Cladding under porch and balcony

[AliG]

Hi,

 

I need to pick a material to clad the underside of a balcony and porch roof.

 

Would there be a problem using composite wood cladding boards or deck boards. Some cladding says it was not made to be fitted horizontally. The boards seem to come as hollow or solid, although solid might be stronger for decking, I would think lighter hollow boards would be better fitted to the underside of a roof.

 

I have been looking at WPC, Hyperion and Duraclad among others. In general these items seem to come in at around £45+ a square metre, has anyone seen cheaper prices?

 

I want something that looks like wood but doesn't require maintenance. In my current house the wood under the porch has shrunk and requires painting every few years despite not actually being directly exposed to the weather, although I suspect this is due to the fact that the builder used softwood painted white.

 

Thanks

 

[Temp]

Perhaps they are concerned about trapped water freezing in hollow boards when fitted horizontally? I think if it's on the underside of a balcony and the ends are protected it should be ok.

 

Edit: Soffits are horizontal.

Edited August 1, 2017 by Temp