The best composite cladding brand is one that combines high-quality materials, proven product performance, appropriate warranties and a reliable fixing system.
Rather than choosing a manufacturer based on appearance or price alone, it’s worth comparing how its boards are made, what testing they undergo and how well they’re designed to withstand the British climate.
Ecoscape offers a range of composite cladding systems, including Forma Panel, Forma Slatted and Forma Click for Grad®. But what should you look for when comparing composite cladding brands, and how can you identify a quality product?
What Is Cladding?
In the building and construction industry, cladding refers to placing one material over another for visual appeal or functional purposes. When talking about home design, cladding refers to boards made from various materials placed on a home’s walls.
You can place cladding boards on your home’s interior and exterior walls. Exterior cladding generally has more practical benefits, while putting cladding on the interior walls of your home is usually for aesthetic purposes.
Wall cladding placed on the exterior of your home can offer many functional benefits, such as saving you money and adding value to your home. We will discuss how below.
What Are The Benefits Of Cladding?
If you’re wondering why you should start a cladding project of your own at home, then we have listed many of the benefits that could help persuade you.
Insulation
The UK is known for becoming excessively cold in winter and has recently become particularly warm during summer.
This often costs UK residents considerably to heat their homes in the winter and cool them in summer. Thankfully, placing wall cladding on the exterior of your home can improve your home’s insulation significantly.
This is because most of the exterior of your home will be covered by an extra layer of cladding boards, making it more difficult for heat to escape in winter and retaining cool air during summer.
You will, therefore, only need to slightly heat and cool your home when it’s hot or cold out, which can save you a lot of money on electricity, and gas.
The insulation properties of your cladding won’t only apply to hot and cold air, as they can also insulate any noise inside your home, which can prevent sounds from reaching your neighbours and any noises your neighbours make from entering your home as well.
Visual appeal
If you want to change the look of your home, but don’t want to spend a ridiculous amount of money on renovations, then you should consider adding some wall cladding, as it can give your home a sleek, modern aesthetic.
There are many different types of cladding material on the market, and these materials come in a wide variety of different colours, so you’ll easily be able to find a range of cladding boards that you’ll like.
Cladding is also relatively easy to install and does not cost all that much to purchase if you compare it to remodelling a large section of your house. It can also easily be removed if you no longer want cladding, or it can be swapped out for a different material or colour a few years down the line.
An extra layer of protection
One of the main benefits of cladding is that it provides your home with an extra layer of protection, as it can protect the external walls of your home from the elements in a good few ways.
A few types of cladding are water resistant, such as composite cladding, so it will take the brunt of any wet weather you experience. This means any algae or mould that would have grown on your walls will instead form on your wall cladding.
Cladding, in particular, is often much easier to clean than a painted wall and can save you from having to paint your walls for a good few years.
Extreme heat can also cause the paint on the exterior of your home to fade over time, but once again, cladding provides a barrier that protects this paint, as it will take the brunt of any UV exposure.
Strong winds can cause debris to fall off trees and blow onto your home, which can cause some damage. Cladding, however, provides an extra layer of protection that will protect your home from any debris blowing in the wind.
Who Is Ecoscape?
If this article has grabbed your attention, then you’ll probably want to know where you should purchase your composite cladding boards.
At Ecoscape, we offer some of the highest-quality composite products on the market while still making them using eco-friendly materials. We also offer some great warranties and various finishes and colours to choose from.
So if you live in the UK or elsewhere in Europe, you should consider purchasing your composite products from Ecoscape, as we will be able to deliver them to your door within 2-5 business days.
What Makes a Good Composite Cladding Brand?
The quality of composite cladding depends on more than its colour, finish or initial price. The materials used, manufacturing process, independent testing and warranty conditions all help determine how a cladding system is likely to perform.
When comparing composite cladding manufacturers, consider the following factors.
Materials and Board Construction
High-quality wood-plastic composite cladding combines wood fibres and plastic polymers to create boards designed for outdoor use.
The quality and proportions of these materials, together with the manufacturing process, influence the finished board’s strength, moisture resistance and dimensional stability.
Capped composite cladding features an additional protective polymer layer designed to improve resistance to staining, moisture and UV exposure.
However, not all composite boards are manufactured to the same specification, so it’s worth checking the construction of each product rather than assuming all composite cladding performs identically.
Product Testing and Technical Specifications
A reputable composite cladding manufacturer should provide technical information that helps customers assess the suitability of its products.
Depending on the cladding system, relevant testing may include:
- Water absorption and swelling: Evaluates how the material responds to moisture.
- Artificial weathering: Assesses changes following simulated environmental exposure.
