Can I Replace My Stone Cladding with Composite Cladding?
Yes, you can replace your stone cladding with composite cladding. However, you should know that replacing stone with composite cladding involves tearing out the original cladding. Tearing out your stone cladding must be a calculated risk because you must ensure you do not damage the brick behind it.
When you want to replace your stone cladding with composite cladding, the condition of the wall that the cladding is built on has to be good. On the other hand, there are some cases where the wall behind the cladding might be weak, so you must take extra precautions.
Why Most Homeowners Decide to Change Their Stone Cladding
Stone cladding has been an option for homeowners to use. It provides a natural aesthetic appearance to the house and has been proven to have excellent durability. However, you may be re-considering your natural stone cladding because it has been down for some time.
Why Homeowners Are Using Composite Cladding
If you live in a street full of brick houses, cladding your home with composite cladding will definitely make it stand out. Composite cladding will improve the appearance of your home and give it a modern and natural finish. In terms of design pattern, it is available in sanded finishes and woodgrain finishes. Composite cladding is also available with slatted finishes in order to give it that 3D look.
Given that composite cladding is a synthetic material, you will be able to purchase any colour you desire. In today’s market, we are seeing new colours such as bright blue and green. With composite cladding, you can definitely find the best matching colour for your property and create a colour theme within the property.
Another upside of composite cladding is that you can maintain it with ease. Dirt on the surface has never been easier to remove. Just grab some warm soapy water and a soft brush, and you have everything you need.
Due to the plastic nature of the composite cladding, the boards are resistant to the growth of mould and mildew. You don’t have to sand or seal your composite cladding to make it last longer like you would with timber cladding. You can enjoy your composite cladding longevity and benefit from
It’s low maintenance.
Also, composite cladding is easy to install. Thanks to the featherweight design of composite cladding boards, you can transport them and move them around the garden with ease.
How to Replace Your Stone Cladding with Composite Cladding
Typically stone cladding consists of pieces of rock all connected together to create a tile-like structure. In some cases, the stone cladding is cemented directly to the walls. In this case, the only way you can remove them is by chipping them away with a hammer, chisel, pry bar or power hammer chisel. It is best to target the grout joint that links the stone together, which is essentially just the space between the two stones. Ensure to use leverage and loosen the individual stones so that they can be separated from the cement mortar.
Fix the Composite Cladding
The next thing to do is to cover the exterior wall of your house with composite cladding. If you are an experienced DIYer or professional landscaper, you will have no problem with this. Or, you can hire someone to fix your cladding for you. Composite cladding requires batons for the installation, so ensure to fit these onto the wall first.