In recent years, exterior cladding has been a key feature on many new build homes. A quick and durable way of adding aesthetic value to a property, it can also be paired with insulation to help homeowners lower their energy bills.
In recent years darker cladding – particularly Anthracite Grey - has dominated in terms of sales. Now a more natural palette is dominating interior design trends, and the beauty of wood is making a comeback.
To help housebuilders capitalise on this trend there’s an exciting product on the market: Fortex® Naturale from Freefoam Building Products. A PVC-UE cladding that looks identical to high-grade planed timber. It adds more value and impact, and looks even more timber-like than the rougher surface of traditional timber cladding, without the drawbacks.
Freefoam developed Fortex® Naturale to meet demand for low-maintenance cladding that looks like quality planed timber – but doesn’t fade or weather like wood.
Here are the big selling points for housebuilders:
- Real wood effect
- Variety of wood finishes
- Ease of installation
- Ultra low-maintenance
- Better for the environment
Fortex® Naturale cladding is co-extruded with a matt white skin and then taken through a secondary process, where the timber pattern is printed on using a cutting-edge digital printing machine. Prints are actually carefully edited photographs of different natural woods, and the printer is able to replicate different parts of the timber so the patterns are non-repeating.
Whether housebuilders are looking for a warm, grey or darker wood finish, Naturale has it covered. There are six authentic wood finishes and for a seamless finish with other building elements, colour-matched aluminium finishing trims are also available with RAL number referencing.
Fortex Naturale cladding is lighter and easier to store, fit and handle than real timber and fibre cement cladding. Boards slot easily together using tongue-and-groove fixing.
Fitting long life products is key for housebuilders. Naturale is printed using a special ink designed for external use, plus we use a lacquer top coat to stop any fading. Freefoam are so confident our cladding will look good as new for years to come, they offer a market leading 10-year guarantee.No regular upkeep for homeowners so developers can install a fit and forget product.
Fortex® Naturale is 100% recyclable when it reaches the end of its life cycle. Plus, as it can be fitted with an insulation layer to keep more of a home’s heat in, it can help reduce energy consumption.
“We’ve had a lot of positive feedback already from customers, who describe Fortex® Naturale as a ‘market disrupting’ product,” comments Aidan Harte, CEO of Freefoam. “It took significant time and investment to bring it to market, but we know it has longevity as it appeals to those who want value-adding products in the here and now, as well as those looking for traditional timber cladding but without the hassle. It’s a classic addition to any cladding offer with a thoroughly modern and innovative twist.”
