Types Of Cladding Materials

The term 'cladding' stands for a protective layer that is provided on the exterior of a building to build up non-structural, external surfaces.

The purpose of cladding is to arrange a degree of thermal insulation and weather resistance as well as enhance the look of the buildings. Cladding transmits wind loads, impact loads, snow loads and its own self-weight back to the structural framework.

Given below, the details about different types of cladding materials :-

Wood or Timber Cladding

Wood or timber cladding is mostly found in commercial & domestic buildings and specifically in interiors to fill with warmth.
Wood is a lightweight material and a good substitute of heavy masonry exterior walls. Consequently the size and the foundation is reduced significantly.
Different types of woods like hardwoods, softwoods or engineered woods are used for cladding. Wooden cladding panels can be easily pre-fabricated. Besides, they have strong thermal & sound insulation and can be repaired quickly.
The price of wooden cladding varies from 100 - 500 rupees per square foot.

Brick Cladding

It is very inexpensive and has been utilized for a long time. It prevents water penetration. It's appearance is aesthetically beautiful with different types of patterns.

Concrete Cladding

It is suitable for commercial, industrial, institutional and residential sectors. GRC (glass fibre reinforced concrete) is utilized as a cladding material for decorative purposes.
Concrete cladding can be directly attached over brickwork or masonry without plastering & painting. The installation & maintenance cost is low.
It is available in various sizes like 2450 x 1200 mm, 2750 x 1200 mm, 3000 x 1200 mm.

Stone Cladding

It is natural and sustainable in nature. It is applied in interior walls.
Different types of stones are available which range from granite, slate, marble, sandstone, limestone, kota stone and stone veneers.
The maintenance is easy as the textured walls only need usual vacuuming or feather dusting to remove the dust.
It can be used as stone mosaics, table tops, sandstone, granite, stone pebbles, cobble stone, stone chips, stone veneers, semiprecious stones etc.
Stone veneer - Beige sandstone is used as prime material. It is available in different sizes like 600x300x12-18mm (price rupees 25/sq.ft); 300x150x10-15mm (price rupees 15/sq.ft); 300x75x8-12mm (price rupees 15/sq.ft).

Glass Cladding

Glass has good impact resistance and burglar resistance capacity.
For cladding, different types of glasses are available like enameled and laminated safety glass, lacquered glass or even ceramic printed glass (with higher resistance strength to pressure, impact and temperature fluctuations).
Glass also contains acoustical comfort. There are louver implanted glass panels which can direct the sun rays if required.
The glass is available in maximum 2000x4000 mm size.

UPVC Cladding

It is frequently used in interiors and in some cases exterior cladding.
It has good water-resistance strength and suitable for wet areas like kitchens and bathrooms.
It is inexpensive and can be installed easily. It is available in different colors & styles.
It is available in different sizes - Standard lengths : 1,2 m - 2,6 m en 4 m; standard width : 10 cm, 25 cm en 37, 5 cm. Thickness is 5 - 9.5 mm.
It costs 50 - 300 rupees per square foot.

Tiles Cladding

Tile cladding is available with various materials like concrete, granite, ceramic, brick or glazed tiles, marble, stainless steel). There are also different types of designs like rustic, strip, wave etc.
The concrete tiles are long-lasting and have good water resistance capacity. They can be applied in load-bearing and non-load bearing walls.
The weather resistant granite tiles are suitable for interiors and exteriors.
Vitrified ceramic tiles contain low water absorption capacity (ideal for cold areas) and good resistance strength against stain & erosion.
Mosaic cladding tiles are suitable for bathrooms as they dry up quickly.
The cost of tiles cladding is rupees 28 - 130 per square foot.

Boards Cladding

Now-a-days different types of boards are used for cladding which range from compressed cement boards, gypsum boards, calcium silicate boards, fibre cement boards, e-boards as well as eco-friendly boards.
In recent times, high pressure laminates are utilized in hospitals.

Metal Cladding

It is perfect for industrial buildings. Aluminium and steel cladding are normally found.
Steel is utilized in exterior and interior surfaces and available in different finishes like mirror, hairline, texture etc.
It has strong resistance capacity against erosion, flame, termites etc. It can be sculpted in various shapes. It is ideal for high-humidity surroundings.
Mild and stainless steels are two major forms of metal cladding. Stainless steel is applied for backsplashes and furniture tops.