Clad To Be Growing

Stockists and installers can create added value for their customers and their business by offering cladding colours that complement windows and doors for total house transformations, says Colin St John of Freefoam Building Products.

One of the biggest growth trends in home improvements over the past few years has been PVC-UE cladding. It topped the 2023 Rated People’s Home Improvements Trends survey, with demand increasing by 743%. Freefoam stockists have increased sales year-on-year.

Good-looking, low-maintenance, easy to handle and quick to install, cladding is a huge opportunity and a big ‘add on’ for installers and stockists who want to add a quality product to their portfolio. It can also be used to improve a property’s energy efficiency, when fitted with a non-combustible insulating layer in between the cladding and the external wall. But much of the demand has been driven by the expansion of new styles and colours, backed by long-lasting guarantees.

 

Following windows

Traditionally, the most popular cladding colours have been restricted to white or natural woodgrains – similar to the finishes in PVC-U windows. For years the main choices were white, Rosewood, Mahogany or Oak if you were feeling adventurous.

But with second and third generation replacement windows, colour was used as a key sales tool and upgrade option. Now, colour is around a third of the overall window market and significantly more for the higher end. Some leading systems companies say colour and woodgrain accounts for 60% of sales, while figures from quotes on Tommy Trinder software, detailed in the Window & Doors Market Trends report show 47% of PVC-U windows are foiled and 81% of flush casements are foiled too.

Cladding is following suit. The choice in PVC-UE cladding styles and colours has expanded significantly in recent years. Freefoam offers four different cladding ranges (with different styles within them), some of which feature up to 11 different colours, with accessories to match.

 

Match to windows and doors to transform homes

Greys are particularly sought after at the moment (nearly 60% of all our Fortex cladding sales were grey in 2021), while our weatherboard and double shiplap options now include four contemporary shades (Misty Grey, Storm Grey, Slate Grey, and Anthracite Grey) that work with popular finishes in windows and doors.

RAL-coded colours mean installers can match the cladding and roofline to a suite of windows as well as bi-folds, sliders and entrance doors.

The opportunities for upselling and added margin are significant, not to mention the effect on the neighbours. When installers transform a house like this, the eye-catching result often attracts enquiries from next door!

 

Long-term guarantees

Long guarantees give homeowners the assurance that their new home improvement will stay looking good, whatever the weather. Freefoam coloured cladding, for example, comes with a 10-year guarantee in respect to warping, splitting or cracking. We also offer strong guarantees on discolouration.

Guarantees like these, plus the explosion in colour and designs have helped position PVC-UE cladding as a high-quality option for people that want to replace rotten timber boards or unsightly render or tiles or simply reskin and upgrade their property for better kerb-appeal. The type of houses cladding is now fitted on has also expanded, from 1930s semis to cutting-edge contemporary new builds, as well garden studios and pool rooms.

 

Sales support

A full cladding range needs a full suite of marketing and POS materials, from a partner you can trust. Freefoam’s independent business model means we don’t compete with stockist customers; we’re more reliable; and we can offer homeowner leads that aren’t shared with anyone else

We actively generate qualified enquiries for our network of Registered Installers through the MyCladding website. Registered Installers can also offer extended guarantees to homeowners for the ultimate peace of mind. We also offer online sales and design tools including a Visualiser and calculator to help consumers choose the right cladding and let them know how much product will be used.

 

Picture: Freefoam offers single shiplap cladding, Fortex double shiplap cladding and Fortex weatherboard cladding.

www.freefoam.com

 

Article written by Cathryn Ellis
04th October 2024

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