How does the weather affect cladding performance?

Cladding Coatings have years of experience in the cladding refurbishment industry, fixing issues with metal cladding, including those caused by the weather.

We experience varying weather throughout the year in the UK, with everything from unsettled rainy and stormy conditions to calm, hot and sunny spells. The often-unpredictable weather isn’t just a nuisance for people going about their daily business. It can also cause havoc for your building’s metal cladding.

Whatever the issue, Cladding Coatings have years of cladding refurbishment knowledge and expertise to solve the problem.

Let’s look at how different types of weather can affect your property’s cladding and what can be done to stop it from getting any worse.

Wet and rainy conditions

Rain makes up for a large part of the UK’s weather, with some areas of the UK harder hit than others. It can cause problems for your metal cladding and your gutter system if your property isn’t well maintained.

Gutters that are blocked by debris fail to divert water away from your property’s metal roof. If water can’t drain effectively, standing water can lead to deterioration. As holes and cracks appear in the gutter system, water penetrates these areas and exacerbates the problem. Gutter cleaning and coating can help ensure your gutters work efficiently, allowing water to pass through and divert away from your property.

Over time metal cladding naturally wears and deteriorates. A common problem for metal cladding is cut edge corrosion. Cut edge corrosion occurs when the cut edge of metal sheet cladding is exposed to the elements causing the paint to peel back and crack. When cut edge corrosion is caught early enough, Cladding Coatings offer a cut edge corrosion repair service that stops the corrosion on the metal sheet edge from getting any worse. Treating cut edge corrosion when the problem first arises can save you from more costly cladding replacement.

Freezing and thawing conditions

The constant process of water freezing and thawing on your property’s cladding can cause real problems. When water freezes, it expands, which can cause cracking in your cladding, and the thawing and freezing process can make the cracks and holes even bigger.

Holes and cracks in your metal cladding and areas of cut edge corrosion can cause damage to the structure of your property and allow water to enter. Water entering the property can cause damage to the interior of the building and its contents.

It is important to keep your cladding well maintained. If you notice wear and tear areas on your metal cladding, it is best to solve the issues when they arise before the colder seasons and the freezing weather sets in.

Take a look at some of our cladding refurbishment services, where we use expert coating systems suitable for different types of environments.

Windy conditions

Although we don’t experience weather with gale force winds too often in the UK, it still happens from time to time, and it is best that your building is prepared when the strong winds strike.

Gutters and fascias often get damaged by strong winds, so it is important to ensure they are well maintained and correctly secured to your building. Damaged cladding panels can become loose, which is a major hazard, especially when it’s windy, as the loose panels could blow off your property.

Cladding refurbishment is essential if you see issues with your metal cladding. We offer a cladding repair service that targets specific areas of damage, allowing you to treat the affected area without replacing the entire metal cladding sheet. However, if the damage is too severe, your only option is cladding replacement. Cladding replacement is a more expensive solution, and that is why metal cladding issues must be dealt with when they arise.

Hot and sunny conditions

You might think that it is just the cold, wet weather that affects your building’s cladding performance; however, the hot and sunny weather conditions can cause their own problems.

The sun’s rays can cause your cladding to fade, and when the weather is warm, this can accelerate the issue leaving you with cladding that looks dull and uneven.

When metal cladding is exposed to extreme heat during the day, it expands and at night, when the air temperature is cooler, the cladding contracts. This constant expansion and contraction of the metal cladding causes the paint to crack and peel, leaving an unsightly façade. If left untreated, the problems could get worse.

At Cladding Coatings, we offer a range of cladding refurbishment solutions to ensure that your building’s cladding looks good and performs well.

If you notice damage to your building’s metal cladding, contact us to book your free site survey. Find out more about our cladding refurbishment services here.