Exterior Cladding in Norwich

How we handle exterior cladding

Exterior Cladding in Norwich

Exterior cladding is a weatherproof outer skin fixed to the external walls of a building. It serves two purposes: protecting the structure beneath from rain, wind and frost, and giving the building a cleaner, more finished appearance. Homeowners in Norwich fit cladding to old render that has cracked and let water in, to timber-framed properties that have become difficult to maintain, and to properties where the original external finish has simply reached the end of its useful life. Commercial and industrial buildings also use cladding extensively, particularly where corrugated or insulated panel systems are replacing older asbestos or cement sheets.

What Exterior Cladding Actually Does

A well-fitted cladding system does more than look tidy. It creates a secondary barrier that stops rain water tracking into the wall structure. Poor pointing, cracked render or failing cavity wall ties let moisture creep into masonry over time, and once damp gets into a wall it is expensive to dry out and repair. Cladding eliminates that route by shedding water away from the face of the building before it can penetrate.

In older properties built with soft brick, the outer leaf of masonry can erode quite quickly once the original lime pointing has failed. Fitting a cladding system over a prepared substrate gives those buildings a low-maintenance outer face that does not need repointing every few years. Homes in more exposed locations are worth considering for cladding because wind-driven rain gets at exposed faces more aggressively.

Common Cladding Materials

The material you choose affects maintenance, appearance and longevity. Here are the main options we fit:

• uPVC or PVCu cladding - a popular choice for residential properties. It does not rot, does not need painting and cleans down with a hose. It is available in a range of profiles and colours, including woodgrain finishes. Typical cost for uPVC cladding installed on a house wall is in the region of £30-£60 per square metre depending on profile and fixing method.
• Fibre cement boards - more rigid than uPVC and better suited to contemporary or commercial buildings. They take paint well, are non-combustible and resist impact damage. They weigh more than plastic-based boards, so the substrate and fixings need to be specified correctly.
• Timber cladding - traditional and attractive, particularly on older or rural properties. Softwood treated with preservative or hardwood species both have a place. Timber does require maintenance: oiling or repainting every few years depending on exposure. Left untreated, timber cladding weathers over time.
• Metal cladding panels - most common on commercial, agricultural or industrial buildings. Box profile steel or aluminium in a range of colours is robust, fast to fix and very long-lasting if the cut edges and fixings are correctly sealed. Sheets are usually fixed with specialist colour-matched fasteners to prevent rust streaking.
• Insulated cladding panels - composite panels with a foam or mineral wool core between two metal skins. Used on commercial and agricultural buildings where both weather protection and thermal performance matter. They can replace older corrugated asbestos roofing and wall sheeting on farm buildings.

What the Job Involves

Before any boards go up, the existing wall surface needs to be assessed. Loose render should come off. Any areas of damp, rot or structural damage need to be dealt with before cladding goes over them. Covering a problem does not fix it - it just makes it more expensive to find later. A timber or metal batten frame is usually fixed to the wall first to create a ventilated cavity behind the cladding. This ventilation gap is important: it allows any moisture that does get behind the boards to drain and evaporate rather than soaking into the wall.

Detailing around windows, doors, soffits and corners is where cladding jobs stand or fall. Water finds its way in at junctions, not through the flat face of a board. Trims, flashings and starter strips all need to be fixed correctly and sealed where necessary. A cladding installation that looks good on the face but is poorly detailed at the edges will let in water within a few years.

On larger projects, scaffolding is usually required. For single-storey outbuildings or extensions, it may be possible to work from ladders and hop-ups safely. We assess access requirements at the survey stage.

How Long Does Exterior Cladding Last?

uPVC cladding, when properly installed and kept clean, typically lasts 20-30 years before colour fade or brittleness becomes an issue. Fibre cement boards have similar longevity if kept painted. Timber varies enormously depending on the species, the treatment applied and how well it is maintained. Quality metal cladding with a factory-applied colour coat generally carries a manufacturer's finish warranty of 25-40 years, though the fixings and sealants are the components most likely to need attention over that period. Exterior cladding installed correctly on a Norwich home or commercial building typically lasts 20 years or more before any significant maintenance is needed.

Exterior Cladding on Commercial and Agricultural Buildings

Some agricultural and light-industrial buildings were clad in corrugated asbestos cement sheeting on both the roof and the walls. That material is now aged and fragile, and its removal and replacement is subject to specific regulations. Asbestos removal should be carried out by licensed contractors where required - the asbestos removal itself is specialist work, but the re-cladding that follows it is straightforward roofing and wall cladding work that we carry out in steel or aluminium profiles.

For farm buildings, insulated panel systems are a common replacement. They are warmer, quieter and far quicker to erect than built-up systems using separate insulation layers.

Why Use a Roofer for Exterior Cladding?

Cladding and roofing are closely related trades. Roofers understand waterproofing details, flashings, ventilation and the behaviour of different materials in wet conditions. A decorator or general builder may be able to fix boards to a wall, but the critical detailing - particularly where cladding meets the eaves, the verge or a flat roof parapet - requires the same knowledge as roofing work. Getting that detail wrong results in water ingress that can take months or years to trace back to the cladding junction.

Working at height is also a central part of both trades. Cladding work at first-floor level and above requires the correct equipment and approach.

Get a Cladding Survey for Your Property

If you have a property in Norwich or nearby, including villages such as Hevingham, and you are thinking about cladding - whether to solve a damp or maintenance problem or to update the appearance of the building - call us to arrange a survey. We will look at the existing wall condition, discuss the options that suit your building type and budget, and give you a clear price before any work starts.