Categories for James Hardie Cladding
April 23, 2021 1:28 pm
Published by Summit Cladding
Summit Cladding faced a bit of a head-scratching moment when our clients in Henlow, near Letchworth Garden City, told us they wanted the front wall of their house to be given a bit of a makeover. The job was straightforward enough – it’s what we specialise in – but there was one potential snag. Growing up the front of the house, and attached to the wall that required the work, was a lovely mature wisteria, thought to be at least 30 years old. Clearly, we were not going to cut it down, but we couldn’t do the makeover without moving it out of the way. And we didn’t want to do anything that would harm the plant. Saving the wisteria!... View Article
April 3, 2021 11:32 am
Published by Summit Cladding
Could there be anything nicer and more typically British than living within sight of the white cliffs of Dover, alongside an ancient windmill? This was the scene that greeted us when Summit Cladding travelled down to Kent for our recent assignment. Our clients had lived in their beautiful flint-walled cottage in its idyllic location for over ten years, just yards from the Grade 2 Listed windmill. But unfortunately, their flint wall was causing them a major headache. Much as they loved its appearance, the wall was letting damp into the house and a previous attempt to repoint it with authentic lime mortar had been unsuccessful. This was when Summit Cladding came to the rescue, thanks to the recommendation of a... View Article
March 11, 2021 10:10 am
Published by Summit Cladding
Many of us might dream about living in a 300-year-old house in a sleepy English village, but to avoid that dream becoming a nightmare it’s important to keep on top of the maintenance work. Summit Cladding was contacted by the owner of a property near Manningtree in Essex that had once been an old bakery and village shop, now converted into a single home. As we have written before, Summit loves a challenge, but when we inspected the property it was clear that this would not be a simple installation! There had been structural repairs and replacements around the building, but some of the lead work had deteriorated, along with part of the original slate roof and some areas were... View Article
March 2, 2021 10:01 am
Published by Summit Cladding
Summit Cladding is always pleased to receive a new order from a previous customer – we see it as a vote of confidence in our workmanship and the durability of our materials. We were therefore delighted to be contacted again by Mark and Jane from their home at Buckhurst Hill in Essex. Three years ago, we replaced the gutters, fascias and soffits on their link-detached house, and now they wanted some advice on what to do with the front wall. Mark was very skilled at DIY and had renovated the entire property inside, but he admitted that he didn’t fancy tackling that outside wall! Having worked with our clients before, we remembered how meticulous they were with the detail, so... View Article
February 3, 2021 12:53 pm
Published by Summit Cladding
Nobody who saw the pictures of the terrible fire at Grenfell Tower in 2017 can forget how the cladding on the side of the building fuelled the flames. Perhaps that helps explain why, during the past three years, Summit Cladding has been asked to supply cement-based composite boards. There are two manufacturers of this product and in our opinion the brand we use, James Hardie cladding, is the best, and the one we used on this property in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. Back in the 1990s house cladding was made of uPVC and generally only available in white. In the 2000s we saw the introduction of colours, mainly wood grain and black, although these were technically white with a coloured foil.... View Article
January 29, 2021 3:40 pm
Published by Summit Cladding
We have written before on this blog how cladding had developed over the years, as a cheap and plentiful building material. As one of the most heavily wooded countries in Europe in days gone by, Britain had a constant supply of trees to make timber cladding. But things have come a long way since then and you can now get facing materials in a much wider range than just wood. Composite materials can include blends of cement and plastics, aluminium, vinyl, even compacted straw fibres. So, the choice is huge if you are looking for an alternative. Our clients in Heybridge, near Maldon, Essex, loved the look of their house, but they were not looking forward to regular maintenance of... View Article
January 5, 2021 11:13 am
Published by Summit Cladding
Summit Cladding is always prepared to take on a major renovation project, but sometimes it’s the smaller jobs that can make all the difference to the look of a property. We were contacted by a client who lives in a lovely period house in Bush Hill Park, just outside Enfield, north London. It’s a beautifully restored property complete with period features. But there was one thing letting it down. At the back of the garage was a single storey extension which had clearly seen better days. It was coated in rough, poor quality white render, with a door and window that needed a lick of paint. The whole thing contrasted badly with the lovely old brickwork at the back of... View Article
November 23, 2020 9:34 am
Published by Summit Cladding
A marvellous example of how James Hardie cladding can transform the exterior of a property in Royston, Hertfordshire. During the Tudor period 500 years ago, house builders had a plentiful supply of materials to work with — mainly, of course, timber. Britain was a much more heavily-wooded country in those far off days and many of the timber-framed houses which were built then still survive today. They look solid and attractive, which is why there was a recent design fashion for “Mock Tudor” — homes built with modern materials but clad in strips of timber to give the appearance of structural beams. Damp problems This design might look nice, but it can give rise to big problems with damp penetration.... View Article
October 26, 2020 2:51 pm
Published by Summit Cladding
We have written several times on this blog about the problems caused by cracked render, and how Summit Cladding is called in to help homeowners find a solution, particularly using James Hardie cladding. When rendering works properly it can extend the life of a wall by stopping damp penetration and adding a layer of insulation. But when it cracks, bulges or flakes you know you’ve got trouble. Our clients in the leafy Kent town of Westerham called us in before things got that bad, although hairline cracks were starting to appear in their external render. It was a case of “just in time.” Famous location As you may know, Westerham is near Sir Winston Churchill’s country home, Chartwell, which is... View Article
September 8, 2020 4:42 pm
Published by Summit Cladding
Summit Cladding is often called to the rescue by homeowners when things go wrong with their walls. And number One on that list of problems is cracked render. Now, render can be a good thing. It can extend the life of a brick or breezeblock wall, it can add a layer of insulation and stop damp penetration. But the problems start when the render cracks and lets in moisture. Cracking, bulging and flaking are all telltale signs that water has got in and frost damage has done the rest. Summit recommended This is what faced our clients at their home in Theydon Bois, Essex when they came to Summit Cladding for a solution, after being recommended by a friend we... View Article
