Cladding in Style: Options for Reworking Your Home Exterior
As belts tighten and budgets shrink, many households have had cladding attached to their homes in order to improve insulation and reduce energy bills. However, it can also make a huge positive impact on your home's appearance. Indeed, many also purchase cladding for this express purpose. Metal cladding is perhaps the most popular choice because cladding can come in many different materials and styles. Here is just a couple you may not have considered.
Wood
Available in various different colours and finishes, wood cladding lends a natural, organic and rustic appearance to a building. In the right circumstances, it can also appear very modern. Another great benefit of wood cladding is that it's very friendly to the environment; it's both easy to recycle and fully biodegradable. Just be sure to choose a wood that's not endangered in order to ensure you're not affecting sustainability. But chances are, the more commonly available woods are better for your wallet, too.
Vinyl
A modern and highly customisable material, vinyl is a great option for your cladding if you'd like something simple, lightweight and clean. It comes in a wide variety of colours and if you're looking for something particularly bright or unique, you can always paint it. As vinyl is such a popular option for cladding, perhaps second only to the aforementioned metal, it's also competitively priced and widely available, so you can shop for the best price and quality provider in your area.
Brick or Stone
For a more traditional look, choose brick or stone cladding. These may be a touch more expensive than the other options, but they're considerably cheaper than building with real brick or stone. However, you'll need to make sure you purchase high-quality cladding, as some cheaper versions may not look like real brick or stone walls. The better products are completely indistinguishable from full brick or stone buildings; it's a very convincing effect.
Whichever type of cladding you choose, you'll want to make sure it's correctly installed to reap the full insulating and weatherproofing benefits. Equally, with some materials, you must ensure that the surface of the cladding is treated against wear and tear. The experts you purchase your cladding from will be able to help you with this - which is all the more reason to make sure you're buying yours from a specialist supplier in your area who can answer any questions you may have.
