The Truth About Timber vs. PVC

PVC- What is it?

PVC is an acronym for Poly(vinyl chloride). It was created accidentally by French chemist Henri Victor Regnault, and later by German chemist Eugen Baumann. It was refined over the following decades to use for commercial applications. By 1926 it was more flexible and its use was prevalent. Today it is applied in a variety of fields such as construction, clothing and furniture, healthcare, signage, and roofing. It is a superior material in many of these fields because it does not erode or leak, the way in which metal and wood can.

PVC: What To Know

PVC cladding will never rot or need to be repainted.  It requires little maintenance. It is available in a variety of natural wood colours as well as in black and white. Other benefits include that it is cost effective and able to withstand extreme weather conditions, vermin and insect damage, and fire. Lastly, it can be recycled up to ten times.

It’s important to choose cladding products that the British Board of Agrement (BBA) has inspected and approved. They test and certify products throughout the construction industry. BBA specialists have been inspecting and providing certification since 1966. At Summit, all of our cladding products are BBA approved and a have guarantee that you can measure in decades.

What is Environmentally Friendly Timber?

How does timber get its credentials? There is a lot being said about responsibly sourced materials and environmentally friendly roofline and cladding materials. Let’s talk about what it means for timber to pass the test.

The use of timber is considered responsible when it is sourced from The Forest Stewardship Council’s (FSC) approved forests. The FSC certifies timber from these approved forests which can then be traced and verified using a Chain of Custody (CoC) that spans from forest to consumer. Unfortunately, it is impossible to tell with products that are painted or treated, such as roofline products, whether or not it has an FSC stamp.  This can make it difficult to know what kind of timber your contractors are using.

Timber: What to Know

Timber is great for a variety of projects, and can be sourced from responsible timber manufacturers. It is not always ideal for roofline and cladding work because timber is expensive, rots, and is difficult to track when the wood used has been painted or treated.

At Summit Cladding, we believe in using materials that leave the smallest possible carbon imprint. We also want you to have a secure, protected home that keeps out the elements and any potential water damage. How you do that is entirely up to you. For more information on our roofline and cladding options, please contact us today.

Categorised in: Bargeboards, Blog, Door Canopies, Outdoor Canopys, PVC Cladding, Soffits & Fascias, Timber Cladding

This post was written by Summit Cladding