Is Composite Cladding Cheaper Than Wood?

Let’s start with a direct comparison. Lay out the framework, if you will. We can’t deny that, per square metre, timber is cheaper than composite cladding. Coming in at approximately £20-£60 per square metre – compared to NeoTimber’s £39.35-£64.02 per square metre price point – you’d think the decision is made. ‘One’s cheaper than the other, so I’ll go with that, right?’ Hold your horses; you might not want to make such a snap decision.

Though timber draws people in with its cheaper price-tag, it doesn’t actually come with a manufacturer’s warranty. ‘Why is that?’ you might ask. Because, put simply, wood is renowned for bowing under pressure. It’s for this reason that we recommend shifting your attention away from the initial cost, and instead focus on what costs could arise once your cladding has been installed. If you don’t want to keep paying out for timber’s upkeep, then it definitely isn’t for you.

The wonderful thing about composite cladding is that it’s primarily organic. Being 60% timber, it can be cut and sawn to size as easily as wood. This means that the physical labour cost of installing composite cladding tends to match that of timber, given that most installers are well-versed in the relevant installation methods. According to “Price Your Job”, the cost of installing cladding comes to around £600-£900 (based on an average installation time). This is assuming that your installer operates at a daily rate of £150-£200 – with a labourer costing a further £80-£100 per day – for a three-day project. However, prices are know to vary depending on both the m2 coverage and the type of installation.

Composite cladding, like all composite products, is made from a combination of end-of-use timber fibres and recycled plastic. While the cost of purchasing these materials is minimal, the bulk of the price comes from sourcing the raw materials. Compared to timber, you can’t just chop a plastic tree down. We have to put in a little extra effort to protect the environment, and this effort comes at a slightly higher cost than acquiring traditional lumber. Once felled and sawn, timber is ready for shipping and sale. Composite cladding, however, must undergo a detailed process to guarantee a level of quality we’re happy with. We’ll only give you the very best, and we’ve priced our products in line with this sentiment. We don’t take the mick; we give you a product that’s worth every extra penny.

Timber cladding may seem like the cheaper, organic option. However, instead of taking from natural habitats and contributing toward deforestation, our composite cladding is made entirely from recycled materials. This makes it one of the most sustainable cladding alternatives out there. While yes, some timber is sourced from renewable sources and suppliers who boast about their replanting strategies, it just isn’t enough. In fact, it’s been proven that mature trees make a far greater contribution to CO2 processing than recently planted trees. Let’s not forget that trees like Red Cedar can take up to 50 years to reach maturity. That’s a long time to wait to reap the benefits of replanting. We hope to play a part in stopping deforestation before it’s out of our control – to tackle the problem at the root, instead of trying to play damage control. Our trees deserve to stand tall for hundreds – or even thousands – of years. Composite products help make that happen.