I have to replace some of my Western Red Cedar (WRC) cladding -
I am ONLY replacing some of it bcoz (a) the rest is okay - and (b) trying to keep costs down
There are ALOT of Products out there at the moment -
. Timber cladding - WRC cladding is STILL an excellent option with Good WEAR & Stability Properties in comparison to, for example, Spotted Gum etc… - my WRC Boards have been on the house almost 30 years (reCoated with “natural stain” twice )
. NEW Modified Timber Products such as ACCOYA and ABODO are basically Softwoods Thermally OR Acetylene Treated to extend their Life etc
. Timber treated in the Shou Sugi Ban method - for example, Mortlock, Hurfords etc…
-vs - the Cheaper Products -
. Fibre Cement Products - ones that you paint on site
. Fibre Cement Products that are pre finished - for example. BGC Montage Panels
. Board Products - for example, Weathertex and ShadowClad
. Porcelain Panel Facades
. Stonini Panels…
I went with fibre cement boards over steel. You do have to paint it but that isn’t difficult and the paint lasts well. It doesn’t burn and the ants don’t eat it. I really like timber as a general look but not so much as house cladding. It leaves you with a dark coloured house unless you are going paint your timber which seems rather pointless.
I am interested how you work in another kind of cladding if you don’t replace all the cedar. I am also interested in why you say it is a good option for durability when it needs replacement after 30 years, there are weatherboard houses around here that are still going 100 years on.
We’re going to replace our very deteriorated vinyl weatherboards (which are currently covering the cladding substance which shall not be named) with Weathertex PrimeLok, painted with a high quality exterior paint.
Husband is in the industry, and believes it to be the best, most durable value for money option on the market.
We’re just working on saving to remove what’s underneath (a very very expensive exercise).
An enlightening observation. We have several times had the hard sell to replace, clad over WRC with vinyl. Part of the sale is it never needs painting and “lasts a lifetime”. I’ll leave the lifetime estimate to others to calculate.
Our other place has Western Red Cedar rough cut weather boards more than 30 years old. The other owners hate them. We are on the third repaint and colour scheme change. They might as well have been vinyl.
There are some great other wood alternatives.
If you experience humid Aussie summers though the Grand Designs images of wonderful weathered silver grey and platinum patinas are more likely mould grey black with highlights of algae and moss. The more pollen and dust in the local environment the more prominent the effect.
Any natural wood will need regular sealing or painting. An annual clean is also advisable. Not just a hose from the lawn but a hand clean with mop or sponge and suitable chemical. Some recommend a high pressure spray. Just note most houses are not designed to keep that type of water out. Cat 5 cyclone ratings excepted?
Note:
Before cladding over AC sheeted properties consideration needs to be given to the management of condensation between the old and new skin, thermal properties, water proofing around window/door frames Etc and disturbance to the underlying AC material. Any removal of old material or fasteners (nails) or new work has potential to disturb the AC sheet and release fibres. Expert assessment recommended.
Older AC can be extremely brittle releasing fibres from very minor impacts. While Government has taken steps to remove it from schools offices etc at the tax payers ultimate expense, us private home owners are less well supported. Is it time for government to offer financial incentives for AC removal from older homes?
The immediate and individual lifetime health risks are well known. They have been legally recognised and legislated for. But for existing home owners still a step too far to provide a solution. Only a cost penalty for remediation.
Another alternative if your house suits it is colorbond paneling. I emphasise the word suits as some houses with colorbond panelling look great, while others look less than attractive. It tends to work better on houses built more recently (last ~30 years) rather than those with some age. It should also have a very long maintenance free life as well.
I believe these were hard-sold in a door to door fashion to the previous owners. They have yellowed very badly, and become detached in enough places to look terrible. I’d estimate they’re around 30 years old now.
Absolutely. The older it gets (our house is 1960s) the more likely it is to be disturbed or need to be disturbed, and the fibres can very easily become airborne and affect far more than just the property owners.
We have been quoted in the tens of thousands just for the removal of our roof and cladding, let alone the replacement. That removal cost is the same regardless of whether we were replacing, or completely demolishing the house. We want to do it, and we’re working towards it, but its a huge cost. For every extra year it takes us to save to do it, thats more risk to us and all the people who live and work around it.
It would also help stimulate another section of the building industry, other than just new residential builds. Seems like a win win all around to me.
hi KAAAAAREN87… I am also looking at Weathertex - I received a sample of the ‘Weathergroove 150 Natural’ this morning… Weathertex give a good warranty of 25 years (but,10 years for ‘Natural’)… I agree that Weathertex is a good ‘natural’ option for the environment…
ummm, COLORBOND Vertical cladding can look good & it suits most house styles…
I have decided that I will definitely NOT be using Colorbond for the following reasons-
(1) yes, it does need Maintenance & needs painting after about 15-20 years - I painted my Colorbond fences & my Guttering BCOZ both were faded terribly…
… (2) it gets VERY HOT (go stand next to your fence on a hot day) - therefore, it MUST Be installed using a Cavity system and extra Thermal protection…
… (3) it requires “specialist Installers” & custom-flashings made off-site" which increases the cost…
… (4) UNRELIABLE INSTALLERS? I inquired with Stratco for a quote for Colorbond Vertical cladding for my small area of WRC to be replaced (14 square metres) - they forwarded this to a Installer, he came out, Quoted me $4,000… I checked his OFT License. No,he was NOT Licensed… Stratco did NOT Care – omg, it is important that Roofers/ Cladders are licensed bcoz it will wreak damage…
… (5) .UNREPUTABLE INSTALLERS? - I received a quote from a 2nd installer… YES, he was licensed… Quote was for $5,000 - which he will bring down to $4,000 IF I PAY CASH … therefore, a dishonest Tradie…
hi Mark_m,
there was a Government Funded ‘Asbestos Removal Scheme’ … I don’t remember dates & which states… BUT, I do remember that it was reported as an abysmal misuse of funds…
…
Cedar is a very efficient insulation product. There are many woods that do not come anywhere near that level of efficiency for thickness required. Another benefit is that cedar is light and so structural underpinings do not need to be as heavy duty as for other products. Cedar’s R value is 1.35 per 25mm of thickness, Its thermal conductivity factor K is 0.74 BTU in / ft2 h F. It is the most thermally efficient of the softwoods. It is also a pretty good sound proofing material.
As it ages it loses the reddish tints but the best way to treat it is to lavish some oil on it every few years and if so inclined add a tint to restore some of the hue people may like. We had a house on some property near Grandchester that was completely Cedar and we in about 12 years re-oiled it externally twice, without tint. Inside we oiled it once during that period and again no tint. The inside was not faded but my father liked the silver colours on the outside caused by the weather bleaching effects.
