Weatherproof your home with uPVC Cladding
Every home requires repair, particularly after a season of bad weather. To make the home habitable, prevent damage, enhance its beauty, and sell it, one must repair it. Cladding the exterior walls is a great way to make a quick renovation. Cladding can be used as an extra covering for plaster or bricks, which are prone to damage due to weather conditions such as rain or snowfall. Cladding boards can be easily fitted over these building materials to prevent damage. uPVC cladding, also called rigid cladding, is a popular building material in the UK and the US. It has almost become a standard in the construction sector over other components, such as metal, wooden or brick cladding, that were traditionally used. Read more now on www.a1-cladding.co.uk
The Advantages of uPVC Cladding
Some of the advantages of uPVC cladding over other cladding options available in the market are:
Unplasticised Poly Vinyl Chloride is a high-quality building material that is produced using a slow manufacturing process. It produces durable plastic boards. uPVC cladding is made up of dense plastic components and can be used for many years without major repairs.
uPVC cladding is thermally insulated. Unlike metal or wooden cladding, a uPVC cladding helps to preserve heat in the room. Thus, it saves energy bills for cooling or heating the room.
It is lightweight so it is easy to move and doesn't add much weight to your building. Using uPVC cladding on the exterior of a building is possible without putting too much pressure on the foundation. To avoid possible collapse, it is important to verify the foundation's load threshold when using metal, concrete, or wooden cladding.
uPVC cladding has soundproofing properties. Soundproofing properties depend on the density of the uPVC material. Higher density means better protection against external noise. This property makes it an ideal material to build schools, hospitals, libraries, museums, and other educational facilities.
It has impact-resistance properties. Consequently, uPVC cladding is able to withstand strong winds and heavy rains without causing any damage. When buying uPVC building material make sure you look at impact resistance options.
Contrary to popular notion, uPVC cladding is not a fire catalyser. Because it has a high melting point, it can be used to prevent fire spreading to other areas. It does not cause the formation of fire dropslets during burning. High quality uPVC building materials have high levels of chlorine, which acts as a fire retardant.
How do you install uPVC Cladding?
Installing uPVC cladding is very simple and can be done without hiring experts. There are two types of plastic cladding available in the market - shiplap cladding and V joint cladding. Both types are manufactured from the same raw material and have similar properties. Only the final product's shape and form is different. Installing the cladding involves attaching it to a wooden frame by nailing them. To achieve high-quality finished surfaces, you will cover it with a second layer. However, if you want to install cladding on a large area, it is better to call in experts. With years of experience, they can arrange different cladding pieces into a perfect-fit. It is impossible to enjoy its thermal insulation and soundproofing properties without proper installation.
Look for industry standards that the British Board of Agrement (BBA) recommends before you buy uPVC cladding in Britain. Research the market for BBA-approved manufacturers of high quality uPVC products. CSTB (French Scientific and Technical Centre for Building) also certifies uPVC fascias, soffits, cladding and other roofing materials. To make an informed decision, ensure that the product carries BSI's kitemark.