Mildenhall Roofers supplies and fits exterior cladding in Eriswell, giving homeowners an honest breakdown of every material option so you can choose with confidence.
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Exterior cladding is a significant investment. The material you choose will determine how long it lasts, how much maintenance it needs, what it looks like in ten years and what it costs to put right if something goes wrong. We fit cladding to homes in Eriswell and across the wider area from our base in Mildenhall. This page runs through each main material type honestly, including the drawbacks, so you can make a properly informed decision.
Timber is the traditional choice for exterior wall cladding in the UK and it still makes sense on many properties. Featheredge boards give a classic, tapered finish. Shiplap profiles interlock at the edges and shed water cleanly. Square-edge or rebated boards suit more contemporary designs.
The main advantage of timber is that it is easy to work with on site, straightforward to repair section by section, and it looks genuinely natural rather than manufactured. Untreated or lightly treated species such as western red cedar can be left to silver naturally, which suits some homes well.
The honest drawbacks: timber needs maintenance. Painted or stained boards need recoating every five to eight years depending on exposure. Any board that is left unpainted at the cut ends will absorb moisture and eventually split or rot at the base. Timber is also less suited to areas where overhanging trees keep the wall in near-permanent shade and damp.
Typical installed cost for timber cladding in East Anglia is roughly £60-£100 per square metre, depending on the species, profile and preparation required.
Composite cladding boards are made from a compressed mix of wood fibre and recycled plastic. The result is a board that looks broadly like timber but does not rot, does not need painting and resists insect damage. Colours are consistent and stable for many years without recoating.
Composite boards are available in hollow and solid core versions. Hollow boards are lighter and cheaper but can flex more between fixings and may produce a slightly different acoustic response in heavy rain. Solid boards are heavier and better suited to longer spans.
The fixing method matters with composite. Most systems use a hidden clip that slides onto the board edge - this avoids face-fixing and gives a cleaner finish with no visible screw heads. The clips need to be fixed to a sound timber batten framework behind, with the battens correctly spaced to the board manufacturer's recommendation.
A common problem with cheaper composite boards is delamination at cut edges where the board has been sawn and the exposed face left without an end cap or sealant. On any quality composite installation, every cut end at window reveals, corners and junctions should be capped or sealed to stop moisture tracking in.
Typical installed cost for composite cladding in East Anglia runs from around £80 to £130 per square metre, depending on the board spec and the complexity of the wall.
Fibre cement boards are manufactured from portland cement, fine aggregate and cellulose fibre. They are factory primed and finished in a wide range of colours, or they can be site-painted to match any specification. Unlike timber, fibre cement does not expand and contract significantly with moisture changes, so boards stay flat and fixings stay tight over many years.
One significant advantage is fire resistance. Fibre cement is non-combustible and meets the requirements of building regulations where an A2 or better rated cladding system is specified - relevant if you are adding cladding to a building over a certain height or close to a boundary.
The drawbacks are practical ones: fibre cement is brittle compared to timber or composite, and it requires diamond-tipped cutting equipment and care when handling. Boards should not be fixed at closer than the manufacturer's recommended edge distance or they can crack at the screw. It is also heavier than timber board for board, which affects the fixing substrate required.
Fibre cement cladding typically costs £70-£120 per square metre installed, varying with profile, finish and wall preparation.
Metal exterior cladding - most commonly aluminium or Corten steel with a factory-applied coating - is the premium end of the market. Standing seam profiles, flat cassette panels and corrugated sheets all give dramatically different looks, from agricultural to high-end contemporary.
The main advantages are longevity and minimal maintenance. A quality powder-coated aluminium system, correctly installed, will look good for decades without repainting. Metal is also fully waterproof in itself - provided the joints and fixings are properly detailed, there is no route for moisture to penetrate the board material.
The honest limitations: metal is the most expensive option, typically £120-£200 per square metre or above for aluminium cassette systems. It requires more precise detailing at junctions and around penetrations, which means the labour element is higher. On very exposed elevations, thinner gauge sheets can produce noise in high winds if the fixings allow any movement.
For homes in Eriswell where a very clean, modern finish is the aim, metal is worth considering seriously. For a traditional property where the appearance needs to blend with the surrounding area, composite or timber is usually the better fit.
Regardless of the material, a properly installed exterior cladding system always includes the same key elements:
If you are considering exterior cladding for your home in Eriswell and want a straightforward conversation about which material suits your property and budget, call Mildenhall Roofers and we will come and give you an honest assessment.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
