Newmarket Roofers fits exterior cladding on homes in Haverhill, and this page walks you through exactly what the job involves so you know what to expect before anyone turns up on site.
A lot of homeowners agree a price for exterior cladding and then feel uneasy when the work starts because they did not know what each stage was supposed to look like. Understanding the sequence helps you follow the job properly, ask the right questions at the right time, and spot if something is being skipped.
The process below applies to a standard domestic cladding installation in Haverhill - new cladding to one or more elevations, replacing either old cladding or an existing render or painted masonry finish. The sequence is broadly the same whether the material is timber, composite or fibre cement.
Before a price can be given, the wall needs to be looked at properly. A survey is not just measuring the area. It should include checking the condition of the existing wall surface or cladding, identifying any damp, rot or structural issues that would need sorting before new cladding goes on, and assessing the junctions where the cladding will meet windows, doors, soffits and any roof line.
The survey is also the right moment to discuss what material you want to use and to look at any access constraints. If the elevation is high or awkward, scaffolding will be needed and the type and duration of scaffold affects the overall cost. A contractor who quotes without visiting the site is not giving you a reliable figure.
For most two-storey installations, scaffolding goes up before any cladding work begins. The scaffold should be erected to give safe working access to the full height of the elevation, with enough room to handle boards and tools without working at stretch. If the scaffold is erected too close to the wall, the work quality suffers - boards are harder to position accurately and fixings are harder to drive straight.
Once scaffold is in place, the existing cladding or surface preparation begins. Old cladding, including its batten system, is stripped back to the wall. The exposed wall is then inspected again at close range. This is when hidden problems show up - damp patches, crumbling mortar, rotten timber lintels, or render that has blown away from the masonry. Any of these need addressing before the new installation starts. Skipping this step and cladding over existing problems is one of the most common causes of early cladding failure.
Once the wall surface is sound, a breathable membrane is fixed across the face of the wall before any battens or boards go on. This membrane does two things: it acts as a secondary barrier to wind-driven rain that penetrates the outer cladding layer, and it allows water vapour from inside the wall to escape outward, preventing moisture from building up within the construction.
The membrane needs to be lapped correctly at joints and sealed around any penetrations such as pipes or cables. A membrane that has been stapled up quickly without proper lapping at the edges provides much less protection than one that has been fixed carefully. It is worth checking that this stage has been completed before the battens go on, because once the battens are fixed you cannot easily inspect it.
Treated timber battens or aluminium profiles are fixed through the membrane into the wall at regular vertical centres. These battens hold the cladding boards away from the wall surface and create the ventilated cavity between the membrane and the back of the boards. This cavity is not optional - it is what allows air to move and moisture to dry out rather than sit trapped against the wall.
The batten depth and spacing depend on the cladding system being used, but a minimum 25mm cavity is standard for most domestic installations. The battens also need to be plumb and in the same plane, because any deviation shows through on the face of the finished cladding. It is much harder to correct misaligned battens once boards are fixed to them.
Boards are typically installed from the bottom of the wall upward. The starter strip or first course needs to be set level and at the correct height above any damp-proof course or ground level, because boards sitting too close to ground level will absorb splash-back moisture and fail early.
Each board is fixed according to the manufacturer's requirements for that specific material. Timber boards may be face-fixed with stainless steel nails or screws, or secret-fixed through a groove depending on the profile. Composite and fibre cement boards often use a clip or groove system that hides the fixings. Whatever the method, stainless steel fixings are essential - mild steel corrodes quickly in an exterior environment and leaves rust staining on the board face.
Movement gaps between boards and at all junctions need to be maintained throughout. In warm weather, boards are often cut slightly short at the ends to allow for expansion. A contractor in a hurry may push boards up tight to save a few minutes per board - the resulting bowing or joint failure when the boards expand shows up the following summer.
The junctions between the cladding and other building elements are where most water penetration begins. Where cladding meets a window frame, a soffit, a doorway or a roof line, a proper trim or flashing needs to be fitted and sealed to prevent water tracking behind the boards at those points.
Aluminium trims are commonly used to close off board ends and create a clean edge. These need to be the correct profile for the board thickness and fixed securely. Where flexible sealant is used at junctions, it needs to be a good-quality exterior-grade product applied to a clean, dry surface - sealant applied over dust or on a damp day will not bond properly and will fail within a year or two.
Before scaffolding comes down, the whole elevation should be checked from a distance to confirm boards are aligned, joints are consistent, and trims are sitting flat. Any swarf or cut debris should be cleared from the board surfaces immediately, particularly on fibre cement, because metal particles left on the surface will rust and stain the boards.
Once the scaffold is struck, a final ground-level check is worthwhile. This is when misaligned boards or uneven gaps between courses are most visible. It is also the right time to go inside and check that no new damp or moisture has appeared on internal walls near the cladding work - an early check costs nothing and catching a problem before the scaffold is gone entirely saves a significant amount of trouble.
At completion you should have a cladding installation that is visibly straight and even, with consistent joints, correctly sealed trims at every junction, and a site that has been left clear of offcuts and waste. Ask your contractor to walk the elevation with you before they leave and point out anything you are unsure about. Any competent contractor will be comfortable doing this.
We work across Haverhill and into neighbouring towns including Newmarket, Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge and Ely. If you want to understand exactly what a cladding job on your property would involve before committing to anything, call us to arrange a proper site visit.
No obligation · We usually respond within 2 hours
Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge - we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
