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[November 2007]
AMA Produces Wall Cladding UK 2007 Report
AMA Research has published a new and fully revised edition of the ‘Wall Cladding Market UK 2007’. The report is described as comprehensive, informed and up-to-date and as representing an invaluable aid to sales and marketing professionals involved in the industry. Available to purchase for £625, this report analyses the UK market for wall cladding and is based on a combination of primary and secondary research. The report analyses the sector in terms of market size by area installed, key sector trends, product mixes, key suppliers and distribution channels.
It is estimated that around 46 million square metres of wall cladding was installed in 2006, up by around 1% on 2005. Sectors covered in this report include: facing bricks, facing blocks, other masonry cladding, metal panels, façade glazing and a comprehensive range of niche products such as high pressure laminates, insulated render systems, weatherboarding and vertical tiling.
The largest product group is that of facing bricks, accounting for around half the market, although demand has been decreasing due to increased competition from other materials and the current trend away from detached housing towards apartment blocks. Growth in apartment block construction has helped stimulate demand for façade glazing, in particular curtain walling, although the main area of application is that of commercial offices.
Metal cladding – comprising steel and aluminium profiled panels and composite panels – accounts for around a fifth of the market, key areas of use being industrial buildings and warehousing, although in recent years there has been an increased level of usage on commercial and public buildings.
Concrete facing blocks, typically with render or paint finishes, account for around 10% of the market, the main area of use being housing newbuild, although commercial and public buildings represent an important market.
Other masonry cladding - including reconstituted stone blocks and panels, large concrete cladding panels and natural stone cladding products – accounts for around 5% of the market, with cast stone products the main product group.
It is estimated that insulated render systems account for around 3% of the market. Demand is expected to increase, underpinned by energy efficiency requirements, particularly with regard to key areas of application such as social housing and healthcare buildings.
While it is difficult to forecast growth rates, over the medium term it is anticipated that there will be a reasonable increase in output, underpinned largely by increased levels of activity in key markets, such as shopping malls, high-rise and large-area office and mixed-use developments across London and in other major cities, business park developments, PFI hospitals etc.
Over the longer term, the main drivers expected to underpin demand for cladding will be the housing and education sectors. Over 250,000 dwellings per annum are required to meet the Government’s projected growth rates in demand for housing through to 2021, which should restore some growth in the market for facing bricks.
In addition, the Government’s commitment to improving schools – via the Building Schools for the Future and Primary Capital programmes – is expected to underpin increased demand for wall cladding products over the next decade, though implementation of the programme continues to experience delays.
ENDS