- Impact resistance: Measures resistance to damage from impacts.
- Dimensional stability: Assesses changes in board dimensions under specified conditions.
- Fire performance: Identifies the product’s tested fire classification and suitability for particular applications.
- Fixing performance: Helps establish how securely the cladding can be attached to its supporting structure.
Ecoscape provides technical specifications for its composite cladding ranges, allowing customers and professionals to review relevant product characteristics.
When comparing brands, look for documented test results and applicable standards rather than relying solely on descriptions such as ‘premium’ or ‘high-performance’.
Warranty Coverage
A manufacturer’s warranty can provide useful reassurance, but its length alone doesn’t establish which cladding brand offers the best quality.
Check what the warranty covers, including:
- Manufacturing defects.
- Structural performance.
- Colour change and fading.
- Registration requirements.
- Installation and maintenance conditions.
- Exclusions and limitations.
Ecoscape’s Forma composite cladding ranges are advertised with 25-year limited warranties, subject to the applicable terms.
Always compare the actual warranty conditions rather than simply choosing whichever manufacturer advertises the longest period.
Installation Systems and Product Support
A quality composite cladding system should provide compatible fixings, trims and clear installation instructions.
Correct fixings and appropriate expansion allowances are important because composite boards naturally expand and contract with temperature changes.
Look for manufacturers that provide accessible installation guides, technical support and replacement accessories.
For more information about the fitting process, see our composite cladding installation guide.
Why You Should Choose Ecoscape Composite Cladding
Warranty
Ecoscape’s Forma Panel, Forma Slatted and Forma Click for Grad® composite cladding ranges are advertised with 25-year limited warranties.
Warranty coverage varies according to the applicable terms and conditions, including requirements relating to installation, maintenance and registration.
When comparing composite cladding brands, it’s worth examining what each manufacturer’s warranty actually covers rather than relying on the advertised warranty period alone.
Colours
At Ecoscape, you can choose from three composite cladding ranges:
- Forma panel: Natural Oak, Midnight, Argent, Flint, Spiced Oak, Silver Birch and Havana
- Forma slatted: Natural Oak, Light Oak, Midnight, Argent, Silver Birch, Spiced Oak and Havana
- Forma Click for Grad®: Natural Oak, Dark Oak, Charred Wood, Argent and Silver Birch
If you have any other Ecoscape products, such as our composite decking, or composite fencing, then you’ll be able to purchase composite cladding that will be able to match the rest of your composite products.
Trims
Our composite cladding comes in three styles, so you’ll be able to choose one that suits the rest of your home.
If you prefer the look of real wood, but don’t want to have to deal with the maintenance that comes with timber cladding, then you should consider our slatted cladding boards, as they look very similar in style to traditional wood cladding boards.
If you’re going for more of a modern look, then you should consider our panel cladding boards instead, as they will give your home more of a sleek, modern look, as the panels have a smooth finish without any lines like our slatted cladding boards have.
If you want a quick, ready-specified system, consider Forma Click for Grad®. The boards click onto the Grad® rail with no screws or visible fixings, come in three widths (45mm, 64mm and 119mm) and can be fitted horizontally or vertically.
Board length
If you decide to order composite cladding boards from other companies, they may not offer you cladding boards that will be the correct length for the area of your home you are planning to clad.
This will cause you to need to cut your cladding boards, which will require extra effort or money on your part, as it might be a good idea to hire a professional to do it for you if you aren’t all that clued up on DIY.
At Ecoscape, you can choose between two different lengths when purchasing cladding boards, as our slatted and Forma Click boards come in lengths of 2,500mm or 3,600mm, and our panel boards in 3,600mm.
Free samples
If you are worried about how your cladding or other composite products will look in person once they have been fitted to your property, then Ecoscape has a solution for you.
We offer free samples of all three of our cladding ranges, so you’ll be able to see what they will look and feel like before you make a large purchase of a large number of our cladding boards.
Which Composite Cladding Brand Should You Choose?
The best composite cladding brand for your project depends on the quality of its materials, available technical evidence, warranty coverage, installation requirements and the finish you’re looking for.
Ecoscape offers several composite cladding systems with different profiles, colours and fixing options, supported by product specifications and manufacturer warranties.
Whatever brand you choose, prioritise documented performance and suitability for your property over unsupported claims about which product is the best.
FAQS
Is composite cladding more expensive than wood?
Yes, it is usually more expensive than wood; however, the fact that it does not require the use of any treatment products means that it will save you money in the long run.
Does composite cladding add value to a house?
Almost any renovation to your home can add value to it, and composite cladding is no different.
