Dereham Roofers installs and maintains exterior cladding for homeowners across Attleborough, protecting walls from the weather and giving properties a clean, long-lasting finish.
Exterior cladding is fixed over your existing wall surface, whether that is brick, render, block or timber, and creates a sealed outer skin. It stops rain soaking in, reduces cold bridging and removes the need to repaint or repoint every few years. Depending on the system chosen, it can also improve the thermal performance of the wall it covers.
Cladding is not just for large commercial builds. It suits detached houses, bungalows, extensions, garages and outbuildings equally well. If a wall is looking weathered, stained or is repeatedly causing damp problems inside, cladding is often the most practical long-term answer rather than treating the same surface every five years.
The most common systems fitted to Norfolk homes are uPVC, composite timber-effect boards, and treated timber. Each has different maintenance needs and a different look, so it is worth understanding what you are choosing before work begins.
Typical installation costs for uPVC cladding on a standard two-storey gable or side elevation run from around £80 to £140 per square metre fitted, depending on access, the condition of the substrate and the profile chosen. Composite systems run higher, often £120 to £200 per square metre fitted. Timber varies widely by species and grade. These are general UK ranges, not fixed quotes. An accurate price depends on a proper look at the job.
Good cladding work starts with the wall behind it, not the boards themselves. Any existing render cracks, damp patches or loose material should be investigated before anything goes over the top. Cladding a wall that is already holding moisture traps the problem rather than solving it.
A treated timber or aluminium batten framework is fixed to the wall first. This creates an air gap between the cladding and the original surface, which allows moisture to drain and air to circulate. Without this void, condensation can build up behind the boards and cause rot or mould over time. Flashing and trims around windows, soffits and corners need to be cut and fitted carefully so no water can track behind the boards at any joint.
Where scaffolding or a working platform is needed, that should be included in any quote you receive. Do not accept a price that is subject to additional access costs once work has started.
Before committing to any contractor, ask to see photographs of completed jobs on similar properties. Ask what happens if damp is found behind the existing wall surface once work begins, and whether that cost is included or separate. Ask which batten and fixing specification they intend to use, and whether the boards carry a manufacturer's product warranty (this covers the material itself, not the workmanship, but is still worth knowing about).
A written, itemised quote is essential. It should break down supply, labour, access equipment, trims and any preparation work as separate lines. Vague lump-sum quotes make it impossible to compare contractors fairly or to understand what is and is not included.
This is where a lot of homeowners lose money needlessly. Cladding, whichever material you choose, does need a degree of attention after installation. Getting this right means problems stay small and inexpensive rather than turning into full replacement jobs years before they should.
The single most useful thing you can do is inspect the cladding every autumn, before the worst of the wet weather arrives. You are looking for four things: any boards that have moved or started to bow, any sealant joints around windows and corners that have cracked or shrunk, any moss or algae growth, and any damage to trims and flashings where boards meet soffits or roof edges.
Sealant is used at every point where the cladding meets another material: window frames, door frames, corner trims, soffits, and the junction with the roof. Silicone and frame sealant have a lifespan, and in a typical Norfolk climate they will begin to crack or pull away from one surface within seven to twelve years, sometimes sooner if the original application was thin or the surfaces were not properly prepared.
A failed sealant joint is the most common entry point for water getting behind cladding. The damage this causes is not always visible immediately from the outside, but over two or three winters it can saturate insulation, rot battens and stain internal walls. Checking these joints as part of an autumn inspection and raking out and replacing any that have cracked is a straightforward job that costs very little compared to rectifying water ingress damage later.
uPVC and composite cladding does not need much cleaning, but in shaded or north-facing areas it can develop green algae and lichen over time. Left unchecked, this holds moisture against the surface and can degrade sealant joints faster. A soft brush wash with a dilute proprietary biocide cleaner once every year or two keeps it in check. A pressure washer on a low setting is fine for uPVC, but avoid directing water upwards into the joins between boards.
Timber cladding in particular should be inspected for any areas where the surface coating has worn thin or flaked. These spots should be sanded, treated and re-coated before they allow moisture to penetrate the wood. Ignoring a small patch of bare timber for one more season often means the board needs replacing rather than retreating the following year.
Individual boards can work loose over time if fixings corrode or if there is movement in the batten frame behind them. A board that has lifted slightly at one end or that rattles in the wind is letting wind-driven rain behind it. Refixing a single board early is a quick job. Leaving it allows water to track along the batten to neighbouring boards and the wall beneath.
Check corners and stop-end trims too. These are the most exposed points on any cladding installation and the most likely to take impact damage from ladders, garden equipment or wind-blown debris. A cracked or dislodged trim exposes the raw edge of the board and the fixing beneath.
The visual checks and low-level cleaning described above can be done by most homeowners without specialist help. However, anything that involves working above the ground floor, or that involves removing boards to check what is happening to the wall or battens behind, should be left to someone with the right access equipment. A short inspection visit from a cladding or roofing contractor every two to three years is sensible for any property where the cladding runs above head height.
If you notice any of the following, get someone to take a look promptly rather than waiting for the next routine check: internal damp patches appearing on a wall that was previously dry, mould growth at the base of the cladding, visible gaps appearing at any joint or trim, or boards that are visibly bowing outward away from the wall.
In most cases, re-cladding an existing wall on a standard residential property in England falls within permitted development and does not need planning permission. The exceptions are listed buildings, properties within conservation areas, and in some cases properties where permitted development rights have been removed by a planning condition. If you are unsure, it is worth a quick check with the local planning authority before work starts. Your installer should be able to advise based on experience, but the responsibility for obtaining any necessary consent lies with the homeowner.
We carry out exterior cladding work in Attleborough and across the surrounding area. If you are in or near Attleborough or the surrounding area and want a straight conversation about what cladding would suit your property, call us to arrange a visit and a proper quote.
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Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge - we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
