How to Fit Sentinel Cladding

EnviroBuild’s Sentinel composite cladding is an easy to install external rain cover system which, when installed correctly, will provide you with low-maintenance and durable cladding for many years to come. 

Sentinel composite cladding carries a higher fire rating (Euroclass B) than our Pioneer cladding (Euroclass D), making it suitable for most residential and commercial projects; however, please refer to your local building control to determine your own project specific fire classification requirements. 

In this article you will find a summary to get you started with your Sentinel cladding installation; for our more detailed installation guide click here.

Cladding installation tools 

To install Sentinel composite cladding you do not need anything more specialist than standard woodworking tools. If you are unsure how to use any of these tools, please consult the tool manufacturer’s user manual.

Tools required

• Circular saw – to achieve the cleanest cuts we recommend a thin kerf 40-tooth alternate top bevel finish blade. If cutting Manticore plastic battens use a tungsten carbide blade
• Power mitre saw – can be useful for efficiency and bevelled edges
• Jig saw
• Hand drill – 3mm and countersink drill bits
• Impact driver – T15 drill bit supplied in all Hyperion hidden fastener packs
• Tape measure
• Carpentry square
• Spirit level
• Safety glasses and relevant Personal Protection Equipment

To determine how much Hyperion Sentinel cladding material you require, you can either use detailed plans or follow the method described below. Alternatively, call a member of our team on 0208 088 4888 for assistance with planning your project. 

Calculating materials

1. Begin by measuring the height and width of your proposed cladding area(s). 
2. Next decide whether you want to install your cladding horizontally or vertically.
3. If you are installing Sentinel cladding horizontally, divide the wall height by the visible width of the board (150mm).
4. Now multiply the width of the wall by the number of boards high, then divide this number by the longest length of cladding board.

Make sure to always round up the numbers of boards required at all stages, and we also recommend that you add 5% extra materials to allow for wastage. 

For multiple cladding areas, follow the above steps for each section and sum the quantities together.

If your wall width is less than our 4m board and you want no butt joints across the wall, simply order the calculated number of boards high. For fixing battens/joists, fascia boards, corner nose trims and fixing screws we recommend that you order the following:

• Hidden fasteners – 1 box per 10m² of cladding
• Battens/ joists – 9 linear meters per 5m² of cladding
• Fascia boards and corner nosing – to cover any openings
• Fixing screws – 7 per cladding board (600mm batten centres)

These are best estimates only, for more complex designs and features a drawing to scale may better help you to determine how many cladding boards and accessories will be required.

Cladding support structure

Hyperion Sentinel Cladding range has been tested to Reaction to Fire classification: B s2-d0 (EN 13501-1). To uphold this Reaction to Fire classification for the entire wall covering you must ensure each component used is specified under the same or higher classification.

• A water repellent coating or breather membrane must be installed before battens are fixed, to protect walls from water penetration
• Affix treated timber or Manticore plastic lumber battens to the supporting wall or structure with widths between battens no greater than 600mm
• The first batten should be installed min. 20mm from the ground
• Install additional wall battening around windows and doors 
• For vertical cladding we recommend using counter battening to allow sufficient airflow

Cladding boards installation

Hyperion Sentinel cladding uses a ship-lap system to enable you to securely and easily install your cladding boards. Follow these steps when installing your cladding boards:

1. Mark level lines on the battens for the first (lowest) row of hidden fasteners to be installed, ensuring that the fasteners are installed at least 28mm off the ground so the boards will sit a min. 20mm of the ground.
2. Pre-drill the screw holes in the cladding board 2mm wider than the screw thread used, this will allow for material expansion. These holes should line up with the supporting battens.
3. Place the bottom cladding boards in position (or first board for vertical cladding) so that the bottom groove slides into the hidden fastener. 
4. Fix to the batten through the pre-drilled holes, being careful not to over drive the screws.
5. Once the first board is in place, place the next row of hidden fasteners into the top groove of the cladding board.
6. Then place the next cladding board in place and repeat the process, checking the level before each board is fixed. 
7. Fix all boards up to the top (or side for vertical) edge of the wall, shaping boards as necessary around doors and windows.

 

Finishing touches

You can install a Hyperion fascia board to finish off and cover the top cladding board fixing groove (horizontally installed cladding only). The fascia board can also be used to cover expansion gaps.

Similarly, Hyperion corner nosing trims can be used to cover corners, edges and windows. 

Cut them to size and then pre-drill, before screwing down to the battens. 

For any further questions or issues, please refer to our more detailed installation guide here. Equally, feel free to get in touch with our team at info@envirobuild.com or on 0208 088 4888.