Building façades require upkeep and repair over time. These repairs can often be costly and disruptive to operations and occupants. Overcladding is one method that can be implemented to renew or upgrade the exterior façade while allowing the building to remain in full operation.
Overcladding is defined as covering an existing exterior wall system with a new cladding. There are many variations of overcladding but some common applications involve installing a new lighter-weight cladding system (e.g., EIFS, metal panels) outboard of an existing robust wall system (e.g., concrete, or mass masonry). There are other more complicated overcladding applications that include using heavier overcladding materials requiring additional design considerations. This article will later include a case study utilizing brick and limestone masonry to overclad an existing terra cotta wall.