When cladding on a Sawston property starts showing its age, the key decision is whether to repair what's there or start fresh - and the answer is not always obvious.
Exterior cladding is a protective layer fixed over your external walls. It shields brickwork, blockwork or render from rain, frost and wind, and it gives the building a finished appearance. Properly installed with a ventilated cavity and breather membrane behind it, cladding also helps reduce heat loss through external walls.
At Newmarket Roofers, we fit timber, composite and fibre cement cladding on homes across Sawston, Newmarket and the surrounding area. We also assess existing cladding and give homeowners a straight answer on whether repair makes sense or whether replacement is the better use of their money.
Every cladding material has a lifespan, and every installation is subject to ordinary wear from rain, frost and wind over the years. How quickly cladding deteriorates depends on the material, how well it was installed in the first place, and how much maintenance it has received.
Timber cladding that has not been recoated on schedule will start to absorb water. Boards swell, split and eventually rot at the ends and fixings. Composite boards rarely rot but their fixings can fail, causing boards to bow or pull away from the wall. Fibre cement is the most durable, but it can crack if fixed too tightly without allowance for thermal movement, and the coating will eventually chalk and peel.
A common problem with older cladding installations is that the breather membrane or ventilated cavity behind the boards was inadequate from the start. When this happens, moisture accumulates behind the boards and begins to damage the wall beneath - sometimes without any obvious sign on the outside until the problem is advanced.
Repair is the right answer when the damage is localised, the underlying wall is sound, and the rest of the cladding has years of serviceable life left. Specific situations where repair is usually appropriate include:
Repair in these cases is straightforward: remove the affected boards, inspect the wall behind, replace any damaged membrane, fit new boards to match, and reseal the junctions. The key requirement is that replacement boards match the existing profile and colour closely enough to be acceptable. This is easier with some products than others - matching a ten-year-old timber profile is simpler than matching a discontinued composite board colour.
There is a point where repeated repairs become a false economy. Replacement tends to be the better option when:
In cases where the wall has been damaged by moisture behind the cladding, replacement is not just cosmetically preferable - it is necessary. Fitting new cladding over a wall with active damp or deteriorated render simply pushes the problem out of sight temporarily.
You cannot make a reliable repair-or-replace decision from the outside of the building alone. A proper assessment involves removing one or two boards in representative areas to inspect the membrane, battening and wall surface beneath. This takes less time than most people expect and gives a much clearer picture than tapping boards and looking for paint blisters.
When we assess cladding in Sawston and nearby areas, we check the condition of the existing battens (timber battens rot too if the membrane fails), look for any staining on the wall surface that indicates water ingress, and check whether the original cavity depth was adequate. A 25mm ventilated cavity is the minimum for most cladding systems - some older installations have less than this.
If the assessment points to replacement, the material decision is worth taking time over. You are not obliged to replace like for like. Moving from painted softwood timber to fibre cement, for example, removes the need for regular recoating and gives you a more consistent appearance over time. Composite is worth considering on elevations where maintenance access is difficult.
Fibre cement cladding in a typical residential installation across the Newmarket area costs roughly £100 to £150 per square metre fitted. Composite sits in a similar range. Timber softwood is generally lower, but the maintenance cost over the lifetime of the installation closes much of that gap. These figures cover material and installation; scaffolding is an additional cost that depends on the height and configuration of your property.
Whether you are repairing or replacing, any defects in the wall surface need addressing before the new cladding is fixed. Loose render should be hacked off and replaced. Cracks should be filled with an appropriate mortar and allowed to cure. If there is evidence of damp within the wall, the source needs to be identified and resolved - cladding does not fix a leaking wall, it only hides it.
Getting this preparation right is the step that most determines how long the new installation lasts. Boards and fixings are straightforward; the work underneath is where quality separates good installations from poor ones.
If your cladding is giving you concern, call Newmarket Roofers for a proper assessment. We cover Sawston, Newmarket, Cambridge, Ely and the villages in between. We will tell you honestly whether repair or replacement is the right route, and price both options clearly so you can make an informed decision.
No obligation · We usually respond within 2 hours
Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge - we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
