Cambridge Roofers installs timber, composite, fibre cement, and metal exterior cladding for homeowners in Soham and the surrounding area.
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Exterior cladding is a layer of material fixed to the outside face of a building's walls. It sits over the structural wall and, depending on the system chosen, can improve thermal performance, protect against rain penetration, and change how the property looks from the street. Done properly, it is one of the most effective upgrades you can make to an older or poorly insulated home.
Cladding is not a single product. Timber, composite, fibre cement, and metal systems all behave differently, suit different property types, and carry different price tags. Understanding what each one involves before you agree to any work will save you money and frustration.
Timber cladding is the most traditional choice and still widely used on residential buildings. Featheredge boarding is the most popular profile - each board tapers from thick at the bottom to thin at the top, and boards overlap one another to shed water. Treated softwood is the common choice for budget projects; hardwood and modified timber (such as thermally treated options) cost more but need less maintenance. Timber cladding on a home typically costs in the region of £50 to £120 per square metre supplied and fitted, depending on the species and profile.
Composite cladding is made from a mix of wood fibre and plastic. It looks like timber but does not rot, split, or need repainting. It is a practical choice for areas where painting and re-treating timber regularly is not practical. Composite boards typically sit in the £80 to £160 per square metre range installed.
Fibre cement cladding is factory-coloured, non-combustible, and very stable in the face of frost, rain, and heat. It is popular on new-build and renovation projects where fire performance matters. Expect to pay £90 to £180 per square metre fitted.
Metal cladding - aluminium or steel - suits contemporary architecture and commercial buildings, though it appears on residential extensions and barn-style homes too. Costs vary widely depending on profile and finish, but budget from £100 per square metre upward for a residential installation.
Cladding is not only for whole-house refurbishments. Common applications include: covering a gable end that is difficult to maintain; improving a flat-roofed extension; updating a garage or outbuilding; finishing a timber-frame new-build; and adding a modern finish to a commercial unit. Soffit boards, fascias, and bargeboards are often renewed at the same time because scaffolding is already up and the boards are part of the same weather envelope.
It can, but only if the installation includes a rigid insulation board fixed behind the outer cladding layer, with a ventilated cavity between the insulation and the boards. This is called a rainscreen or ventilated cladding system. Without insulation in the build-up, cladding primarily improves weather resistance and appearance, not thermal performance. Any contractor quoting you should be clear about whether insulation is included, what thickness is proposed, and what U-value improvement to expect - if they cannot tell you, ask.
This is the part most homeowners skip, and it is where problems start. Cladding is a significant investment. Asking the right questions before you sign anything is the best money you will never spend.
1. Can you show me examples of the same material on a similar building? Any experienced installer will have photographs or, better, a completed job nearby you can visit. Featheredge timber on a detached 1960s house looks very different from metal panels on an extension. If a contractor cannot show you a comparable finished job, that tells you something.
2. What is included in the price - fixing, flashing, trims, and ventilation? Cladding prices in quotes often cover the boards themselves and fixing, but not the trims at corners, windows, and openings, or the breathable membrane behind the boards, or the batten framework. A complete installation requires all of these. Get a written breakdown that lists every element, and compare like with like when you have more than one quote.
3. How will the wall be prepared before installation? Cladding fixed to a wall in poor condition - loose render, damp masonry, failing insulation - will not perform correctly and could trap moisture. A good installer will assess the substrate and tell you if remedial work is needed first. If a contractor wants to go straight to fitting boards without discussing the wall behind them, push back.
4. Will the building need planning permission? For most houses, replacing like-for-like cladding or adding cladding to a rear elevation falls within permitted development. Cladding the front of a house with a material that changes its appearance significantly, or any work on a listed building, is likely to need consent. Ask your contractor what they understand about permitted development for your specific property, and if there is any doubt, check with the local planning authority before work starts - not after.
5. What is the expected lifespan of the system? Treated softwood timber cladding, if maintained, can last 20 to 30 years. Composite and fibre cement boards are generally marketed as lasting 30 years or more without repainting. Metal cladding with a factory-applied coating can last 40 years or longer in residential use. Ask the contractor what maintenance the system will need and how often, so you can budget for it.
6. Who is doing the work - the company's own installers or subcontractors? There is nothing automatically wrong with suitably experienced subcontractors, but you should know who will actually be on your property, and the contractor quoting you should be willing to take responsibility for the finished job. If the answer is vague, press for clarity.
7. How will the site be left at the end of each day? Cladding generates offcuts, packaging, and dust. A professional installation will include waste removal as part of the job. Check that it is included in the quote and not an add-on at the end.
A properly installed cladding system starts with a breathable membrane fixed to the wall, followed by a framework of vertical or horizontal battens that create a ventilated cavity. The cladding boards are then fixed to those battens. At every window opening, door, corner, and roof junction there should be a purpose-made flashing or trim that stops water getting behind the boards. Joints between boards should be tight or designed to shed water, not just butted together and filled with mastic.
If you can see large blobs of sealant covering gaps at corners or around windows, or the boards are fixed directly to the wall without a cavity, those are signs the installation has been cut short.
Many cladding projects also include renewal of the soffit boards (the horizontal boards under the eaves), fascias (the vertical boards at the roof edge), and bargeboards on gable ends. These are often the first elements to show rot and paint failure. Replacing them with UPVC or composite at the same time as a cladding installation avoids a second lot of scaffolding costs later. They are not always included in a cladding quote, so check.
The right starting point for any cladding project is a site visit, not a phone quote. A contractor who quotes from photographs or descriptions without seeing the wall, the roof line, the window reveals, and the existing substrate cannot price the job accurately. Call Cambridge Roofers to arrange a proper survey of your property in or around Soham before any decisions are made.
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