Composite cladding installation in Bushey, Hertfordshire

Installation Gallery

New composite cladding with replacement soffits and fascias installation

“Expect the unexpected” is sometimes a useful warning in Summit Cladding’s line of business – especially when a job is supposed to be “just a facelift” like this 1970s bungalow in Bushey, Hertfordshire.

There are lots of advantages in cladding, but the downside is that original cladding can hide a multitude of flaws in a property’s construction, as in this case.

When we started work on the supposed facelift, we were in for a bit of a shock. The old cladding was hiding building work that might have been acceptable 50 years ago but fell well short of what would pass building control today.

Hidden surprises under the cladding

For a start, the timber stud work under the cladding was half the dimensions specified by current legislation, and it was so badly put together that you could see straight into the client’s bedroom through the gaps!

Furthermore, the roof joists were only supported by two timbers and the membrane on the roof was fitted incorrectly. A bit of a bodge job all round, which meant that Summit Cladding was faced with more of a re-build than a facelift.

We started the renovation by replacing the substandard timbers with thicker and more robust ones and then attached exterior plywood to strengthen the framework. On to the ply we attached 10mm Kingspan insulation for energy efficiency, before fitting ventilated James Hardie maintenance-free composite cladding.

Up on the roof

Turning our attention to the roofline, we installed extra timber beams to support the roof tiles and stripped back five rows of tiles to add the missing membrane and tile battens. All the verge tiles were re-bedded in fresh cement and, finally, white PVC fascias and soffits were fitted to complete the project.

So, what started as a fairly simple makeover became a much bigger task that not only secured the stability of the bungalow but also made it a much more desirable and attractive property.

Categorised in: Cladding, James Hardie Cladding, Soffits & Fascias

This post was written by Summit Cladding