What is cladding? The definition of cladding indicates that it is a layer of material that is placed on a built structure or on any surface.
Cladding is the view, the appearance given to the floor, walls, façades, interiors, plateaus, baseboards, planters… Cladding forms part of architecture not only in terms of aesthetics but also in terms of structure because although it does not receive building loads, it conceals and protects the structure itself, isolating, delimiting and defining zones, activities and structural elements.
What types of cladding are there, which ones you can use in your house, which ones outside, which ones inside, how much do they help to reinforce the style of construction? With guys from https://legacyusa.com/, we will talk about all this in this book of ideas.
Don’t leave, and remember that if you want to start working and change or design the cladding in your house, hire the professionals in masonry, or go to an architectural office.
Architectural cladding can be separated into two groups:
• interior cladding
• outdoor coatings
This does not mean that some exclude others, even many external materials can be used inside and vice versa. However, some are more recommendable to be placed outdoors, for the protection and durability they offer, and others for the interior, for its care and maintenance.
When not to use siding at home?
Making the decision to integrate siding at home or in any architectural design depends on one thing: do we want to paint or do we want something with texture, a variety of colors and visual games?
There are spaces in the house that can only be painted:
• the corridors
• the side of walls of the entrance
• the walls of the garage
• the walls of the service rooms
• some walls of the bedrooms
On the other hand, there are spaces that look much better when cladding is integrated:
• the facade
• the kitchen
• the bathrooms
• a wall in the dining room or living room
• the visual crowning of the foyer
• the main wall of the bedrooms
• the side of wall of the staircase
• the terraces
Types of cladding for facades and exteriors
Each proposal will depend on the style of the building, but what is clear is that the coatings for exteriors must be of high durability, little maintenance and to support much wear, and not only in the case of the floors, which are walked again and again, but in coatings of walls since they will have to support the inclemencies of the climate, rains, hailstones, intense sun and even blows of ball.
For exteriors and facades, some of the most common and recommended cladding materials are:
Natural stone, either in geometric and worked blocks, or in irregular pieces, giving a much more rustic and natural aspect, ideal for rustic, Mexican or country style facades.
Quarry, which is natural stone, but its commercialization is given in plates and blocks to measure, or sections, to cover in form of squares, in form of rectangles, of thin views like borders, or even to construct columns.
Tiles and talaveras, although it is not advisable to use porcelain or ceramic tiles due to the fragility of the material, some modern designs are so avant-garde, diverse and tasteful that it is irresistible to place them in some contemporary or colonial designs. Tiles, talaveras and losetas have been an important part of Mexican architecture, and it is advisable to use integral materials to receive heavy traffic and high resistance, even when they are placed on walls.
Other outdoor materials
One material that is gaining ground from the boom in industrial style is steel. Steel sheets in a chrome finish, in a matt finish, in various colors such as red, yellow or black, look great when contrasted with windows and steel structures and among other smooth or stone cladding.
Microcement is a material that can be handled to take any form, and although the constructions can be done directly with apparent concrete, there are sites and designs that lend themselves to integrate microcement plates and thus give prominence to the design, as walls of visual end in the facades, to the bottom of a terrace or in the portico of the main entrance.
More exterior cladding materials
Apparent brick, although this may be a structural material, can often be used as a cladding material, as there are pieces that are presented at half their size to only be attached to the structure by mortar. The finish is rustic, depending on the type of brick used, and looks great.
Wood facades are great designs! Wood makes a particular space look and stand out, so they go very well on small surfaces in facades: to highlight the main door, some balcony, in lattices protecting the privacy of the windows, or matching the volumetry of the design.
One of the most commonly used materials is clay brick. This cladding reinforces the contemporary industrial and rustic style, ideal for interior decoration of lofts or apartments with a youthful touch.
Wood in slats, lattices or plates, which can take any shade, reinforce the light or mysterious atmosphere that you want to achieve, can be presented in sophisticated and elegant style or rustic and country, casual or formal.
