Exterior Cladding & Finishes
Welcome to Barrie Home Inspections site for information on Exterior Cladding & Finishes
Cladding is a layer of material that covers the exterior of a building in order to protect the structure from outside elements such as wind, rain and fire. Cladding does not just refer to weatherboard type products; it also refers to metal, brick and cement sheeting. It can be installed on the walls or roof of a building. Stucco: Traditional stucco is cement combined with water and inert materials such as sand and lime but many homes built after the 50's may resemble stucco but they actually use a variety of synthetic materials to achieve the same look. Stucco can be tinted to the colour you want and then the need to paint is gone forever. Synthetic stucco siding is lighter then the traditional and is more likely to suffer damage from a hard blow. It is often compromised of foam insulation board or cement panels screwed to the walls and the stucco is applied around it. Traditional stucco is made of lime, sand, and water. Modern stucco is made of Portland cement, sand, and water. Lime is added to increase the permeability and workability of modern stucco. Sometimes additives such as acrylics and glass fibers are added to improve the structural properties of the plaster. This is usually done with what is considered a one-coat stucco system, as opposed to the traditional three-coat method. As a building material, stucco is a durable, attractive, and weather-resistant wall covering. It was traditionally used as both an interior and exterior finish applied in one or two thin layers directly over a solid masonry, brick or stone surface. The finish coat usually contained an integral color and was typically textured for appearance. Fiber cement is a composite material made of sand, cement and cellulose fibers. In appearance fiber cement siding most often consists of overlapping horizontal boards, imitating wooden siding, clapboard and imitation shingles. Fiber cement siding is also manufactured in a sheet form and is used not only as cladding but is also commonly used as a soffit / eave lining and as a tile underlay on decks and in bathrooms. CSR Fiber Cement sheet cladding - dwelling addition, Hardys Bay, NSW, Australia Fiber cement siding is not only used as an exterior siding, it can also be utilized as a substitute for timber fascias and barge boards in high fire areas. Vinyl siding: Vinyl siding is one of if not the most popular type of siding. Unlike wood , this durable plastic will not rot or flake. Vinyl is available in several colour and it is said that it will never have to be painted. Advertisements say that vinyl siding is permanent and although it will last a very long time, it is less durable then wood or masonry. Heavy winds have been known to lift panels from the wall and windblown debris and strong hail can puncture it. New technologies are making this material stronger but the sheets may still crack if struck by a lawnmower or snow blower and unfortunately panels cannot be patched, they can only be replaced. Engineered wood siding is easier and less costly to install than real wood siding. It is lighter in weight than wood and features advances that make installation easier, like LP's SmartLock self-aligning edge design. Engineered wood siding can be purchased pre-primed, ready to paint, or pre-finished in any number of finish options, which reduces the field and labor time once installed. The boards are coated with a moisture-resistant overlay that is embossed with a cedar-grain pattern for an authentic appearance. The process of treating each wood wafer with zinc borate, using a heavy-duty exterior glue, and pressing the product under heat and pressure, results in one solid piece of wood. Exterior Insulation Finish Systems Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems is an insulating, decorative and protective finish system for exterior walls that can be installed on any type of construction. It is the only exterior wall covering that insulates and provides weather protection in a selection of shapes, colors, and textures that can replicate almost any architectural style or finish material, or stand by itself as an architectural finish. While similar in appearance to stucco, EIFS is an exterior cladding system that consists of components and installation requirements very different from traditional stucco (see Figure 1 – Sectional View of a Typical EIFS Application). EIFS also requires very different care and maintenance than its "look-alike" cousin, traditional stucco. Heating Energy Solutions| Barrie Home Inspector | Office Phone: (705) 795-8255 |
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