Working With a General Contractor

Three Ways Vinyl Cladding Is Better than Timber Weatherboard

14 October 2020

Avery Shaw

If the weatherboard cladding around your home looks old, flaky and rotted, it may be time to update it to a modern option. That's why you should consider vinyl cladding that can perfectly imitate timber planks. Here are several ways that vinyl is better.

Maintenance

Timber weatherboards are a hassle to maintain. Over time, the covering paint layer inevitably peels and flakes to reveal the raw wood underneath, giving your home a shabby appearance. With vinyl cladding, though, the colour runs right through the material rather than forming a topmost layer. Thus, it doesn't peel off. 

While repainting a small area, such as a door, might not be too problematic, going over the exterior walls of an entire house is a massive project that you'll have to periodically undertake with a weatherboard house. Alternatively, you'll have to pay for a professional. With vinyl, you can skip this ongoing painting merry-go-round. Instead, you'll only need to clean the cladding with a garden hose or a pressure washer every now and then, depending on its condition.

Doesn't Warp and Rot

Underneath the cladding of your home lies the timber or steel framework. The cladding goes over the top to protect everyone inside from the elements: sun, wind, hail, rain, and snow. Thus, this cladding experiences stress all day and night, particularly when it rains. The problem with timber is that it doesn't relish prolonged water exposure that can cause it to rot and warp. Vinyl, however, is engineered to withstand moisture, so it will more readily protect your home from the weather while suffering less deterioration.

Lower Installation Costs

It's a big job to cover an entire house with cladding. All the material needs to be transported and stacked on-site before it's spread over the exterior walls. Transport, loading, and unloading all add to the installation costs. That's why the weightiness of the cladding you choose is crucial.

Heavy timber weatherboards are more cumbersome than lightweight vinyl, and they'll demand more labour, which will increase the job difficulty. Thus, you'll pay more with wood than you will with vinyl. Additionally, the quicker and easier it is to bond the cladding to the exterior walls, the less inconvenience you'll face if you're living elsewhere temporarily.

Thus, vinyl is better than timber in several ways. To learn more about your options for cladding, contact a supplier in your local area that carries vinyl cladding.

Share  

Search