Can I Put a Cladding Over the Brick Wall of My Home?

If you reside in a wet region, you might want to protect the exterior wall of your home so that moisture will not destroy it. To do this, you can put a cladding over the brick wall of your home. Cladding your home will not only reinforce the structure, but it will increase the aesthetic value and give your house a contemporary look. 

But the issue is the kind of cladding that you use in your home. There are several types of cladding materials that you can purchase in the market. You can use timber cladding, composite cladding, and PVC cladding. All these weatherboarding materials are suitable, but some are better than others. Let’s consider the various cladding materials that you can put over brick.

Types of Cladding that You Can Put Over Brick

Wood Cladding Material

This is one type of cladding material that you can put over the brick wall of your home. Wood cladding is made from timber. Two kinds of wood are usually used to make wood cladding. The two types of wood are softwood and hardwood. Examples of softwood are spruce and pine. Hardwood examples are cedar and redwood. The disparity between softwood and hardwood is that the former is not naturally strong and requires chemicals to make it firm. 

The latter is naturally strong and does not require chemicals. Chemicals increase the durability of timber and make it resist the pressure nature placed on it. Aside from that, untreated wood contains moisture that makes it less durable. Pressure-treating wood removes the water from the timber and increases its durability. Timber cladding is good because it has the traditional wood looks that most homeowners prefer. Also, timber cladding, most especially softwood cladding, is not expensive. 

But the downsides of timber cladding is that it is not easy to maintain or take care of a wood cladding. You have to sand, seal, stain or paint your wood cladding after you have put it over the brick of your home. Also, with time wood cladding loses its durability. It will eventually become susceptible to insects and the element of mother nature. 

Composite Cladding Material

Another cladding material that you can put over the brick wall of your home is composite cladding. It is unlike wood cladding that contains 100% timber. Composite cladding contains recycled wood and plastic. Makers of plastic wood cladding process the wood and plastic in a factory where they mix them with an adhesive before heating the mixture. This process makes the composite cladding strong. 

The durability of composite cladding is another thing for you to consider. Plastic wood cladding lasts longer than other cladding materials. You can use your composite cladding for more than 20 years. Aside from durability, composite cladding is easy to maintain. There is no need to sand, seal, stain or paint your composite cladding the way you will a wood cladding. All you should do is clean it with a cloth if it is dirty. 

Cleaning composite cladding is easy because dirt will not stick to the surface. Aside from easy maintenance, composite cladding is resistant to elements of mother nature. The fluctuating temperature will not affect your composite cladding. Your plastic wood cladding will not break or splinter. Also, your plastic wood cladding will nor warp. A composite cladding has an improved surface texture that makes it absorb less moisture.

 Absorbing less moisture means that your composite cladding will not swell and rot. Also, moisture is one of the conditions that favour the growth of mould and mildew. Since composite cladding does not absorb water, then, it will be difficult for mould and mildew to grow on its surface.

Plastic Cladding Material

This is another cladding that you can put over brick. It will protect the exterior wall of your home from moisture, and it will increase the longevity of your home. Plastic cladding contains only plastic. Being a synthetic material, plastic cladding is durable and strong. PVC Cladding is easy to maintain. You have to use a cloth to clean the surface of your plastic cladding. 

Also, taking care of your plastic cladding is not expensive, and it will not consume your time like taking care of wood cladding. Another thing about plastic cladding is that it comes in various colours. But the downside of PVC is that you cannot customise it so that it will look like the traditional wood material. 

Since homeowners prefer something that will replace their wood and still look like wood, they might not like to purchase plastic cladding. The cladding material that you can customise to look like wood is a composite cladding. That is why homeowners consider it as a better alternative to wood cladding.

Conclusion

Can I put a cladding over the brick wall of my home? Yes, you can put a cladding over the brick wall of your house to reinforce the structure. Composite cladding is the best material to use in this instance because it is easy to maintain, and it looks like wood.