed to be sturdier, and brick was strong and cheap to make. Even then, cladding was still used where extra protection was needed. That long record of use shows how well timber suits the job.
What exterior cladding does for a home
Understanding what cladding does helps you judge whether it is worth the cost. Beyond improving how a house looks, it protects the structural walls beneath from moisture, changing temperatures and extremes of heat and cold. That protection can reduce the amount of maintenance the walls need over the years.
Cladding also adds a layer of insulation, helping a home stay warmer in winter and cooler in summer, which can improve its overall energy performance and help with heating bills.
There are several types to choose from. Stone and brick cladding are usually fixed directly onto the wall, while timber cladding is nailed onto battens fixed to the wall’s surface, which leaves a gap behind the boards. The fixings needed vary with the material you choose. The right option depends on where you live, the type of building, the local environment and your budget, so it is worth weighing all of these together rather than choosing on price alone.
Why so many architects choose timber cladding
Understanding why timber cladding is so popular helps explain what you get for your money. Wood has been part of architecture for hundreds of years, and it still brings a warmth and character that many other materials cannot match. It is also a sustainable, environmentally friendly choice, which matters to more homeowners and builders as responsible sourcing becomes a bigger concern.
Timber is extremely flexible. It suits a sleek modern home as well as a fashionable city bar or a relaxed suburban property, and it comes in a wide range of finishes, from rough, charred larch to smooth panels and oak feather edge boards. That variety lets architects and designers stretch the limits of what a building can look like.
Reclaimed and recycled timber has an important role too. Designers keep finding clever ways to use it in attractive homes and commercial buildings, and its versatility makes it easier to bring a creative vision to life than with many other cladding materials.