Cladding lifecycle: what are the stages and why do they matter?

It is only natural that your cladding will begin to deteriorate over time. There are lots of factors at play here: exposure to the elements, direct weather damage, wear and tear, or even individuals causing accidental damage. They all contribute to the deterioration of your wall and roof cladding in a cycle that begins with new cladding and ends with replacement being your only option.

It’s really important to understand the cladding lifecycle. It means you can pinpoint what stage your building is at, and act quickly for the most efficient and most cost-effective way to repair and refurbish your external façade.

At Cladding Coatings, we assess deterioration on your building’s wall and roof cladding on site, based on tried-and-tested measures used time and time again:

New
The start of the cycle: new cladding or roofing sheets are installed. These are brand new, perhaps replacement of old cladding or forming part of an entirely new building. There’s no sign of problems or any damage.

Fading
You’re starting to see a bit of discolouration in your cladding. Maybe this fading is due to sunlight, or weathering with rain damage, which can affect the entire façade or just one small section. Cladding recoating or repainting for a colour boost is a good call at this stage.

Chalking
Cladding sheets that have started to fade have worsened. There are chalk marks beginning to show, and the paint surface is affected. Your façade is showing real signs of wear and tear.

Refurbishment
Now’s the optimal time for refurbishment work, especially if you didn’t do any cladding repainting work when you spotted signs of façade fading. If you’re at this stage – call on our team. This is the best time to refurbish before real damage occurs in the metal sheeting.

Cracking
Here, you’ll notice that cladding that hasn’t been refurbished or repaired has begun to cause real problems. The paint surface starts to crack and peel – the first stage of cut-edge corrosion – and the metal is exposed. It’s not too late: let us know and we can repair those cracks before the corrosion really begins to be troubling.

Corroding
Cracking and peeling have eaten into the metal cladding. This has left the sheeting edges exposed to the elements, temperature fluctuation and ever-changing weather conditions. Corrosion has occurred in the sheets, so cut-edge corrosion repair is now vital.

Failing
Corrosion has occurred. Leave this problem alone now and your building becomes prone to internal damage, as the façade is no longer performing as needed. The cladding sheeting may leak and become loose, leading to inevitable failure.

Replacement
Once the cladding sheets have failed, sadly on the whole they are irreparable. At this stage, most likely they will need replacing.

Replacement is expensive. It’s hugely disruptive to every part of your business and its operations, and it is always best avoided. Therefore, understanding the cladding lifecycle is essential. The sooner the deterioration is identified and corrected, the fewer the problems and the more cost savings can be made longer term.

Repair and refurbishment are cheaper than replacement. So if you’ve identified a problem, or you need our help highlighting where in the cladding deterioration lifecycle your building sits, talk to us. We’re a friendly, family-run team here to help and deliver standard quotes free of charge.