Wooden Cladding on my Ugly House

[Chickiwick]

Hi Everyone, I'm quite new to Mumsnet so sorry if this is the wrong place or if this has been asked before.

We live on a road of quite nice 1930s semis and Victorian cottages and our house is an ugly newish house (1990s) which has absolutely NO character. We bought it becuase it's absolutely massive for a 3 bedroom and needed loads of cosmetic work. We've pulled up the inside but it's a bloody eyesore outside.

I saw a house nearby where they have clad the front in wood and it looks gorgeous - very modern which is kind of in-keeping with the type of house I have. The thing is I have NO idea how much this type of things costs and who to contact for a quite - is it a general builder? A specialist firm? I just want a bit of an idea before I call a builder so I don't sound totally clueless.

Has anyone had this done and how did you do about getting quote and roughly how much did it cost?

Any advice welcome please!

[MojitoMollie]

got any photos of what you have now, and what you want?

[strongandlong]

Try googling 'retrofit timber cladding'.

There are lots of suppliers, some seem to offer a full service. (Chosen at random:
www.woodtrend.co.uk/Cladding
www.timbercladdingsolutions.co.uk/)

[PigletJohn]

you won't mind getting on your ladder every five years to re-stain it?

[Donthate]

I'd knock on the door and ask them who did it. But I live in an area where that would be perfectly normal. Someone did it when we had our fence built.

[Chickiwick]

Thank you for the replies!

Here is a pic of my house - I don't know who thought the pillars were a good idea!!

I can't knock because I saw the pic in an Estate Agent window - otherwise I definitely would!

Thank you for the websites :) I'll take a look later.

I hadn't thought about staining them... Hmmmm. Fly in the ointment, that one...

[Chickiwick]

This is a pic from the Internet that i saw that looks like the kind of thing I'm after.

[perfectlybroken]

Personally think your house looks nice, simple and modern. Except the pillars. If you decide against the wood maybe a nice modern porch would give it a different feel?

[perfectlybroken]

The wood looks lovely as well.

[MakeItStopNeville]

Won't it look a bit out of place compared to your neighbours?

[Chickiwick]

thanks perfectlybroken - I am definitely getting rid of the pillars and putting on a porch and new door too.

It is a really nice space inside - and I shouldn't complain because the only reason we could afford it was because it's not as pretty as neighbouring houses and needed complete redecoration.

It looks like about £4.5k for recladding half of the front elevation and the east side return leading to my Neighbour's house. Not an insurmountable cost but not cheap either. I'll have a think.

[Chickiwick]

It already does makeitstop - but this way it might look nice too! Currently it's like a beacon standing out (in my eyes anyway).

[BreakfastAtSquiffanys]

Cladding is very popular in Canada, normally "painted" rather than stained wood.
However most painted wood cladding is actually plastic (with embossed woodgrain.
Less maintenance than stained wood

[pinkpanda101]

Have a look at https://www.marleyeternit.co.uk/facades/weatherboard/cedral-weatherboard.aspx cedral lap weatherboard], it's cladding made for of fibre cement and from about 10m away looks like wood. Low maintenance, no painting, and easy to install, just saws to pieces and hangs on batons, like wood cladding. We've had our new house clad in the dark grey and it looks fab 😀

[pinkpanda101]

clicky link

[DorcasthePuffin]

I think your house looks nice! If you want to see an ugly house, you should see mine...

[strongandlong]

I think a new porch/front door would make the world of difference to your house.

Nicer windows would probably make more difference than cladding.

[jazzandh]

I agree, new wooden porch and front door. I would soften the front with some plants under the windows and maybe a climber on a trellis on the front wall as well.

My Mum has one of the weatherboard houses (painted style) and whilst it is no maintenance it gets really dirty and needs cleaning. It gets green mold on it ......it's just another maintenance cost that you don't really need.

Your house has anice open front, just needs a little softening really and then it would look lovely.

It may look a little twee - not sure - but possibly external shutters at the top could break up the window line.

[CointreauVersial]

What pinkpanda said - if you're going to clad, go for cement board.

We did the top half of the gable end at the back of our house, replacing some rotten old teak-stained wood, and it looks marvellous. I think ours was Hardiplank, but the Marley stuff is the same. We went for black, which was more of a dark graphite colour, and it has a texture/grain so looks like painted wood. Our joiner fitted it no problem, and it's zero maintenance.

[hangingoutthewashing]

The photo you have from the internet looks like they have used cedar wood cladding and colour render , my friends did this to a 1970's property and it really gave it the wow factor
they bought in the cladding and had chippies install it ( they are in the building trade ) , you may need to check with your council first as it may need pp as the outside finish will be different

[Chickiwick]

Thank you for all of your comments - I've got lots of research to do now but I'm much better than where I started!

And thank you also for the nice comments about the house - I'll miss telling people I live in the house with the ugly pillars when directing someone to me.

[JT05]

I think your house looks lovely the way it is, with a few tweaks. I'd change the windows to a simpler design, get rid of the pillars and have a new front door.
If the planners allow, a porch would be lovely. Either a closed one or open one would look lovely and blend in with the older properties.

[ArriettyClock1]

It is very ugly, but could easily be improved. I would change the windows and front door first.

[Soon2bC]

A porch and maybe a bay window would completely change the look of your house. however I dont think it is ugly, just plain. My house has a very ugly front!!

[Chickiwick]

Thanks everyone!

I've decided on wooden cladding, grey uPVC windows and a porch with a pitched roof. Will also try to re-render the front too depending on funds.

soon2bc we can't have a bay there because it's the kitchen so it wouldn't quite 'work' plus the driveway is quite tight as it is.

I'm getting my quotes in and should have a transformed house in a few months - very excited!!

[AlisonWunderland]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but I would rethink the grey window frames.
They're very "in" at the moment but I suspect that in the not too distant future they will become the "dark brown windows of the 80s" and much expensive to change than grey wallpaper.
White is less fashionable but won't date the same way as grey