Article CladdingWHAT'S ON THE OUTSIDE COUNTSNick Cowley, managing director at exterior cladding and outdoor living product supplierEndurawood, explains how cladding can take building design to new levels.Cladding has been popular in the constructionindustry for decades. It does not supportthe structure of a building, but instead actsas a second skin to the exterior. The National BIMLibrary (NBS) categorises cladding into categoriessuch as H10 for patent glazing, H21 for timberweatherboarding and H51 for natural stone slabfeatures. While cladding offers a range of practicalbenefits, its design potential is often overlooked.All a façadeApart from adding style and colour to abuilding’s design, cladding can also be used asan architectural enhancement. Building designis important and, particularly for high-risestructures, it can be difficult to distinguish onebuilding from the next. Cladding has the abilityto transform a building that is usually overlookedinto an eye-catching display.While cladding is traditionally applied to the entireexterior of the building, it can be used to decorateand accentuate specific areas. Decorative façadescan emphasise the face of the building and addcharacter to the overall design. A façade refersto a part of the building with more elaboratearchitecture, which usually stands out from thebuilding in an imposing or overhanging position.A façade is a simple addition that candramatically improve the appearance of abuilding, drawing attention to the front of thebuilding and helping it to stand out from therest. For example, The Center for Wellbeing inEdinburgh, Scotland used timber cladding tocreate a 3D façade of the organisation’s name,Thistle. The façade creates an exterior thatprovides a friendly welcome, just like the staff onthe inside.Low maintenanceUnlike other common exterior finishes such aspebbledash or paint, which can become tarnishedfrom weather conditions, cladding is built tolast. As one of the main purposes for installingcladding is to provide a weatherproof barrier forthe building, cladding must be durable and ableto withstand harsh weather conditions.While some cladding materials are naturally moredurable than others, they still require additionaltreatments to help increase their durability. Thesetreatments can vary depending on the material.For example, vinyl or PVC-U cladding requires awashdown every few years, and timber claddingdemands an intense chemical pressure treatmentto help extend its durability. Although thesemaintenance methods are generally infrequent,they can be costly.Refurb over replaceTypically, some building refurbishments requirea substantial amount of work when undergoingupgrades. However, minor refurbishments to theexterior can be resolved with cladding. Usingcladding to refurb is a quick way to improve theappearance of a building. If the exterior of a buildinghas become tarnished from corrosion or damagedfrom harsh weather, cladding can be appliedquickly to restore the appearance of the building.Cladding is versatile enough to be applied by ahomeowner or installer for larger projects, and isusually applied with ease using screws that arefixed to support battens attached to the wall. Thereare still some installation requirements to bear inmind, and there must be a cavity in between thecladding and the building to allow rain to run down,as well as a weatherproof coating to protect thewalls from water.While architects must always consider thestructural performance of building materials,design remains an important consideration.Alongside its weatherproofing and insulationbenefits, cladding can help take building designto new levels.Contact Endurawood:0330 1340290www.endurawood.co.ukwww.linkedin.com/company/endurawood58 T I SEPT/OCT 2020 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST
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