Cladding for buildings

What is cladding?

The term 'cladding' refers to components that are attached to the primary structure of a building to form non-structural, external surfaces. This is as opposed to buildings in which the external surfaces are formed by structural elements, such as masonry walls, or applied surfaces such as render.

Building Safety Fund for the remediation of non-ACM Cladding Systems (England only) Registration prospectus, published by MHCLG in May 2020 suggests that: 'A cladding system includes the components that are attached to the primary structure of a building to form a non-structural external surface. The cladding system includes the weather-exposed outer layer or ‘screen, fillers. Insulation, membranes, brackets, cavity barriers, flashing, fixings, gaskets and sealants.'

Whilst cladding is generally attached to the structure of the building, it typically does not contribute to its stability. However, cladding does play a structural role, transferring wind loads, impact loads, snow loads and its own self-weight back to the structural framework. In particular, wind causes positive and negative pressure on the surface of buildings and cladding must have sufficient strength and stiffness to resist this load, both in terms of the type of cladding selected and its connections back to the structure.

Cladding is often prefabricated in panels that are attached to the structural frame of the building, and some cladding systems can be purchased 'off the shelf'.

Cladding systems may include additional components, such as windows, doors, gutters, roof lights, vents and so on.

What does cladding do?

Cladding is needed to:

• Create a controlled internal environment.
• Protect the building from external conditions.
• Provide privacy and security.
• Prevent the transmission of sound.
• Provide thermal insulation.
• Create an external facade.
• Prevent the spread of fire.
• Generate an 'airtight' building envelope.
• Providing openings for access, daylight and ventilation.

High-quality, well-designed, properly-installed cladding can help maximise thermal performance, minimise air leakage, and optimise natural daylighting. This can help reduce the need for mechanical and electrical building services, and so improve energy efficiency and lower capital and running costs.

Poor design detailing or installation may compromise cladding performance and can result in safety problems such as cladding collapse or cladding panels pulling away from the structure.

What factors influence the selection of cladding?

The nature of cladding selected for a particular building will depend on considerations such as:

• How the building is going to be used.
• Internal and external conditions.
• Durability.
• Local context.
• Planning requirements.
• Building regulations requirements.
• Accessibility and buildability.
• Appearance.
• Availability.
• Budget.
• Maintenance requirements.
• Structural requirements.

When selecting or designing a suitable cladding, designers should pay particular attention to:

• Design detailing.
• Control of air leakage.
• Control of condensation.
• Integrity and continuity of Insulation.
• Prevention of water penetration, or provision of drainage.
• Control of thermal movement.
• Spread of fire.
• Ease of installation.
• External attachments and fixings.
• Cleaning.
• Maintenance, remedial work and renewal.
• Resilience, strength and durability.

Types of cladding

The NBS Building libraries categorise types of claddings and coverings as:

11 of the more common types of cladding are described below.

Curtain walling

Curtain wall systems are a non-structural cladding system for the external walls of buildings. They are generally associated with large, multi-storey buildings. Typically curtain wall systems comprise a lightweight aluminium frame onto which glazed or opaque infill panels can be fixed. These infill panels are often described as 'glazing' whether or not they are made of glass.

See Curtain wall systems for more information.

Sandwich panels

Sandwich panels (sometimes referred to as composite panels or structural insulating panels (SIP)) consist of two layers of a rigid material bonded to either side of a lightweight core, so that the three components act as a composite.

See Sandwich panel and Metal composite panels for more information.

Patent glazing

The term ‘patent glazing’ refers to a non-load bearing, two-edge support cladding system. Patent glazing bars provide continuous support along two edges of glazing infill panels (rather than four-edge curtain walling), and are fixed back to the main structure of the building. This system supports its own weight, and provides resistance to wind and snow loading, but does not contribute to the stability of the primary structure of the building.

See Patent glazing for more information.

Rainscreen

A rainscreen (sometimes referred to as a ‘drained and ventilated’ or ‘pressure-equalised’ façade) is part of a double-wall construction. The rainscreen itself simply prevents significant amounts of water from penetrating into the wall construction. Thermal insulation, airtightness and structural stability are provided by the second, inner part of the wall construction.

See Rainscreen for more information.

