What is Cladding and What is it Used for?

For industry novices, we are going to answer your most asked questions such as, what is cladding and what is it used for?  At Cladding Coatings, we specialise in all things cladding.  From cladding repair and cladding refurbishment to cladding cleaning and cut edge corrosion repairs.

What is Cladding?

Cladding refers to the components that are attached to the main structure of a building to form non-structural, external surfaces.  Cladding plays an important role in a building’s structure.  Cladding is made of materials such as wood, metal, brick, vinyl, composite materials that can include aluminium, wood, blends of cement and recycled polystyrene, wheat/rice straw fibres.

Cladding is often assembled in panels that are attached to the structural frame of a building, and some cladding systems can even be purchased “off the shelf.”  Some cladding systems may even include additional components, such as windows, doors, gutters, roof lights, vents, etc.

What is Cladding used for?

Cladding is useful for a variety of reasons.  The main use of cladding is to protect the building from external conditions such as the weather.  In particular, wind causes positive and negative pressure on the surface of a building and the cladding must have enough strength and stiffness to resist.  Rain is another element that the building needs protection from, water entering a building will not only damage the structure and building integrity over time but can damage internal walls and even damage furniture, fittings and sale-able goods. In addition to this, cladding also provides privacy and security, acts as a noise insulation and prevents the spread of fire.