Does Composite Cladding Fade?

If you’ve ever gone to the great effort of installing a timber surface, be it decking or cladding, you will know the heartbreak of seeing your hard work fade, warp and crack as the rays of the blazing sun and merciless frozen fingers of frost wrap themselves relentlessly around your boards until they finally fade to a mere shadow of their former glory.

So now you’re looking at timber alternatives to save you the heartache and the elbow grease, the logical question which you will ask is, does composite cladding fade? A sensible and reasonable question but the answer is not straightforward. Here we’ll explore why that is:

The honest answer is that some composite cladding does fade a little, others don’t. Traditional composite cladding boards are designed with an exposure-responsive UV inhibitor built into its’ chemical structure – residual oils and pigments within the composite cladding boards react to the effects of the weather and in turn lighten. What that means in real terms, is that a natural weathering process will take place for the first three to four months depending on when installed.

Our traditional composite cladding is designed to weather-down to a more natural, lived-in, less ‘fresh-out-of-the-box’ look for that timeless cladding effect. After fading for a short period, the inhibitors kick in, locking the tone at a steady colour which will remain for the lifespan of your composite cladding.

Only traditional composite has these time-sensitive fade properties. Second-generation composite, however, has a much higher resistance to weathering and a higher level of overall protection against the elements. Also known as capped composite cladding, it is traditional composite that has been fed through a sleeve of polymer resin which coats the outside of the board, providing a hardy capped layer protecting the organic timber fibres within.

Equipped with stronger UV inhibitors, capped cladding resists all of the UV light maintaining shine and resisting fade throughout the lifespan of the cladding.