Cladding or Render – Which is Better?

The choice of cladding or rendering is one of the most important decisions you will make when renovating the exterior of your home.

Either of these two finishes will transform your property. Not only will they affect the over aesthetic of your home, sprucing up and adding character, but they can also weatherproof the building, insulating and protecting the walls from the elements.

While you may understand the importance of installing a finish to the exterior of your property, cladding and rendering both have very different qualities and it’s important to know what they are before you settle on one or the other.

In this article, our experts explore which of the two options is better to help you make the best decision for your property.

What are Cladding and Render?

While cladding and render are both applied to the exterior structure of your property, they are quite different in application and made of different materials.

Cladding is installed in the form of panelling which is fixed to the walls of your property. It’s available in a variety of materials, from PVC to timber.

It can also be installed in a wide range of ‘profiles’. This is a term that refers to the way the wood panels are layered and fixed together to achieve a range of different looks, such as sleek and modern or rustic and traditional.

Our experts will recommend different profiles, or board orientation to suit your project and characteristics of different timbre species. In comparison, a rendered finish is quite different to cladding, applied in a wet coating to the walls much like plaster or paint.

Like cladding, there are many different types of rendering to achieve different looks, from pebbledash to roughcast. In the past, rendering was reinforced with materials such as pebbles and gravel to achieve a hard durable layer over the external walls.

If you are considering rendering, it’s worth noting that these pebbledash and gravel looks were popular in the 70s and 80s because they could be created cheaply. For this reason, these types of rendering are now considered outdated and less attractive than cladding alternatives.

What Are the Pros of Timber Cladding?

Longevity

Sophisticated treatments and coatings have been developed which minimise the need for maintenance and replacement further down the line. You can be confident that when purchasing a UC3 preservative treated timber it will last for 30+ years.

Eco-Friendly

People are becoming more and more conscious of the climate crisis and how their choices affect the environment. When it comes to cladding, timber panels are one of the most eco-friendly and sustainable options available.

When choosing your timber panels, it is important to ensure that they are FSC or PEFC certified, which means they come from a renewable, well-managed forest.

Attractive

As we mentioned earlier in the article, there are multiple different profiles available for timber cladding. This means that there are a variety of looks to choose from depending on the style of your home.

For a modern or contemporary aesthetic, you may want to install your wood boards in either a tongue and groove or a square edge profile. However, if you’re after a more traditional look, you may choose feather edge or shiplap.

If you are unsure which profile will best suit your property or the look you are trying to achieve, a cladding expert will be able to advise you on the best profile for you.

What Are the Cons of Timber Cladding?

Cost

This depends entirely on which type of wood you want for your property and the scale of the project itself.

As with most products on the market there are different price points depending on your budget, Brunnea treated Redwood, or Thermowood are cost competitive options, with species such as Canadian Western Red Cedar, Accoya and Abodo being at the more expensive end of the softwood timbers that NORclad offer.

Maintenance

As timber cladding is made from natural materials, it does mean that it is susceptible to rot or splitting, which means a certain level of maintenance necessary to preserve the original quality of the cladding. This can depend on a number of variables, if your timber cladding is; naturally durable, preservative treated, or coated, each of these will have a different maintenance cycle, and require different levels of works over their lifespan.

What Are the Pros of Rendering?

Affordable

When it comes to cost, rendering is one of the cheapest options available for applying a finish to your property, especially in comparison to oak boarding.

Fast Application

Timber cladding has to be installed board by board, and can be a slow installation process to complete, rendering can be a far quicker application process. Its fast and simple application makes it a popular choice for builders.

What Are the Cons of Rendering?

Appearance

Due to its popularity and overuse in the 70s and 80s, rendering can be considered quite dated and less attractive than some other cladding options. It also limits the aesthetic you can achieve on your property, and is mostly coloured white.

May Require Planning Permission

Depending on the location of your property, the materials used to produce the rendering itself may present you with difficulty, especially in areas of conservation or if your property is a listed building.

Damage

As rendering is a coating similar to paint and plaster it is known to be prone to cracking and other defects over time.

Maintenance

Due to its colouration, rendering is also known to discolour over time and may require regular cleaning or resealing to maintain its original quality.

Timber Cladding Solutions from NORclad

NORclad are the leading timber cladding supplier in the South West, with over 40 years of experience manufacturing a range of high-quality timber panels.

For tailored advice on cladding solutions for your project, get in touch with our friendly and expert team today.