When you look at your home from the outside, what do you see? The answer might vary depending on a lot of things, from when your house was built, to where in the country you live and if you built it yourself. There are dozens of different ways you can finish your home, but they all serve 2 purposes:
- To protect your home from the weather and other external damage.
- To make your home look nice!
But they don’t make all external finishes the same, and when you’re trying to decide on what to use for your home it can feel a bit overwhelming. So today we’re going to explain the different types of finish you can choose, and the pros and cons of each.
Rendering
Rendering is when we apply a coat of cement to the external walls of a property to make them smooth or textured, giving them a protective ‘skin’. This provides protection for the building, and you can choose a rendering style to suit you from smooth to rough. There are 4 types of rendering you can choose from:
Acrylic Render: This type of rendering is very popular in modern residential construction. There are a few different types, but acrylic render is any type of render that uses acrylic plastic in the mix. It usually also includes small fibres to prevent cracking, while the acrylic makes it stronger and more flexible than traditional rendering mixes. It’s applied as a thin finish layer on top of the main construction material. It’s incredibly durable and can be made in a wide range of colours to suit any style.
Cement Render: Cement rendering is made of simple sand and cement (you can also add lime) that’s mixed on-site and applied in 3 or 4 layers onto the brickwork. Only fine cement is used, so that the finish isn’t too rough. Because cement, once dried, is very robust it provides a very durable protective coating, and the top layer is given a polish to create a nice shiny finish. The materials for this option are cheap, but the labour is costly and it can add significantly to the time scale.
Monocouche Render: This type of render is made from a base of white cement, which is then coloured to your specifications. This approach means you don’t have to then paint the render afterwards, the colour is already within the render, taking out several steps and speeding up the process. Monocouche render also includes a waterproofing layer and is made with a range of additives that prevent cracking and allow it to be self-cleaning. Application is simple, so while the materials themselves are expensive, the labour costs are lower.
Polymer Render: Again using a base of cement, this time polymers are added to give the cement different qualities. By adding in these polymers, we can make the finished coat strong yet flexible, allowing them to be used on a number of different substrates. The most common additives are silicone, which makes it water-repellent, nylon, which makes it strong, and various compounds to add flexibility.
Cladding
Cladding is generally applied on top of the finished brickwork, providing a non-structural external surface. It’s usually wrapped around the outside of a building to improve appearance, as well as energy efficiency and even safety. Just like render, there are a few different types you can choose from:
Timber Cladding: One of the more popular cladding materials, timber gives the impression of traditional timber framing to a home without having to build exclusively from wood. It’s easy to install, environmentally friendly, a very good insulating material and incredibly durable. Most people opt to have part of their home clad in timber to give a visually pleasing effect.
Concrete Cladding: Concrete cladding is most often used in commercial buildings, as it comes in the form of cladded tiles that can be trimmed to fit and give a uniform look. They are strong, durable and only require a small amount of annual maintenance, but they don’t look all that exciting!
Fibre Cement Cladding: Made up of a combination of cellular fibre, compressed sand, water and cement creating wet sheets, fibre cement cladding is a low-cost of cladding sheet. It is very easy to install and can come in a variety of different colours and effects, with the material being painted or stained in the factory. Maintenance is not a big issue with this material as it only requires a small amount of annual cleaning and does not need to be repainted or stained.
Stone Cladding: Using natural stone for cladding can give a beautifully natural finish to your home, making it one of the more popular options. It’s best paired with another exterior finish or render to add dimension to the building. Stone is also a good insulator and quite durable, so it can withstand years of weathering before it needs to be replaced. It’s not the cheapest option, but it’s one of the best looking.
Vinyl Siding: Vinyl siding or vinyl cladding systems are low-cost and energy-efficient thanks to their modern design. It’s made of a strong vinyl material and comes in a variety of colours and patterns to suit any house design. It needs virtually no maintenance, but it may need treating or replacing if the colour fades. It does have one negative, which is that it can cover up problems like damp or moisture problems, so it needs to be installed with care.
Weatherboard Cladding: Weatherboard cladding is a common type of technique used on residential building today and can be carried out with a wide variety of materials like fibre cement and UPVC, and in a range of colours and effects. It is an extremely durable method of cladding the exterior of a building and it can be applied to a variety of substrates. Weatherboard cladding usually requires a thorough annual maintenance routine to be kept in the best condition.
At DNA our job is to build your dream home, including the outside. So you tell us what look you’re going for, and we will find the right render or cladding to achieve it. If you’d like to find out more, just get in touch with the team today.
