If you're looking at exterior cladding for your home in Long Stratton, choosing the right contractor is as important as choosing the right material.
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Exterior cladding is a protective skin fixed over your existing walls. It shields brickwork, render or timber from rain, frost and wind, and it can transform the look of a property at the same time. Systems available include uPVC boards, timber cladding and composite panels, each with different maintenance needs, lifespans and costs. The right choice depends on your wall construction, your budget and how much upkeep you want to take on over the years.
At Diss Roofers, we fit cladding systems to homes across Long Stratton and the surrounding area. This page is less about selling you something and more about helping you ask the right questions before you sign anything with anyone.
Cladding looks straightforward from the outside. Boards go up, job done. But poorly fitted cladding can trap moisture against the wall behind it, lead to rot in timber substrates, cause panels to bow or crack, and create cold bridges that push up heating bills. The problems often don't show for a year or two, by which point the original contractor may be difficult to trace.
The difference between a good installation and a poor one lies in the preparation work - how the wall is assessed beforehand, how fixings are specified, how joints and junctions are sealed, and whether adequate ventilation is built in behind closed-face boards. None of that is visible once the job is finished, which is why choosing carefully upfront matters so much.
Before accepting a quote from any contractor for exterior cladding in Long Stratton, work through the following. A competent tradesperson will answer these without hesitation. Vague or evasive answers are a warning sign.
A written quote for exterior cladding should specify the product name and system being used, the area to be clad in square metres, a description of the prep work, the fixing method, and how trims and junctions will be handled. If any of these elements are missing, ask for them in writing before you proceed.
Verbal agreements are difficult to enforce if work falls short of what was discussed. Keep all correspondence, and if anything is agreed in conversation, follow it up with a short message confirming what was said. This protects you, not just the contractor.
Each cladding material has genuine advantages and trade-offs. Knowing what they are helps you question whether the recommendation you have been given is right for your property.
uPVC cladding is low maintenance, moisture-resistant and available in a wide range of profiles and colours. It does not need painting and will not rot. On the downside, cheaper uPVC can look less substantial, and it can discolour or become brittle over many years if exposed to strong UV without a quality finish. Expect to pay roughly £50-£90 per square metre installed for a mid-range uPVC system.
Timber cladding gives a natural appearance and is well-suited to rural settings. It needs to be a durable species - Western red cedar or treated softwood are common choices - and it will require periodic maintenance such as oiling, staining or painting depending on the finish. Untreated or poorly maintained timber cladding is one of the more common sources of problems on older installations. Installed costs for timber cladding typically range from £70-£140 per square metre.
Composite cladding uses a mix of wood fibre and plastic to give the appearance of timber with far less upkeep. Quality varies significantly between manufacturers, so asking what specific product is being specified, and what the manufacturer states about its durability, is worthwhile. Composite tends to sit between uPVC and timber on cost, often £80-£130 per square metre installed.
Any cladding job above ground floor level requires safe working at height. Ask explicitly whether scaffolding is included in the price, or whether the contractor plans to use ladders or a mobile tower. For anything more than a small section at low level, a properly erected scaffold is the appropriate method - it protects both the workers and the quality of the finished job.
If scaffolding is not in the quote, ask why and get a clear explanation. Some contractors quote low without it and then add it as an extra once work starts. Others use methods that are not appropriate for the height or scope of the job.
You do not need specialist knowledge to carry out a reasonable check as the job progresses. Look at whether boards are going up level, whether fixings appear regular and properly driven, and whether the junctions around windows and doors are being neatly sealed. If something looks wrong to you, raise it immediately rather than waiting until the job is finished.
Once the work is complete, check the following before you make final payment: all boards are secure and none move when pressed; trims and corner pieces are properly fixed; sealant has been applied neatly at all junctions; no fixings are exposed where they should be concealed; and the finished surface is clean and free of damage.
We fit uPVC, timber and composite cladding systems to homes in Long Stratton and the nearby area. If you want a clear assessment of your property and an honest quote that covers everything, call us and we will arrange a visit to take a look.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
