Home Improvements Case Study

THINKING OF ADDING CLADDING TO YOUR OFFER? NOW’S THE TIME!

The cladding market was traditionally dominated by timber so most of the current designs you see on houses are based on a traditional look.

But things are changing, and we are now seeing an increasing switch to PVC cladding as the benefits of the material become more widely acknowledged. Our top cladding customers have seen their sales grow 55% in the past two years, which shows the strength and the potential of the market. PVC cladding has many well-understood benefits over timber such as ease of installation, maintenance-free, and long lasting performance, without in any way compromising on the traditional façade finish. PVC cladding has also evolved, and a growing number of installers now see it as the default solution for homeowners who want their homes to look more attractive than neighbouring properties, or who long to transform their tired exteriors. Before and after photos are particularly compelling if they are selling their property. It’s a big opportunity for installers to expand their portfolio too, especially when they realise that their local market is as big as they want it to be.

CLADDING FOR THE UK AND EUROPE

The cladding market is multi-layered in terms of customer expectations at different entry points. Some customers want performance at the lowest cost. Others are prepared to pay a bit more for different designs, while a new market exists for more robust and distinctive designs. There are plenty of products on the market to meet the needs of each subsector.

Freefoam saw a growing market opportunity for cladding – it’s one of the easiest ways to transform property facades and boost kerb appeal. We launched our Fortex PVC cladding over 15 years ago and we have been adding different cladding types and options to it ever since to meet changing customer profiles and demands. As demand grew, we developed the range to include double shiplap cladding, weatherboard, and shadow-line flat cladding, and the options of the traditional wood effect finish or a softer contemporary style. The range of colours was also extended over the years, and we’ve added colours in response to market trends and consumer preferences. For example, grey shades are particularly sought after at the moment, and Fortex now includes four contemporary greys – all of them very popular – to match the popularity of greys in windows and doors. And then we developed X-Wood. This embossed, foiled PVC cladding is a very popular premium offering with an improved fire rating and a composite formulation that enhances its installation characteristics. People have become smitten by premium foils on windows and doors so not surprisingly they’re just blown away by the effect of these foils on X-Wood cladding. They have fallen for the transformational look of foils and colour on a bigger cladding ‘canvas’. Installers appreciate the easier installation, and the availability. They also appreciate Freefoam’s choice and the performance of our colours, and the fact that we use acrylic long-life colour for the darker shades for the best performance. For installers, the major selling points are additional colour options for customers, easy installation, and a reassuring 10-year product guarantee.

THE EVOLUTION OF FREEFOAM CLADDING

Freefoam cladding solutions are constantly evolving and our current range has come a long way from the original product designs, with the latest largely influenced by the Continental market. The UK is still behind Europe in its appetite for cladding (although it is quickly catching up!) so when our products launched initially, they were actively sold in Continental European markets first. France is the largest continental market for cladding, with significant interest in the Benelux countries too. These markets have always been adventurous in colour choices which drove Freefoam to extend our colour range. Our European customers also pushed us to offer more design choices and to improve our weather performance to suit a wide geographical area – it is pretty hot in the South of France - and meet a variety of increasingly demanding climatic conditions. As well as using our customer feedback to influence the development of cladding, we have an active research and development process which focuses on innovation in colour performance, post-processing, improving installation systems, waste, and energy reduction. Within our extrusion and embossing processes, we have proprietary elements that are unique to us. We want our products to be something special – something our trade customers and end users can’t get anywhere else.

Aidan Harte, Freefoam Managing Director FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES IN CLADDING

We see cladding as the ‘ultimate’ home improvement product – and cladding transformation the ‘ultimate’ home improvement project - and we’re not surprised by the spike in demand in the UK. The number of Freefoam stockists has increased year-on-year and sales of Fortex are in a purple patch right now as increased demand for home improvements is driving exponential growth. Cladding has another significant appeal as it can be used to improve the energy efficiency of homes. When fitted with an insulating layer in between the cladding and the external wall, the results are very impressive, helping to cut heating bills. So much so the BRE has given PVC weatherboarding installations with an insulation layer an A+ rating. The upward trend for cladding is set to continue, particularly as homeowners are quickly learning the benefits of PVC cladding. We also expect to see different cladding styles and colour preferences come to the fore, as cladding manufacturers increasingly diversify their offer to mirror regional and national trends. For example, we’ve noticed a rapid shift from the narrow range of White and Pale Gold cladding to a much wider colour palette in the UK recently. We’ve yet to see a move away from the loose joint system to the neater overlap joint, which is so popular on the continent, but that may be a trend to look out for!

As demand grows, so too will competition. This’s a good thing as it encourages everyone to up their game! Freefoam is currently working on new product developments that will further enhance our product range technically and aesthetically, with new lines launching in the next couple of years, as we look to stay ahead of competitors.

Discover more about Freefoam’s wide cladding range by calling 01604 591110, visiting www.freefoam.com and following @Freefoam.

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