Unsure about cladding? Our guide to the 5 best cladding alternatives will help.
The reason we apply cladding to our homes is multi-faceted. We add cladding for UV protection, to stop the exterior of our properties becoming damaged, and to help energy efficiency. Recent events around the world have led many of us to distrust cladding, because it can contain flammable material.
Although fire safety checks on exterior cladding in the UK are now stringent, there are still concerns. If you want something to give your home the benefits of cladding, but without the EWS1 compliance, you have landed in the right place.
Here are some of the best ways to get all the benefits of cladding, but without the risk.
The 5 Cladding Alternatives Your Home Needs
Here are the best 5 materials/systems you can use instead of cladding.
1 – Tricoya Panelling
Tricoya are famous for making a composite wooden panel, which they compare to a high quality MDF sheet. Tricoya panelling is placed on the outside of a building, in much the same way as panelling might be. It offers colour variations, choice in materials, and has a longer lifespan than standard wood. The process of acetylation used to create these panels means water absorption is kept to a minimum.
To place your Tricoya panelling you will have to hire a cladding replacement company to remove your cladding, then replace it with your chosen material.
2 – Corian Cladding
Corian sheets are made from mixing natural minerals with acrylic polymers. Corian is layered on the outside of your building in ventilated panels. Corian was developed by engineers to ensure that you have an insulated home that doesn’t come with a fire risk – although it was originally manufactured to be used for kitchen countertops. It is non-porous, so the rain won’t get in, and is durable enough that it will protect your building from damage.
3 – Silicone Render
You can line your property with pigmented silicone solutions. This lets you get exactly the colour that you want, blended to suit you. Silicone is long lasting, durable, and will repel any potential damage to the brickwork. It is waterproof, weatherproof, and can be painted over using masonry paints. Silicone is minimal maintenance and can be wiped clean with hot, soapy water. It adds to the thermal regulation of your building, helping balance out those energy bills.
The only downside of silicone is that it isn’t the most environmentally friendly product.
4 – Corrugated Steel
You might not want the view of corrugated iron or steel outside your property. On the other hand, if your property is ultra-modern, it should pull it off. Corrugated steel protects and endures. It does corrode over time, but this can be fixed with sealant. Corrugated steel is cheap, efficient, and will last for years. It has fallen out of favour in recent years but at one time, the post-war housing was built from this reliable, surprisingly warm, material.
5 – Wood Piles
Old style houses in colder countries often use their wood pile as their cladding alternative. Stacking the wood against the house and covering it with a small extension to the roof, made an extra layer of warmth for the occupants. Wood piles may not be cladding, but they simultaneously provided warmth and leet you keep a supply of fuel for the winter. If you have a wood pile, try stacking it along the walls of your house and see if it improves energy efficiency within.
Stacking wood against your house can be dangerous. It also invites pests closer to your home. Of all methods of protecting masonry, external cladding works best.
External Cladding is Safest
Of all the above materials, having external cladding which was designed for purpose is safer. New cladding follows stringent safety laws to ensure it isn’t flammable. The UK has learned from the mistakes of the past.
