Do You Need Planning Permission For Cladding In The UK?

Cladding your house is a decision you have to take seriously. This is mainly because it has a significant effect on the performance of HVAC appliances and the extent of maintenance that will be needed over time. Moreover, it defines the general appearance of your house.

Cladding your house is aimed at serving various purposes. For instance, it shields the original walls from destructive elements of weather. It also forms an insulative layer while uplifting the aesthetic value of your house. As such, your home will be cooler during the summer seasons and warmer in winter seasons.

Cladding also ensures that noises in and out of the house are reduced. More importantly, cladding of your house will minimise the wear and tear that houses experience when exposed to different weather elements.

What is Cladding?

Cladding is the term used to refer to fixing materials such as boards to the exterior of a house. It can be done by fixing the materials directly to the wall or by nailing on to timber battens. Traditionally, houses in the UK are constructed using solid walls where people use locally available materials like brick or stone. Nonetheless, standard wall-building emerged in the 20th century and changed the traditional way of building by integrating cavities between the outer and the inner walls. These cavities are mainly referred to as skins or leaves.

With this, the support of the house is left to the interior leaf while the waterproofing is done by the exterior leaf. Between these leaves, you can add insulation materials for heat retention purposes.

The construction of this design is done in a manner that the exterior part doesn’t have to sit on the ground. It can just hang on the interior parts since its purpose is to lockout weather elements. This is what is referred to as house cladding.

Do You Need Planning Permission For Cladding In The UK?

Cladding the outer parts of your house is generally considered an aesthetic change just like painting and don’t necessarily require planning permission. As a homeowner, you are entirely entitled to development rights that enable you to do various building and repairs on your property even without seeking the planning permission from local authorities.

Nonetheless, particular situations may require you to get planning permission from the local authority before proceeding to clad your house. Here are some of the situations that might require you to get planning permission:

• National Park
• Listed building
• Area of outstanding natural beauty
• Conservation area

If your home is located in any of the area categories mentioned above, you will need planning permission to clad your house. However, seeking the planning permission before cladding your house doesn’t mean that your request will be turned down. It simply implies that you are required to get formal permission before cladding your property. Otherwise, you will be forced by law to undo the cladding.

Floor Decking Boards and Decking Board

The boards provide a supportive surface on which the deck is put on. After all, they are the most visible part of the whole deck. Getting the best decking board material will offer your deck excellent support that is long-lasting. The boards that Ultra Decking Ltd supply are made from different materials. Here are some types of boards out there that can be used for flooring or cladding.

Pressure Treated Wood

The pressure-treated wood is a decking board designed for cladding the interior parts of your house. This is because they are manufactured and infused with preservatives and anti-ageing chemicals that can be detrimental to humans thus cannot be used for indoor flooring.

Natural Finish Board

The natural wood of any type that is cut and designed for use as a deck board can be used both in interior and in exterior flooring and cladding purposes. The only difference between the interior and exterior boards is the hardness and capacity to endure weather elements. The interior decking board is beautifully designed with soft finishes, while the exterior deck board is designed and sanded to be rough.

Ipe Wood Decking Board

This is a hard exotic deck board that is able to keep its original appearance for a long time. It only needs marginal maintenance. Moreover, it is extremely strong. As such, it will enhance durability once you use it to build your outdoor deck.

Red Cedar Wood Decking Board

Decking boards from red cedar feature oily characteristics and are categorized under the same class with redwood boards. The wood maintains its original appearance for only a few weeks before it starts to turn silvery-grey. If you don’t like the grey colour, however, you can treat the boards with a preservative before installation. It is also durable and will maintain the integrity of your deck for many years.

Composite Decking Board

The composite decking boards are designed mainly for exterior use. To a large extent, the material resembles laminates since it isn’t real wood. Even though composite boards aren’t commonly used for indoor cladding, they make great materials for interior flooring. Composite provides a long-lasting solution to your cladding since they are manufactured from recycled plastic and wooden materials that are extremely resistant to decay.

The appearance and durability of your home are essential. You can take the aesthetic appearance of your home to the next level by cladding it with the best boarding materials available in the market.

What’s more, the space outside your home can make a great living space if you consider adding a deck to it. An excellently designed and constructed deck adds value to your home, especially when you decide to sell it. If you are planning to clad your house, call Ultra Decking Ltd today to find out more about getting planning permission and the actual cladding of your home.