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All About Cladding

Table of Contents

Introduction

Cladding done right does many things for your home. It can add a touch of beauty, reduce maintenance costs. and protect your family from the elements. 

Cladding is an outer layer that not only protects the house and interior from extreme temperatures, it enhances its overall aesthetics by giving you a visually stunning house with a unique character, all the while providing savings on long-term maintenance costs.

We’ve written a simple guide that includes answers to the most common questions and concerns homeowners have while thinking of cladding a new home.

What is Cladding?

A carpenter furnished some furniture

Cladding is the outermost layer of the house. It is attached to the interior structure to help prevent weathering. The primary purpose of cladding may be protection, but it also has a great impact on the final look of the house.

When you’re building a new house, make sure you discuss your ideal cladding options. On the other hand, if you want to upgrade or change your current house’s cladding, you can ask your builder for a partial or full knockdown and rebuild.

Let’s discuss this point in some detail.

Why should I get cladding?

All about cladding applications

Cladding can be done with various materials and using different engineering techniques. As there are a diverse range of options, choosing what suits you and your family can vary a lot.

Let’s have a look at the different materials that are commonly used:

Protection: During cladding installation, a cavity is created between the inner and the outer walls. The inner section is left to focus only on load bearing, while the outer structure provides protection from elements like heat, sunlight, and resistance to pollution.

Reduces maintenance cost: By increasing the structural strength of the house and increased resistance to extreme weather, the maintenance costs are significantly reduced.

Appearance: cladding makes a structure look aesthetically appealing. Each type provides a unique look to the facade. You can choose the best type suited to your needs by considering factors such as climate and environment, lifespan and cost.

 

Types of Cladding

Image showing types of cladding

Our focus is on materials that are more suitable for the ACT and Canberra, since that is where our client’s experience lies.

  1. Brick wall: Bricks are some of the popular cladding options. It provides great performance and structural advantages. Sturdy, weather resistant, and low maintenance, It comes in a variety of colours, textures, and sizes which blend beautifully no matter the environment. 
  2. Timber: Most people opt for timber cladding because it is a natural material and comes in numerous styles. It is exceptionally stable and easy to work with, making it ideal for applications, even in challenging climates.
  3. Metal: Metal cladding is preferred for its clean and polished finish, durability, recyclability, and resistance to natural elements. Popular varieties include aluminum, galvanized steel, copper, zinc among others. Aluminum, for instance, is naturally resistant to termite damage, rust and water. It will not require re-sanding and repainting for years.
  4. Stone: Most people prefer stone cladding because it does not absorb moisture, meaning your house is protected against water and will not require any touch-up work for many years. Stone is also extremely durable, resistant to harsh weather, fires, and withstands abrasions and scratches.
  5. Cement: It is a lightweight material and one of the best options available for cladding.  A straightforward and low-maintenance material, resistant to rot, termites, and fires.
  6. Brick veneer cladding: Brick veneer is very lightweight. It is made by supporting a brick structure with steel. This leads to a very high heat insulation capacity. It is both fire-resistant and structurally durable. The best part of getting brick veneer is its premium look and feel.
  7. Fibre cement cladding: A composite material, fibre cement is a no nonsense and minimalist option. It is applied directly to sheets or horizontal boards. It is super resistant to termites as well as rot. Since it has high insulation, its fire resistance is very high. One drawback however is that fibre cement is naturally not eh most aesthetically pleasing option. This means you have to get creative with the colors and feel to ensure the style matches up to the rest of your house.
  8. Aerated concrete cladding: Aerated concrete is used as cladding in the form of panels, in comparison to the other options on this list. Concrete cladding use is not just residential, as a lot of commercial spaces opt for it. With low rates of decay as it is termite free, it is an excellent option no matter where you stay in Australia.

 

Cladding done right with ABM Homes

Build with ABM Homes

At ABM Homes, we know what a good cladding is, as we have several years of experience dealing with it. With our most recent project at Whitlam Display Village, we used Colorbond’s steel apron cladding.

If you want us to build you a home in Canberra or any other location in the ACT, we’d love to help. You can get in touch with our experts by contacting us on any one of our multiple channels.