Composite cladding is a popular contemporary solution to house cladding in the UK.
It is known to be an incredibly durable material with lots of other benefits, such as being low maintenance and providing great insulation.
While composite cladding is definitely not the cheapest option on the market, it is an excellent material, which is why some people will try to save a quid or two by purchasing cheaper composite cladding from a potentially less reliable manufacturer.
But in the good intention of saving money can lie some very dangerous downsides, which might not just end up costing you more money, but can also potentially even harm your physical wellbeing or the safety of your own home.
In this article, we will walk you through why it is important not to save on the wrong end when it comes to purchasing composite cladding.
Reasons why you should avoid cheap Composite Cladding
Ever since the horrific events at the Grenfell Tower in London, where badly manufactured cladding led to tragic deaths and the destruction of an entire property, it should be evident that buying cheap or faulty building materials is not just reckless but also seriously dangerous.
Below you will find some of the main reasons why cheap cladding boards should not be on your next house reno shopping list.
Negative effects on Your Property Value
In case you might want to sell your house someday, you might get serious issues finding a buyer that is willing to purchase a property without knowing exactly what materials have been used to build it.
On top of that, if you need a mortgage and are looking to remortgage your home, or the potential buyers of your house require one, a bank will not provide you with financial support unless you can state the exact materials that have been used for your property.
So trying to save a buck for your exterior cladding can cause you some serious financial distress in the long run.
Low Fire Resistance
Composite cladding should be a material that is installed for your property’s protection. But cheap materials can cause more damage than good.
As seen in the horrific Grenfell Tower events, material that has a low fire resistance can potentially enhance the damage a fire can cause to a property by being easily flammable.
If you buy cheap composite cladding, you might not get the proper information on what materials the cladding boards are made of. This could lead to you buying cladding boards that either have low fire resistance or are extremely flammable.
Our composite cladding comes with an extra layer of polymer, which not only protects it from the elements on a daily basis but also makes our Ecoscape composite extremely fire resistant.
Fades in Colour
Poorly manufactured materials might not have any UV resistance or have been made with colours that easily fade once exposed to rain and sunshine.
You might end up with discoloured cladding or a completely different colour than what you initially purchased, which will cause the opposite of what you initially intended: a beautified facade.
Low Durability
Cheap materials are usually manufactured in a cheap manner as well. This means that the outcome is of low quality. A low-quality material will have less durability when exposed to the elements and the test of time.
Your composite cladding may begin to warp, crack or rot. In the worst case, it could break completely and need to be replaced, which will end up costing you a lot more than what you bargained for.
Unsustainable
Cladding materials that are manufactured in a cheap manner could come from manufacturers that do not check whether their wood comes from FSC-certified sources or whether their plastic is actually recycled.
On top of that, the materials might have been made using harmful substances which can cause damage to the environment or people.
Such low-cost manufactured wall cladding will lose all the benefits that our high-quality composite cladding will provide you with.
Cheap materials will not be able to provide the same sound or thermal insulation, which will mean that you will lose out on the energy efficiency of your wall cladding. Eventually, you will end up with higher energy bills than you were expecting.
Low-Quality
A company that decides to cut corners and produce cheap cladding will most likely save money when it comes to its product development and testing, too.
This means that you will not receive the best cladding available and deal with a manufacturer that does not care about customer feedback and improving the quality of their cladding boards either.
The result can be that you will struggle with the installation, have your cladding warp or only fit together awkwardly, which will ruin the overall look of your cladding completely.
Using low-quality composite boards could also cause you to miss out on the low-maintenance properties that are expected with composite cladding. If the cladding boards do not slot in well, there might be weaknesses in the structure, causing the material to be more susceptible to the elements, which could cause it to decay much sooner.
You will therefore have to put a lot more time and cost into the maintenance of your cladding.
FAQs
What are the benefits of high-quality composite cladding?
Choosing high-quality composite cladding will provide you with the full range of benefits, such as better insulation and lower energy bills, ending with a better look and a more contemporary design.
Composite cladding manufacturers that fully disclose the materials they use for their wall cladding, such as Ecoscape, will increase the value of your property and can guarantee homeowners the best price for the value they are receiving.
Is Ecoscape Composite Cladding safe?
Yes, our cladding materials are safe and come with a 20 to 25-year warranty. On top of that, it is weather and water-resistant and also highly resistant against fire.
What other wall cladding options are there?
While composite is becoming increasingly popular, there are a plethora of cladding alternatives on the market that range from traditional timber cladding made of wood to UPVC or aluminium.
Their insulation and protection properties vary depending on the material, and so does the total cost of the material and the installation. However, what should not vary is the importance you, as a buyer, put on the quality of your cladding materials. This ultimately means that it is not a better option to opt for the cheapest alternative.
Is Composite Cladding easy to install?
Yes, Ecoscape composite cladding is especially easy to install. In fact, you can even make it a DIY exterior project.
Final Thoughts
No matter if you are ending up paying higher energy bills, are losing out on a potential buyer because they are not able to apply for a mortgage or you end up potentially risking your building structure to fail or even harm you and your property, buying cheap composite cladding will have you not saving money but spending money eventually.
Invest in high-quality composite cladding from Ecoscape today and purchase our reliable cladding boards.
Our composite cladding boards come in a range of colours, so you can reap the many benefits of having cladding that protects your home’s structure and external walls and comes with a guaranteed warranty while never ceasing to look stylish. For a long-lasting installation that homeowners can trust.
