Average Costs for Cladding Projects

All of the above costs and durations are averages only and will vary depending upon location, complexity of job, etc.

Points to consider regarding exterior cladding

Remember, anything that drastically alters the external appearance of a property, including cladding an entire house with a different material, may well need approval from building control. In practice, most of the time you will get the go ahead without the need for permission, but always double check with them first as you definitely want to err on the side of caution!Cost of the various exterior finishes and cladding available vary tremendously, from around £1 per square metre for paint, up to £300 per square metre for some of the new composite cladding materials. Common cladding materials like uPVC usually work out at around £20 per square metre, whereas hardwood timber cladding will cost double that if not more. Rendering is around the same price as uPVC, with roughcasting or pebble dashing costing a lot more (but still usually less than hardwood cladding).Depending on the material you use, cladding is usually fixed to the house exterior using timber battens or on a metal frame attached to the walls. Applying cladding or render is a great way to improve your home’s insulation and appearance. Using render tends to be less expensive but cladding provides a breathable weatherproof barrier that allows water to drain away. Often there is no need to clad or render the whole house, but however you decide to proceed, check that your building insurance provider is happy with your choice of cladding or rendering material.

PVCu cladding is one of the cheaper and more popular options. Coloured or wood-effect PVCu is cheaper than timber boarding and there is much less maintenance involved. It should also be a lot easier to clean and will last for up to 20 years. But timber suits contemporary and period properties much better and pine or spruce boards are also pretty cheap, costing around the same as white uPVC (though hardwoods are twice as expensive). Fibre-cement weatherboarding is a newer and less popular choice for cladding, a composite material which is long-lasting and fire-resistant, needing minimal maintenance and also won’t rust or rot. Metal is an expensive option but comes painted or powder-coated to preserve its finish. Steel cladding should last at least 30 years and lightweight aluminium or zinc should last even longer. But copper cladding takes the prize in terms of longevity, with an expected lifespan of over 100 years! Masonry paint is a cheap and fast way to protect an exterior wall while updating the appearance (a fraction of the price of any other choice). Modern paints with textured finishes are particularly good for hiding minor cracks and damage on period properties, but they work equally well on more modern homes.

Doing it Yourself

Cladding looks great on most surfaces and many of the cladding products are easy to use and require little in the way of specialised tools or equipment. So if you are an accomplished DIY enthusiast, then wall cladding can very much an achievable project. If you’re an experienced DIY enthusiast then you may be able to do a good job of fitting timber or uPVC cladding yourself, or even applying some textured rendering. But if you do not have the necessary skills or experience, then look for a firm that offers a professional installation service. However, exterior wall cladding for an entire two-storey house is a different story, you will likely require access equipment such as scaffolding and will also probably need more than one pair of hands. It is still possible to clad an entire building using boards or render on a DIY basis, if you hire a scaffolding company to erect a tower or platform that gives you safe and easy access, but this is typically beyond most DIY enthusiasts. In terms of DIY application, masonry paint is probably the easiest method of weatherproofing your home and spray application systems can be bought cheaply from DIY stores, though once again you may require scaffold for upper storeys to work safely.

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