Articles » The Building Diaries: Part 7, Cladding
When you're building your own home, work doesn't stop over the holiday season, especially when you're up to the visually satisfying stage of installing the cladding.
We have gone for a two complementary cladding types on our home; cedar and iron.
The Cedar
We have used the cedar on the gable ends. Cedar is quite expensive (and has gone up in price over 30% in the last year), so if it is used in smaller areas like this you get the high-spec effect without the cost of cladding the whole house in it. We purchased our cedar through Placemakers and had it pre-coated in Drydens wood oil 'birch'. We have gone for a random effect finish, with the builders randomly installing varying widths and shades for the overall effect. We used white soffits in the wing walls to make our cedar stand out even more. The cedar has been nailed off with copper nails. We will need to re-oil the cedar in a few months time, and then again every few years.
The Iron
We ordered the Alpine Tray iron from Queenstown Roofing in the shade of 'bracken' to match the roof. Because of the wingwalls on the gable ends, we have no eaves along the side of the house. This gives a streamlined effect of the roof seamlessly meeting the walls in the same material type. The classic Corrugated Iron is one of the cheapest claddings you can use. Alpine Tray is a bit more expensive, but still relatively affordable. It is also quite fast to install and the real benefit is that it is durable, weather tight, and needs almost no maintenance.
Meanwhile the painters are busy inside the main house and the carpet and flooring about to go down. Sam is also doing some feature walls in the bedrooms as well as a ply ceiling in the living room. We have already moved into the smaller flat on-site, complete with wooden flooring, carpet and an IKEA kitchen. More photos soon!
About The Building Diaries
Build me. Editor Hana Deavoll and family are building their own home in Queenstown. Follow the journey as they buy land, plan their dream home and oversee the building process. The Deavoll Family includes Hana (37), builder Sam (36), and their children Indy (7), Phoenix (5), Sonny (2) and #4 due next year.
Read related articles here:
The Building Diaries: Part 1, The Section
The Building Diaries: Part 2, Design & Planning
The Building Diaries: Part 3: The Foundations
The Building Diaries: Part 4, Framing & Trusses
The Building Diaries: Part 5, Roofing
The Building Diaries: Part 6, Wiring, Weathertightness, Windows and Insulation
3 Things to Consider before Electrical Work Begins
Free EBook - Building in NZ: An Essential Guide to Building Your Own Home
Photos
