If you are planning exterior cladding on your home in Girton, here is exactly what the job involves from the first visit to the final tidy-up - so you know what to expect at every stage.
Exterior cladding is not a job that starts and ends in a day on most properties. It involves assessment, preparation, material ordering and then a sequence of installation stages. Knowing what happens at each point lets you ask the right questions, check the work is being done properly and avoid surprises on site.
We fit timber, composite and fibre cement cladding on homes in Girton and across the area, including work in nearby Cambridge, Newmarket and Ely. The process below reflects how a residential cladding job typically runs from start to finish.
Before any materials are specified or priced, the existing wall needs to be looked at properly. That means checking the condition of the substrate - whether it is masonry, timber frame or a previous cladding or render that is still in place. A wall that is actively wet, has structural cracks or has areas of failed pointing needs those issues dealt with before cladding goes over the top.
The survey should also identify where services penetrate the wall - gas pipes, electricity tails, boiler flues, extractor vents - because each of those points needs to be waterproofed correctly when the cladding goes on. Skipping this at the survey stage leads to problems on site when the installer arrives and realises a flue needs repositioning or a service entry is in an awkward position.
Measurements are taken at the survey stage for each elevation to be clad, along with notes on window and door reveals, soffits and any external corners or internal angles. These measurements drive the material quantities and affect the choice of profile and fixing system.
Once the survey information is gathered, the material specification is confirmed. This covers the board type and profile, the batten size (which determines the ventilated cavity depth), the fixing type, any breather membrane to be used, and the flashing and trim details at edges, windows and the base of the cladding.
Material lead times vary. Some composite and fibre cement boards are available from stock; some timber species and profiles need to be ordered and may take a week or two. On a job where scaffolding is being erected for access, it makes sense to confirm material delivery before the scaffold goes up, to avoid the scaffold standing unused while you wait for boards.
Most cladding jobs on a two-storey house require scaffolding. Working from ladders is appropriate for small areas or low-level work, but for a full elevation it is unsafe and impractical - boards need to be lifted, cut and fixed with both hands. Scaffold also protects passers-by and gives the installer a stable working platform that produces a better result.
On a terraced or semi-detached property, neighbouring access may be needed for scaffold footings. That is worth sorting before the job is booked, not on the morning the scaffold crew arrive. In tighter situations, tower scaffolding or a MEWP (mobile elevated work platform) may be used for a smaller area.
The existing wall surface is prepared before anything is fixed to it. Loose render, old battens or failing cladding are removed. Any exposed areas of damaged masonry are made good. If the pointing is open in places, those joints are raked out and repointed.
A breather membrane is then fixed across the wall face. This layer allows any moisture vapour that passes through the wall from inside to escape, while preventing wind-driven rain from getting behind the battens and sitting against the wall. Getting this membrane right - lapping it correctly at joints and sealing it around penetrations - is one of the unglamorous but important steps that determines whether the system performs properly long term.
Vertical or horizontal battens are fixed through the membrane into the wall structure, creating the ventilated cavity between the membrane and the back of the cladding boards. The cavity allows air movement which helps any moisture that gets behind the boards to dry out rather than accumulate.
Batten size affects cavity depth. A minimum of 25mm is the accepted standard for ventilation; on some specifications 38mm or 50mm battens are used where additional air movement or drainage capacity is needed. The battens also need to be level and plumb - the cladding boards will only sit flat and true if the batten framework is accurate.
On a solid masonry wall, battens are fixed with suitable masonry fixings at regular centres. On timber frame, fixings go into the structural studs, not just into sheathing board. The fixing length and type should be appropriate for the board weight and the wind loading the elevation will face.
Boards are fitted from the bottom of the elevation upward. The bottom course is the most visible and the most critical from a waterproofing perspective - the first board needs a starter strip or batten to set it at the correct angle, and the base needs to be flashed to prevent water tracking back against the wall behind.
Boards are cut to length on site. Fibre cement generates fine dust and requires correct PPE during cutting. Timber and composite are cut with standard woodworking tools. All cut ends of timber should be treated with end-grain sealer before fixing; leaving raw end grain exposed is a common cause of early deterioration on timber cladding.
Fixings are driven at the correct torque - overtightening splits boards, particularly with fibre cement. Stainless steel fixings are specified throughout because galvanised fixings can stain lighter-coloured boards with rust marks as the coating weathers.
At window and door openings, reveals are formed and flashing tape or pre-formed aluminium trims seal the junction between the cladding and the frame. This detail is where water most commonly finds a way in on a poorly installed job - the junction between two different materials at a change of plane needs careful thought and proper materials, not just a bead of sealant.
At the head of the cladding, the top edge is flashed or trimmed to prevent water running down behind the boards. External corners are finished with purpose-made corner trim or with mitred boards, depending on the profile and the specification. Internal angles and any junction with an adjoining surface - a lean-to roof, a projecting bay, a covered porch - each need their own flashing detail.
These top and edge details are where the quality of a cladding installation shows. A neatly formed corner with appropriate trim looks sharp and keeps water out. A rough-cut board edge with silicone stuffed into the gap looks poor and will need attention within a few years.
Once the cladding is complete, the installation should be walked over systematically. Check that fixings are fully driven and countersunk correctly, that boards are level and gaps consistent, that all junctions are properly sealed or flashed, and that no membrane has been torn or pulled away during boarding. Any snags are corrected before the scaffold comes down - accessing the wall for small repairs after the scaffold is gone costs disproportionately more.
Cut-offs and off-cuts, packaging and fixings debris are cleared from site. If the job involved painting or staining on site, any masking or overspray on windows, paths or surrounding surfaces is cleaned before the team leaves.
If you are planning cladding on a property in Girton or a nearby village and want to understand what the job will involve on your specific building, call Newmarket Roofers and ask for a site visit. We will give you a straight account of the work needed and a clear price before anything starts.
No obligation · We usually respond within 2 hours
Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge - we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
