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Is Composite Cladding Low Maintenance?
Is your composite cladding a low maintenance option – we often get asked.
Let’s consider what “maintenance” actually means in regard to traditional timber cladding. (This does not apply to composite cladding).
With timber cladding, whether you stain it or paint it, within a few years, that stain and paint will start to fade, chip, and peel away. Depending on the timber used, you may also need to have it treated with termite protection throughout its lifetime.
Once the sealant and treatment start to age, as it does sooner rather than later in our extreme Australian climate, the timber boards lose their protection and start to disintegrate.
Yes, not all timbers are equal. Some species offer moisture and decay resistance and are more durable than other types, but regardless of the wood species, unprotected and unmaintained timber cladding will start to rot, warp, splinter, and pop their nails due to the natural weathering process. (Not to mention, it looks super ugly!)
So, every few years, you will be hiring someone (or doing it yourself) to sand back the boards, reprime and repaint or re-stain them (better put some extra in your savings account because this will be ongoing long term, for the lifetime of your timber cladding). Hardly what you would call low maintenance, right?
Imagine a life where you didn’t have to do that!
Ta-da! Enter composite cladding, like NewTechWood, for example. When you say low maintenance, you think our composite cladding.
Source: Recommended installer – Noakes Carpentry, NSW, NewTechWood UH61 in Ipe
Many composite products are considered maintenance-free or low-maintenance cladding options (because we recommend washing down with a hose occasionally to remove the dust and dirt and make it look new again – if the rain doesn’t beat you to it). And that’s it.
No more sanding, sealing, staining, or painting needed to extend your composite materials life and looks – ever. Now, that’s what we call low maintenance!
The Low Maintenance Nature Of Composite Timber Cladding
Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? So how can this be?
For starters, some composite cladding, like NewTechWood, is a pre-finished product, which means there is no need to even think about stains or paints – you just choose your colour, and that’s it.
Secondly, high-quality composites, like NewTechWood, are fully protected by a capping made from a special engineering-grade polymer and additives with extremely low water penetration. Using a co-extrusion process, the shield is heat pressed onto the core, creating an impermeable protection system against moisture, ultra-violet (UV), insects and bacteria.
For you, this means saving time and money, and if you are a NewTechWood owner, you have the peace of mind of a 25-year warranty.
In addition, NewTechWood cladding is eco-friendly, offering a much lower carbon footprint than other options, like cement cladding for example. This makes our cladding a durable, guilt-free option that is the ideal choice for Australian homes.
Are All Non-Natural Timber Cladding Products Maintenance Free?
Unfortunately, no. Some pure plastic cladding and some types of fibre cement are more prone to damage and the elements than others. It’s advisable to use a suitable product to protect heat-treated or thermally modified natural timbers from the damaging effects of exposure to UV radiation.
Then there are other types of cladding made from metals which also require less maintenance – some are long-lasting and others, not so much.
The purpose of this blog, however, is not to discuss other products suffice to say they exist and as a homeowner, you should do your homework before buying exterior cladding. Do your own research; ask the hard questions.
We can reassure you that fully capped composite cladding, like NewTechWood, is a fully finished product that requires no sealing, oiling, staining or painting over its lifetime. It has unrivalled durability and has stain and UV protection. It is also of no interest to termites or other wood-boring pests. It is environmentally friendly, being made from 95% recycled materials. In short, this timber-look cladding will stand up to all weather conditions, sun or snow, without requiring maintenance from you.
Why Would Regular Maintenance Be A Problem?
Well, if money is no object and you can afford the ongoing maintenance (even if you provide the labour yourself, you must still buy the products) and you don’t mind spending your free time doing this type of work, then we guess you don’t have a problem. But there are those who can’t afford the ongoing maintenance and are not interested or able to do the work themselves.
In addition, tall multi-level homes make any simple painting job more complex, as do ceilings, requiring ladders and scaffolding, as well as meeting safety regulations that the average homeowner is not equipped to meet. Also, the elderly and disabled are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to home maintenance of this nature.
Source: Binet Homes, NSW (NewTechWood cladding US31, Teak)
However, if timber-look, long-lasting, no-maintenance cladding that is sturdier and more durable than real timber weatherboards appeals to you, simply visit our Store Locator page to find your local retailer and then visit them to get our composite timber samples and free quotes.