Getting exterior renovations like wall cladding can give your home the facelift it needs.
The beauty behind it is you can get creative about the aesthetic of your home’s exterior. Naturally, you can choose from various exterior wall cladding materials to speak to the aesthetic vision of your home.
But, you can just choose any material – they all come with their pros and cons that you should know.
Learn a few of the most common materials used in exterior wall cladding to find the best one for you!
The Different Types of Exterior Wall Cladding Materials
Aluminum Cladding
The appeal of aluminum cladding stems from two main features – its durability and pricing. This material is commonly used in homes for exterior renovations because of its cost-effectiveness. Not only is it great to pay less for the material, but also for long-term costs. Since aluminum is known to be a strong material, you won’t need to worry about it being high maintenance. In turn, aluminum is great for having an incredibly long lifespan.
Despite these benefits, there are drawbacks to aluminum cladding. Depending on the quality of aluminum, this material is susceptible to dents. If you live in an area with higher chances of storms or hurricanes, the debris flying around during those times will seriously challenge its durability. In this case, it might not provide good protection at worst. Or, your home will look unsightly at best. Best to consider this option if your area mainly deals with rain or snow.
Vinyl Cladding
A rather popular option is vinyl cladding. But, what’s so great about this material that most people use it? Like aluminum, vinyl cladding is an inexpensive material that you can use that’s low maintenance. However, unlike aluminum cladding, vinyl earns its popular reputation from its variety of looks. Do you want to have the look of wood without the possible downsides of it? Then your best bet is to go for vinyl! Vinyl’s versatility is great in this way.
Unfortunately, despite vinyl’s many perks, there are a few issues. For instance, vinyl cladding isn’t the most durable and long-lasting material—factors like climates and improper maintenance cause vinyl to look worn out faster. In turn, it becomes susceptible to damage to your home. For example, a hailstorm puncturing your home causes water damage, leading to unhealthy conditions like mold and rot. Plus, when it’s starting to look aged already, it can make it harder to sell if you plan to sell your home.
Wooden Cladding
Wooden cladding brings the beauty of nature through the look of your home. This material is naturally one many love for how aesthetically pleasing it can make your house look. Wood is simply timeless for looking effortlessly classy or rustic. Plus, choosing wood, it’s a more environmentally-friendly option for those conscious about going green. Yet, like any material, wooden cladding does come with cons. Wood might seem sturdy, but unfortunately, it’s not as durable. If that’s important to you, it’s best to steer clear of going with this material.
Furthermore, wooden cladding is known for its high maintenance. For instance, if you wish to paint wooden cladding, it will need to be repainted more frequently. In turn, you’re spending more money to maintain it. Besides having to pay for upkeep, the material itself is rather expensive. It gets even more costly when you want a certain type of wood for your cladding. If you don’t have the time to maintain it and are strapped for cash, you might want to rethink your options and opt out of wooden cladding.
Stone Cladding
Stone cladding is another nature-inspired look that’s quite popular. Unlike wooden cladding, this material’s appeal goes beyond its aesthetic quality. You can guarantee with stone cladding that it’s extremely durable, exemplified by its long lifespan. Even better – it’s easy to maintain long-term and can ensure optimal protection from weather conditions. Beyond that, stone cladding is great for providing a high level of insulation. So, you can ensure you stay warm during colder seasons while remaining cool during the warmer ones.
However, despite all these great things about stone cladding, there are cons you must know. First and foremost, you should know that stone cladding is incredibly expensive. So, if you wish to remain cost-effective, this material isn’t for you. Furthermore, you need to be careful when it comes to cleaning stone cladding. Why is that? Well, if you use strong cleaning products, it can cause damage to its surface. These are just a few of what you need to consider to ensure it’s worth the price of installing it in your home.
There are plenty of other cladding materials out there beyond these here. But, these are the most well-known and common – making them more accessible. For the best cladding material, your best bet is to go with one that works with your budget, looks good, and suits your needs for durability. From there, you can find the best one for your home!