Wymondham Roofers fits exterior cladding for homeowners in Attleborough, and this page walks you through exactly what the job involves from the first inspection through to the finished result.
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Cladding is not a quick coat of paint. It involves structural fixing, preparation work, and careful detailing at every opening and edge. Homeowners who understand the process are better placed to assess quotes, ask the right questions, and spot when a contractor is cutting corners. Here is an honest account of what a properly done cladding installation looks like, from first visit to final tidy-up.
Before any materials are ordered or prices agreed, the wall needs to be looked at properly. A good inspection covers the full elevation: the condition of the existing surface, whether render is bonded or delaminating, whether the masonry behind is sound, and whether there is any existing damp or moisture problem in the wall.
The inspector should be looking for cracks in the render, staining, efflorescence (the white salt deposits that indicate water movement through the wall), soft or hollow spots, and the condition of existing sills, flashings, and the junction between the wall and the roof. Window and door reveals need to be checked too - these are the junctions where water most often finds a way in.
If damp is present in the wall, the source needs to be identified before any cladding work proceeds. Cladding over a damp wall without resolving the underlying cause traps moisture and can make the problem significantly worse.
Once the inspection is complete, the contractor should be able to explain clearly which material they recommend and why, how the wall will be prepared, how fixings will be set out, and what will happen at every junction point - eaves, window reveals, corners and sills. This is the stage to ask questions.
The specification should cover: the cladding material and profile, the batten size and centres, the type of fixings, any membrane or breather layer behind the cladding, and how the top and bottom edges of the system will be finished and weatherproofed. A contractor who cannot answer these questions in plain language is a contractor to be cautious about.
For anything above a single storey, scaffolding will be needed. This is not optional - working at height from ladders on cladding is unsafe and produces poor results because you cannot position yourself correctly to fix boards accurately. The scaffold should be set up to give clear access to the full elevation, with platforms close enough to the wall to work comfortably.
Scaffold erection typically takes half a day for a standard semi-detached property. It will remain in place until the work is finished and signed off. Scaffold hire is normally included in the overall price but confirm this before work starts.
This is where most of the time difference between a good job and a poor one lies. The existing wall surface needs to be prepared properly before anything goes on it.
If the existing render is being retained as a background, any loose or delaminated sections must be cut out and made good. Cracks should be filled and allowed to dry fully. The surface should be wire brushed to remove loose material, moss, algae and contamination. A biocide wash may be needed if growth is heavy.
If a battened system is being used - as is the case with most board-on-batten cladding - the battens are fixed through the render into the masonry. The fixings need to go into the masonry, not just sit in the render layer. Fixing into render alone will not hold long-term. Batten centres are set out at this stage, typically at 400mm or 600mm depending on the board specification.
A breather membrane is sometimes fitted over the wall face before the battens go up. This is a breathable layer that allows any moisture vapour moving out through the wall to escape, while preventing liquid water from tracking in behind the cladding. It is particularly important on walls with any history of damp.
Boards are fitted from the bottom upward. The first board is the most important because it sets the level for everything above it. It should be checked with a spirit level and set at the correct height to allow a drip detail at the base, keeping the bottom edge clear of any ground-level moisture.
Each board is fixed at the correct centres using the right fixings for the material - stainless steel or compatible fixings to avoid staining. Boards are cut and fitted around windows and doors, with careful attention to the reveals. The junction between the cladding board and the window frame should be sealed with a flexible, UV-stable sealant, but the detailing should be designed so that the sealant is a secondary line of defence, not the primary one.
Corner trims, J-trims at edges, and starter strips at the base are all fitted as the work progresses. Leaving this detailing to the end is a sign of poor practice - the details should be integrated into the installation as you go.
Once the boards are up, the whole elevation should be inspected before the scaffold comes down. This is the time to check that all joints are tight, that no fixings are exposed, that sealant is applied correctly at every frame junction, and that the top edge of the cladding is properly detailed at the eaves or soffit line. Any adjustment is far easier with the scaffold still in place.
Window sills should be checked to confirm that water will shed away from the building, not back towards it. Gutters and downpipes that were removed to allow the cladding to be fitted should be refitted and checked for alignment.
A properly run job ends with the site left clean. Off-cuts, packaging, and any removed material should be taken away. If any garden planting was covered or moved to protect it during the work, it should be reinstated. The scaffold will be struck and collected, normally within a day or two of the work being completed.
At handover, ask the contractor to walk you around the finished work and point out the key details - where the sealant lines are, how the base edge is finished, and what you should look for during your own checks in future. A good contractor will be happy to do this.
For a standard semi-detached property in the Attleborough area, expect uPVC cladding to run from around £3,500 to £6,500 fully fitted. Composite or fibre cement boards will push that figure higher, typically £5,000 to £10,000 for comparable coverage. Individual elevations such as a single gable can be done for less, often £800 to £2,000 depending on the size and access needed.
These figures are honest UK-market estimates. Get a proper inspection and measurement before committing to any price.
We cover Attleborough and the surrounding area. Call Wymondham Roofers to arrange an inspection of your exterior walls and get a clear account of what the job will involve for your specific property.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
