Aluminum Cladding Advantages and Disadvantages
Cladding your home provides you with various benefits, ranging from lowering the trouble around maintenance and increasing aesthetic value, all the way to providing your home with more protection. However, it’s not just the act and the concept of cladding that matters here. What you also need to pay attention to is the material that you use for cladding. Some of the most popular materials are plaster and concrete, brick and timber. Nonetheless, metal cladding (especially aluminum) is getting more and more popular. So, for all those who are still on the fence on this issue, here are several advantages and disadvantages of aluminum cladding that might help you make up your mind.
Pro: Great cost-efficiency
The main reason why so many people love aluminum cladding is due to the fact that you get maximum value for the money that you’re spending on it. It really is that simple. Aluminum is light, durable and resistant to all sorts of weather occurrences, which makes it ideal for the job. Now, great cost-effectiveness doesn’t mean that it’s the cheapest on the market. What it means is that any of its cheapest alternatives tends to be far inferior in all physical properties. In other words, if you’re concerned with the quality of works, more than anything else, aluminum cladding is definitely a good idea.
Con: They’re susceptible to dents
Cladding is mostly there to provide your home with protection from various weather occurrences but the effectiveness of aluminum cladding tend to be quite dubious. On the one hand, it’s great against rain and snow but it’s not that durable against debris flying during storms or hurricanes. Therefore, there are two options worth considering here. First, you need to pick the cladding option based on the climate within your region. Second, you could get yourself aluminum developed with special threads that are designed to withstand such conditions.
Pro: They’re a standard option
When it comes to aluminum wall cladding, the fact that it’s a standard-issue makes all the difference in the world. It comes in standard sizes, which means that they’re made to fit any home designed by an actual architect. They’re also easy to transport, which is a bigger deal than you can imagine. Why? Well, because they’re unlikely to be damaged in the transporting process. Also, keep in mind that these panels are produced in various colors and with various finishes. You can even go with the texture of wood and natural stone. This is particularly appealing for those who are not impressed with aluminum’s natural metallic texture.
Con: The joints need to be carefully sealed
This is not necessarily a hard con, however, it’s worth mentioning that during installation, you have to be extra careful around the joints. This is something that both the installers and manufacturers need to pay close attention to. Otherwise, during heavy rain, there might be water penetration and accumulation within the walls (between the cladding and the wall, to be more precise). Needless to say, this is the one scenario that you’ve originally tried to avoid. Therefore, you need to pay close attention to both who you’re buying from and who you’re hiring to do the cladding.
Pro: It’s durable and safe
Previously, we’ve mentioned that aluminum is prone to denting under direct hits and while this is somewhat true, this doesn’t mean that it’s not durable. These panels are resistant to various weather conditions and are unlikely to develop stains. Ideally, they will last you for a long period of time. This also adds to the cost-efficiency that we’ve discussed earlier. Think about it, an aluminum cladding can last you for decades. If going for a cheaper option means that you will have to rework the cladding in a while, is this option really cheaper, to begin with?
In conclusion
At the end of the day, cladding your home may not be mandatory but it is definitely a good idea. The maintenance of your home is not necessarily expensive… it just never seems to fit your budget. You have all these other things planned out and now, all of a sudden, you have to spend that money on redoing your façade or fixing the exterior wall. Why not just invest in some quality aluminum cladding and be done with this problem once and for all?
