Exterior cladding for new home - what's the best?

[donna]

Hi All,

I'm looking for your input - esp. from builders. What exterior cladding is the best for our NZ conditions - horizontal rain (and now lots of it in short sharp downpours). We're building new and want to be on the right side re. cladding so we don't get issues later on with watertightness etc. A lot of the newer cladding fails after a short time (5 years).

Timber cladding like Abodo Vulcan Cladding or cedar timber from Cedarscreen look good - but they're expensive and more technical to install i.e. easy to get wrong and water gets in around joins (corners, windows, doors etc). What are your suggestions or experiences?

I welcome all input.

cheers,

Donna

[jimO]

brick..........

[Nick G]

I have heard insurers aren't so fond of brick in Wellington. Very much "something I heard someone say once" level of info tho.

[Davo36]

If it's not going to be a flash place Donna, you could go with marine ply? Perhaps with a few vertical battens on it so it looks a bit better?

We have a neighbour with this and it looks fine. Should be cheap.

[hawkeye]

There is nothing like weatherboards Not cheap though!

Our neighbour has used corrugated iron coloursteel sideways. You can combine a some walls of weatherboard with some of iron.

[John the builder]

If you want value insist on H 3.2 treated timber and get a certificate for this.(for all wall and roof framing and cavity batters) The new H1.2 treatments still only improve resistance to decay H3.2 ensures this is present. The cladding is then an economic and aesthetic decision.

[Wayne]

If you want value insist on H 3.2 treated timber and get a certificate for this.(for all wall and roof framing and cavity batters) The new H1.2 treatments still only improve resistance to decay H3.2 ensures this is present. The cladding is then an economic and aesthetic decision.

I thought, maybe wrongly, that H3 was required now for the outer frames?

[John the builder]

I thought, maybe wrongly, that H3 was required now for the outer frames?

No H1.2 H3 bathroom

[Wayne]

No H1.2 H3 bathroom

Thanks - live and learn.

[donna]

Thanks a lot for the replies so far. They have been really helpful. It's our home so we don't want it looking cheap. Weatherboard it is. I like the flat look and bbstimbers has a few options.

cheers,

Donna