Wood will never lose its instinctive appeal as a building material. We all appreciate its natural characteristics and we have built with it, and used it to decorate our buildings for many thousands of years. We enjoy its beauty, its warmth and its texture.
Yet for architects and builders there are numerous drawbacks to using wood, it can rot, warp, twist and it needs constant maintenance. Wood plastic composites can offer significant advantages. These extend from financial and environmental benefits to superior qualities in terms of design, installation and durability.
Hardwood can be very expensive, it is not normally FSC® certified and if it is imported from overseas, the final price is often not known until it is “landed”. Prices can fluctuate rapidly too. For some structural building components the wood has to be knot-free as knots are points of weakness, meaning that not all of the raw material can be used. Holding stocks of timber is a costly exercise and supplies are not easily transferable on to other projects.
In comparison, wood composite cladding is less expensive, being manufactured from highly abundant recyclable plastics and more importantly to our environment FSC® certified. The price is relatively stable and known in the time-frame of most projects.
For design purposes wood plastic composite cladding is easy to use and very adaptable. It has a high strength to weight ratio which is a huge advantage in many exterior façade projects. Its weight will remain constant once installed and no tolerances have to be built-in for weight increase, which may occur when wooden structures absorb moisture.
Keeping costs within budget, and for the long term, is increasingly important to major suppliers in order to improve margins and protect markets. Wood plastic composite cladding delivers on all fronts. Manufacturing and maintenance costs are reduced and consistent, installation is rapid and environmental credentials are highlighted. By choosing Teckwood any project for which wood was the original design vision can be brought to fruition, by combining the performance of composite cladding with the look of wood.
Please feel free to contact us to talk about composite claddings and we will be happy to share our knowledge and experience with you.
Contact sales on 0800 799 9082.