Your home has several exterior walls, all of these needs to be maintained regularly to ensure damp and pests are unable to get into your home.
This means taking the time to inspect your home regularly, look for cracks and damage to the exterior and then repair it, the sooner you repair it the better.
Unfortunately, regular maintenance can be time-consuming and frustrating, that’s why many people start looking at siding or cladding options.
Anything that goes on the exterior walls of your home can be classed as cladding. One of the most popular options is vinyl cladding because it is cheap and very low maintenance. It also improves the insulation properties of your home, potentially saving you money!
But, if you check with an expert, such as Peter Bracey, you’ll find that it’s worth considering stone cladding.
What Is Stone Cladding?
In the past houses were made from stone, creating strong and weatherproof structures. However, this is an expensive and slow way to build, not something that is a good idea in the modern world.
Stone cladding is created by pouring cement into natural stone molds. The result is a stone that is made of cement, which is cheaper than mining and cutting real stone. By creating molds it is also much easier to create an interlocking pattern that will affix to the walls of your home.
In fact, you can use stone cladding inside or outside your home.
Most stone cladding systems are affixed to your home with stainless steel fixings, to stop them from rusting.
The stone cladding has weep holes which allows any moisture that does penetrate the cladding to be expunged.
It is also possible to use natural stone and bond it to a concrete panel, then fasten this to your walls. This is a cheaper option as it uses less material.
Is It Right For Your Home?
The real question is not how good stone cladding is because it offers good insulation and can look good on your home. It’s actually whether you should put it on your home, is it a suitable material for you and your home?
There are several factors you should consider before you can answer this:
Your Area
Take a look at the other houses in your area, this will give you an idea of whether stone cladding is in keeping with the other hoses and how they have been finished.
For example, if you have a terrace house in a row of brick houses, adding stone cladding to your home is going to make it stand out, but it’s unlikely this will be for a good reason.
But, if you have a detached house and others in your area have adopted stone cladding or similar styles, then you can consider it as a viable option.
Planning
It is unlikely that your local planning regulations will affect your choice of cladding. However, it is worth checking with them before you do anything. After all, if the stone cladding is not allowable you don’t want to spend your money only to be told to remove it all!
If you do need permission, you’ll be glad you asked first!
Cost
Don’t forget that stone cladding is not the cheapest option on the market. You’ll want to make sure you have the budget for it before you commit to having stone cladding.
This may not reflect whether it is suitable or not but it will be relevant to your budget.
You should also consider that the stone cladding may add value to your house but your house will still be in the same area, it’s ultimate value will be limited. You should take a minute to decide if you’ll get your money back or not and if this worries you.
Damage
Finally, it is worth considering the damage that stone cladding can do to the exterior wall. This will be minimal if you use a reputable contractor.
But, stone cladding removal can damage the original wall, leaving you with an expensive bill to restore the original finish. If you’re wondering whether to stone clad your home you need to be doing it for the long term to make it worthwhile.
Don’t forget, if you’re planning to sell stone cladding can look great. But, it may leave potential buyers wondering what’s wrong with your walls. If you’re thinking about selling it can be a good idea to take pictures of the walls before the cladding is put up, this will allow you to demonstrate they were in good condition.
