Has your cladding lost its sparkly, pristine finish? Is your building exterior starting to look pretty grimy and dirty? Not the most appealing look. Or the best first impression for visitors!
If you’re reading this, you’re more than likely considering cladding cleaning. And we’re not going to try and deter you. Here are just a few reasons why we think you should have your cladding cleaned regularly.
Cladding Cleaning Reason 1: Dirty Cladding Looks Bad
Cladding has many benefits, including increased insulation and weather protection, but it can also really improve a building’s appearance.
There is a wide range of materials that can be used for cladding, including wood, fibre cement, stone, brick, metal and glass. What you choose depends on your preference and what kind of impression you want to make on visitors. However, as with all materials that are open to the elements and taking the brunt of the UK wind and rain, any cladding is prone to a build-up of dirt and grime. Cladding maintenance is therefore vital to keep it looking great.
If you have customers visiting your business site regularly and they see a dirty, unkempt shell of a building, they’re more than likely going to make a judgement about your business based on what they see. It’s just instinct. So if you want to make a good first impression, it’s important to keep your business premises looking clean and tidy. Cladding cleaning can help with the exterior. The interior is up to you – unless you need help with painting and decorating, in which case, we know just the people (hint – it’s us!).
The look of your business exterior can also affect the way your staff feel when they arrive at work each day. If they arrive and are faced with a building that looks drab and untidy, they are less likely to feel upbeat and positive about the work day ahead. A bright, shiny place of work can do wonders for boosting staff morale.
Reason 2: Dirty Cladding Gets Dirtier
Not only does your dirty cladding look bad and off-putting to customers and any other potential visitors, but you will also find that it rapidly gets dirtier!
The dirt on your cladding is a mix of grit, dirt and organic matter. The organic matter attracts bugs, which then attract birds. As we all know, birds like to drop ‘presents’ wherever they are. And before you know it, your cladding will look similar to when you leave your car parked under a tree – splattered and dirty!
This will then make the cleaning more difficult, as there is a much thicker, more established layer of grime to break up. A regular cladding clean is the way forward.
Reason 3: Dirty Cladding Costs More
If this dirt, grime and bird poo build-up is left on your cladding for a prolonged amount of time, it can eventually damage the coating of the cladding, causing it to become rusty and deteriorate.
If you’re not careful and you don’t pick up on this in time or keep putting off your cladding cleaning, you are either looking at recoating your cladding or replacing it altogether. Both options are a lot more costly than cleaning and are best to avoid.
Reason 4: Dirty Cladding Covers Problems
As we’ve discussed, no matter what material you use for your cladding, general wear and tear is unavoidable. Though the external wall cladding is protecting your property from the elements, the cladding itself can sustain damage over time.
Common problems you may face include:
- Rusting corners and cut edge erosion – where corners of metal panels or the edges where they have been cut begin to corrode and rust.
- Cracked cladding – cladding can crack due to adverse weather conditions, especially if water gets into cracks and then freezes, making the problem worse.
- Paintwork damage – paintwork can crack and bubble. This is caused by the sun’s harsh UV rays or sometimes poor application if the surface has not been prepared properly beneath.
- Scratches and dents – usually found around the bottom of your cladding where delivery trucks are unloading, and cars are parked.
Though this damage is unavoidable to a certain extent, the dirt, moss and grime that forms if your cladding is not cleaned regularly will hide any issues of damage until they present in other ways. Leaving damage for an extended period will allow it to deteriorate and likely turn into a bigger problem, such as a leak or a hole, which can begin to impact the rest of your property.
Cleaning your cladding helps prevent this as it clears the extra barrier, making it easier to spot any damage and catch it early. The earlier you tackle the problem, the easier it is to repair.
Cladding Cleaning Reason 5: Dirty Cladding Is Unhealthy
Dirty cladding is basically a build-up of grit and pollution and potentially algae and mildew. Proximity to this isn’t good for anyone. In fact, it can be really unhealthy.
Some algae forms are completely harmless, but others generate unhealthy toxins. This is why you may sometimes see an algae-covered lake which is closed to the public. Mildew can also cause allergic reactions and skin irritations. Regular cleaning to clear away any algae and mildew is therefore essential.
Big Savings In The Long Run
Cladding cleaning might seem like an unnecessary job, but as we have hopefully explained, keeping it clean has many benefits. It’s not only beneficial in that it boosts your profile, but it also helps maintain your exterior, meaning it lasts longer. In the long run, this can mean a big saving for you!
For more details and to get a free quote for cladding cleaning, visit our website here.
