Porcelain Wall Cladding - The New Option In Cladding For 2023

Porcelain wall cladding is an easy solution to protect external walls from the elements and add a real sense of style a differentiation between your property and something typical. While exterior cladding was previously very popular for commercial buildings, it has now grown in popularity for homes across the UK too. This is thanks to it's availability, affordability, simplicity & stylish finish.

It’s an external piece of material that not only protects the external walls of a building from the elements and other environmental factors, it looks great too. With a selection of garden cladding materials, the style is called "split-face" which means the slats are textured and look as though they are multiple pieces of stone protruding at different depths.

Black porcelain wall cladding. Garden wall cladded with porcelain wall cladding
Black Porcelain Wall Cladding

Our porcelain cladding ranges have been carefully designed so they can be installed outside. If installed correctly with external tile grouts, it will easily stand the test of time in the Great British weather. Along with being resistant to the elements,  external porcelain wall cladding is very decorative. It adds warmth and a traditional stone look for new build properties or extensions, despite being made from porcelain.

Benefits of Using Exterior Porcelain Wall Cladding

There are lots of benefits gained from using exterior cladding on your home. It is frost proof and water resistant for a start. External wall cladding also protects your building from the elements, while protecting your home against loss of heat in the winter and excessive heat in the hotter summer months.

However, the most common reason for homeowners to purchase porcelain cladding for their home is because it creates such a stunning focal point for your property. Whether you are facing up an actual wall of your home, or simply a feature wall in your garden, no one can miss the presence of black cladding or split face cladding once it has been installed. If you are looking to create the look of luxury and stand out from your neighbours for all the right reasons, porcelain cladding is definitely for you.

External porcelain wall cladding dramatically enhances the look of existing and new buildings. It is porcelain cladding offers virtually endless possibilities for finishes to the exterior of your home.

Grey porcelain wall cladding. A Garden wall cladded with porcelain cladding and steps up to a patio next to it.

Grey "Slate" Porcelain Wall Cladding

Whether you are looking for garden cladding for a feature wall on the patio, slate cladding for a large wall on your home or black cladding for the entire side of a larger building, for example – we can help. Exterior cladding is a great way of updating the façade of your home, as a replacement for old render or just to create a new eye-catching look for your home.

Do You Need Planning Permission For External Wall Cladding?

Changing the exterior of your home may be subject to planning rules that have been set out by your local council. It’s a good idea to check with them for approval before starting the wall cladding on your home.

If you have a listed building or your home is on specially protected land, then you will definitely need to ask for planning permission. This will often be approved as long as it fits with the look or style of the area.

However, if you live in a terraced home or a semi-detached house, while planning permission may not be required, you may want to speak to your neighbours and consider the impact the exterior wall cladding will have on them and their homes.

Why Choose Natural Stone Cladding?

External stone or slate cladding offers the ideal way to give your home that distinguished look and feel. However, as well as looking good, there are many other reasons to choose natural stone for your exterior walls. We have listed some of these reasons below for you.

  • Wall Cladding provides a nice alternative aesthetic

Porcelain cladding enables you to create the look of a natural stone building quickly, easily and reliably. With a wide range of colours, styles and materials of exterior wall cladding, you really can choose a tile cladding that is completely unique to you and will create a truly aesthetic look for your home.

  • Cladding a wall is incredibly cost effective when compared to using stone

When you are looking to create the look of natural stone for your home, it can be very expensive. However, natural stone cladding costs far less than full-sized stone pieces and it delivers the same finished look. For an even more cost-effective solution, build a cost effective, structural wall and consider split face cladding for the exterior of your home.

  • Porcelain cladding is very uncomplicated due to it's low weight

Some homeowners may find that a stone wall is not possible for their home as many modern structures are not designed to structurally support the weight of stone. However, porcelain cladding is lightweight and will put way less stress on the structural elements of a home. 

  • The cladding versatile as well as stylish

A completely modern home can be completely transformed to something incredible and traditional with porcelain wall cladding. This cladding can also be used inside the home for feature walls, fireplaces and even floors. Stone cladding provides the perfect solution to where there are limitations around the transport and cost of full-sized stone pieces.

  • As durable as porcelain paving slabs would be - 0% absorption

External porcelain cladding offers high resistance to the elements. The panel cladding will extend the lifespan of your walls and look great for years to come. The finished result of your exterior wall cladding will offer high durability so you can enjoy the look for years to come, without worrying about damage, wear and tear.

