You are all sorted internally so now its time to put the finishing touches to the exterior of your project. OK we admit it, we Loooove ❤️ wood cladding but its just one of many options to consider. The installation of cladding, standard render plus paint, self coloured render, aluminium panels, zinc cladding are all amazing and you will be proud when its all finished.
This picture shows an effective use of lots of different external finishes.
External finishing refers to the materials and elements applied to the exterior surfaces of a structure to provide protection, aesthetics, and weather resistance. These finishes contribute to the building's appearance, durability, and overall performance. External finishing includes various components and materials used on the outer surfaces of buildings. The final part of external finishes is installation of drainage and rainwater goods (guttering) as the overall external finish needs to be completed before they can be installed. Heres a more detailed list:
Cladding: Cladding materials such as brick, stone, timber, metal panels, fiber cement, or composite materials are applied to the exterior walls to provide protection from the elements and enhance the building's appearance.
Rendering: Rendering involves applying a mixture of cement, sand, and water to the exterior walls to create a smooth or textured finish. It can be painted or left natural, depending on the desired appearance.
Painting: Exterior painting involves applying paint or protective coatings to surfaces such as walls, doors, window frames, and trim to enhance aesthetics and protect against weathering, UV damage, and corrosion.
Roofing Facias: The panels that sit underneath your roof structure to protect timbers, your rainwater goods will be attached to facias if this is included in your deign. There are cheap and very expensive options to go for. We would always suggest aluminuim products over cheaper plastic alternatives.
Rainwater goods: Installation of guttering and external drainage systems to ensure the water can be safely routed from your roofs into underground drainage systems
External finishing plays a crucial role in the long term protecting the building from moisture, temperature fluctuations, UV radiation, and other environmental factors while enhancing its visual appeal and contributing to its overall durability and longevity. The selection of appropriate materials and finishes depends on factors such as the building's location, climate, architectural style, budget, and maintenance requirements.
You may need specialist installers to help with your finishing requirements. especially if you are using zinc, aluminium or any specialist stone / masonery work.
Often the plans for these are very detailed so make sure you upload them for the new crew members to access via MyBuild. Also use Spaces to detail the exact spec of what you want used where on the exterior of your build including what rainwater goods to use.
Can I save money 💰?
Oh yes you can! If you choose rendering its best to let the builder get on with it. However, if you intend to use any other types of cladding, like wood cladding which is incredibly popular you have a great opportunity to get involved with sourcing the cladding yourself or in partnership with your architect. There is a huge range of cladding options, so it makes good sense to research suppliers. We are doing a future blog post on wood cladding as it can be confusing choosing the right wood and finish. There are also huge price variations so finding the right supplier that meets your needs is crucial. This is an area that you should definitely be involved in and can save significant costs not only on supply but also treatment types (making it easier for the builder or specialist to install). You should also ensure you think about this earlier in the project as most cladding suppliers will take 6 weeks+ to deliver. Getting the timing right is very important.
You should now be used to researching alternatives to any standard offerings (usually supplied through builders’ main suppliers). There’s a huge amount of rainwater goods suppliers so it’s absolutely worthwhile doing some research. In a recent build of one of our users saved 50% on guttering by finding equivalent spec products online saving over £3000. Rainwater goods can be surprisingly expensive. Take your time as you would be surprised how impactful the right guttering can be!
This is an exciting stage of your project as once all rainwater goods have been installed / exterior finishes have been completed you can TAKE THE SCAFFOLDING DOWN!!! Trust us by this point you will be sick of sight of scaffolding. Be aware that some scaffolding firms only remove it when they have the next job to go to so make sure from your builder that it can be removed. It might be good to ask at the very start whether the scaffolding suppliers have a yard to store thier goods to make sure you dont get left with scaffolding
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