Timber cladding

One of the most popular methods of cladding is through the use of timber softwoods, such as western red cedar. This type of wood is relatively knot-free and has a natural resistance to decay and moisture. It can be readily stained or painted and altered to create a range of profiles.

Hardwoods can also be used including oak and sweet chestnut. Both of which contain high tannin levels which can result in leaching and streaking after exposure to the elements. Thermally modified timbers are also being used such as Kebony, Keywood, Platowood and ThermoWood. These softwoods are heated to high temperatures which removes moisture and resins, resulting in a stable and durable material.

See Timber cladding for more information.

Metal profile cladding

Sheets are manufactured in a range of corrugated and other profiles, such as trapezoidal, sinusoidal or half-round. The profiles are manufactured from sheets fed through banks of forming rollers.

See Metal profile cladding for more information.

Tensile fabric coverings

A fabric membrane is 'stretched' to form a three-dimensional surface that may be used to create a roof, shading, or decorative component. Sometimes described as 'modern tents', fabric structures use very little material compared to other forms of construction, and are typically translucent, but they provide little thermal mass or insulation and can have a shorter lifespan than some materials.

See Fabric structures for more information.

Brick slips

Brick slips are thin layers of masonry and are of similar appearance to conventional bricks. They are available in a variety of styles and colours.

See Bricks for more information.

Tile hanging

The traditional method of cladding a property is through the use of tiles. The addition of which can add character to older properties.

Shakes and shingle

Shakes and shingles are produced from split logs and look similar to timber tiles. Shakes are typically split from the log using a chisel and mallet whilst shingles are sawn off.

For more information, see Shingle roofing.

uPVC

One of the cheaper forms of cladding is uPVC with white being the cheapest option. It can have fewer detailing requirements than timber and requires less maintenance, although it can discolour with age.

For more information, see uPVC weatherboarding and Plastic cladding.

The impact of the Grenfell Tower fire on cladding selection

On 14 June 2017, a fire broke out in Grenfell Tower, a block of social housing flats in North Kensington, London occupied by between 400 and 600 people. The source of the fire is thought to have been a fridge freezer, and the unexpected speed of the fire’s spread is believed to have been contributed to by the recently-installed exterior cladding. Since then, combustible materials have been banned in the external walls of high-rise residential buildings. In particular, this has affected Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) panels, commonly used for cladding buildings, typically as a form of rainscreen, and High Pressure Laminate (HPL) panels.

For more information see: Grenfell Tower fire.

PAS 9980:2022, Fire risk appraisal of external wall construction and cladding of existing blocks of flats – Code of practice, published by BSI Standards Limited in 2022, defines cladding as a: ‘system of one or more components that are attached to, and might form part of the weatherproof covering of, the exterior of a building.’

It states: ‘Such systems are normally attached to the primary structure of a building to form nonstructural, non-loadbearing external surfaces and can comprise a range of facing materials/cladding panels, including metal composite panels or non-loadbearing masonry, along with insulating materials, rendered insulation systems (ETICS) and insulated core sandwich panels, which are attached to a substrate. Combinations of, for example, cladding panels and insulation form cladding systems and such systems might include cavities, which can be ventilated or nonventilated. The cladding system also encompasses the supporting rails and bracketry, as applicable, to attach the cladding to the building, and cavity barriers where applicable. Systems that constitute the entire thickness of the external wall, by definition, cease to be cladding systems and are the external wall, e.g. curtain walling.’

Related articles on Designing Buildings

• ACM cladding.
• ACM cladding testing by BRE‎.
• Brick.
• BS 8414 Fire performance of external cladding systems.
• Building fabric.
• Curtain wall systems.
• EWS1.
• External wall insulation.
• Fire performance of external thermal insulation for walls of multistorey buildings, third edition (BR 135).
• Infill panel walls.
• Metal composite panels.
• Metal profile cladding.
• Natural stone cladding.
• Non-ACM cladding.
• Non-cladding.
• Patent glazing.
• Pebbledash.
• Plastic cladding.
• Rainscreen.
• Sandwich panel.
• Structural Insulated Panels.
• Weatherboarding.

External references

• Tata Steel, Cladding.

Comments

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It will be interesting to see what difference Grenfell makes to cladding.