Lisa Grosse at Cedral explores how cladding can improve aesthetics, support thermal performance, and offer weather resistance, sustainability and long-term cost savings for self-builders.
Whether you’re planning a transformation or a new build, investing in a beautiful exterior means thinking beyond a quick fix. Together with the roof and windows, the outer shell of your home provides protection against the heat, cold, wind, weather, noise and fire and it is essential for comfort inside the house.
Options for a residential facade include timber, stone, vinyl, external foam, metal, weatherboard, fibre cement, concrete and glass, on their own or in various combinations. While brick is widely used for residential exteriors in urban settings, stone is dominant in much of the countryside. We are seeing many more creative construction solutions that employ a range of colours and materials. Plaster is also still in fashion and rough concrete has gained acceptance as a stylish cladding for residential design.
We recently carried out a survey of 1,000 UK homeowners to get their perspective on what matters most for the exteriors of their homes. We found that homeowners are increasingly focused on energy efficiency, durability and resilience. The top two priorities were wanting to use construction materials which could withstand changing weather conditions (48%) and energy efficiency (46%).
When asked about their preferred aesthetic style, from traditional to contemporary, the key takeaway was not being swayed by the latest architectural trends and wanting an exterior that wasn’t likely to date. 38% said that they prefer an exterior with timeless appeal, 27% preferred a modern exterior, 25% chose a look that fit with the aesthetics surrounding the property and 19% most preferred period character.
Increasingly we are seeing homeowners seeking out natural materials from sustainable sources. Fibre cement cladding has the versatility to provide a wood or smooth effect, offering endless design options. A strong, versatile and sustainable material containing cement and fibres, it has been developed so that it does not rot, rust, warp or crack under extreme weather conditions. Fibre cement cladding has an excellent fire performance classification, uses fewer raw materials and less energy in its manufacture and produces less waste than some traditional building materials. It is also easy to install, is low maintenance and can perfectly complement brick, natural stone, tiles, stucco and even metal.
One way to use cladding is by adding shiplap sidings, a ‘New England’ weatherboarding characterised by long planks, mounted horizontally to evoke a traditional aesthetic. This style choice, long seen on coastal or beachfront properties, has become a popular design choice more generally. It doesn’t have to be used for the entire exterior. The cladding can work as accents or half walls, breaking up solid colour and changing the overall look. It can also be used to cover a gable and provide a contrast with the rest of a building.
Fibre cement cladding can also be used to replicate the clapboard look which was used in the 19th century in the UK, but with more robust properties. The owners of a period timber house in the Essex countryside had planning permission to knock the existing building down and to build a new home. Instead they chose to recreate the original white weatherboard look while having a property that was as maintenance free as possible.
Vertically installed cladding is also a growing trend to create a sleek and contemporary aesthetic across the facade. For a new build in Chepstow, the homeowners chose Cedral fibre cement cladding in Slate Grey for a design that matched the modern and minimal interior and complemented the home’s beautiful countryside location. The combination of the horizontal boards above the brick at the base and with vertical metal joins placed at intervals around the facade, provided them with the clean lines, modern appeal and low maintenance.
We are also seeing the impact of biophilic design which is about connecting the built environment with the natural world to improve the occupants’ wellbeing in residential design. We conducted a study with homeowners about colour and found that there has been a significant trend towards natural colours and that warm clay colours and earthy tones have become much more popular. Natural greens, grey brown, blue grey and sand yellow, for example, are increasingly appearing on exteriors. Manufacturers have refreshed their colour offerings to keep up to date with these changing tastes and lifestyles. Incorporating cladding into the facade is one way to introduce these.
Introducing cladding can also ensure proper ventilation for the home and help with energy efficiency by providing an aesthetically pleasing and durable barrier against the elements. Insulation isn’t meant to be exposed and isn’t attractive to the eye. Having a rainscreen cladding system on the exterior gives the facade a decorative finish while at the same time reducing condensation and humidity which could cause damage. A ventilated air cavity behind the cladding improves the durability of the exterior cladding material by keeping it dry.
There is a great opportunity now for homeowners to seek out materials that provide the desired weatherproofing, ease of maintenance and energy efficiency without sacrificing an attractive and striking look.
Lisa Grosse is brand manager at Cedral