Cream porcelain wall cladding. Garden patio with a porcelain cladded wall next to it

Fossil Porcelain Wall Cladding

How To Choose The Right External Cladding For Your Home

There are a handful of options available in the porcelain cladding. Each piece is producing in the same "z" shape to allow for them to be installed easily, but the pieces are varied in colour, shade and texture, so be sure to look carefully into the style and product you are after. 

  • Porcelain Cladding Colours

Porcelain cladding comes in 4 different colours which are designed to imitate natural slates and sandstones - you can see all 4 Primethorpe colours in this post. It’s about choosing the right colour for your home, garden or neighbourhood. Take a look around you to see what colours are in your garden and street, or carefully plan and design a colour scheme for your space independently. From here, you can decide if you want to use external cladding to contrast with the surroundings, or to blend in with the rest of the space - once you've made this decision, the right option will likely jump out to you.

  • Pattern & Texture

Porcelain cladding is a manufactured product, so does fall short of natural stone in the sense of variation in pattern and texture, but it more than makes up for it with the other positives. The cladding pieces are planned and designed well to give a slight variation in pattern and texture, but ultimately they will be repeating. There are 12 different designs in pattern and texture across the porcelain cladding range, so it's not to difficult to install while blending a mixed pattern, especially considering these slips can also be installed upside down! That is effectively 24 different tiles to blend across the whole wall. 

 

Rustic copper porcelain wall cladding. An outdoor bar area cladded with rustic copper porcelain cladding
Rustic copper porcelain wall cladding

Why Makeover The Outside Of Your Home With Wall Cladding?

Wall cladding is a great option for making over the outside of your home. Whether you are looking to make a quick profit from your home or want to update the look of your home on a budget, exterior cladding could be the perfect solution for you. If you’re very budget conscious, then check out our range of split face cladding to keep costs even lower.

There are several ways that external cladding can improve the appearance of your home from the outside. For example, instead of painting over ugly brickwork or dirty dark pebbledash you can brighten up the exterior of your home with a fresh shade by using stone cladding.

It’s important to note that you don’t need to use wall cladding over the entire home either. Focusing on the upper storey of the home or creating a feature panel on the wall can work brilliantly at smartening up the exterior of your home.

 

The Pros and Cons Of Stone Wall Cladding

Summary

As with all building materials, there are pros and cons to everything. So, let’s take a look at the pros and cons stone cladding. This will help decide if external wall cladding is a suitable addition to your home.

The Pros Of Porcelain External Cladding

  • Unrivalled Italian designs for a beautiful appearance.
  • Porcelain wall cladding offer an excellent level of durability and a long lifespan.
  • A range of types, colours, styles, formats and patterns to use.
  • It compliments other materials, such as concrete or timber.
  • External cladding provides an extra layer of insulation for your home if installed with a specific method.
  • Cladding can be used inside or outside your home, to bring the look and feel of your home together.
  • It is fire resistant and weather resistant.
  • Porcelain wall cladding is scratch and abrasion resistant.
  • Does not need sealing to protect it long term due to the long lasting veneer.
  • Can handle all manor of cleaner.
  • It is easy to maintain long-term so it will look it’s best for years to come.

 

The Cons Of Porcelain External Cladding

  • It requires extra labour to install. Although there are harder activities!
  • It is an added expense on top of the walling material.
  • Moisture can become trapped behind external cladding if the stone wall cladding has not been properly installed.
  • Porcelain cladding is limited in terms of it's variations. There are a limited number of slips designed, so they will not be truly unique like  a natural stone option would be.

 

Exterior Cladding Trends

When it comes to renovating or making your home over, it’s good to be aware of the latest trends to keep yourself inspired. Your garden out exterior of your home is the perfect medium to express a bit of creativity that is visible to the world. But as you probably know, trends change! What you want now, may not be the case in 5 years time, which is why cladding is worth taking a chance on. The only thing easier than installing cladding is uninstalling it! They can be removed with a little bit of force and mortar cleaning solutions and hey presto - you've got your blank canvas back! So, consider the colours and materials around your external walls to choose the right garden cladding or wall cladding for your home, but don't be worried about the long term. They are a fantastic option as you won't have a structure made from them, it will simply be cladded and can be removed and redone in a day! 

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