Hi,
I’m building a second floor on a double-brick house in Inner West Sydney to make a dual occupancy (well, I’ve been been talking about it for the past year anyway!) I have finally submitted the DA but now hit a snag.
The plans have the walls and roof clad in colorbond. We went for this because it’s low-maintenance (painting is not my favourite), durable, and we like the look of it. Also, it’s a tried and tested material.
We considered brick veneer, but it’s a bit stupid from a thermal point of view. Considered various foam walls – EPV, XPS – but was put off by fire risk / toxic fire retardants, by the look of rendered walls, and if I’m honest by instinct – building a house out of foam just seems a bit wrong (not very scientific I know.)
Anyway, plans are now scuppered because the house is less than 100m from the Parramatta River (which is salt water) so to get any warranty on the steel, the walls need to be stainless. Contrary to Bluescope & Lysaght’s websites, the stainless colorbond is only available in ‘SurfMist’ which is very close to white – fine for the roof but would look very odd with the existing dark brickwork and would mean a fight with the council that I might not win.
So, I need a new plan. The options I’m considering are:
1) (favourite) – Weatherboard in a composite timber (eg Weathertex) or MgO board. Have heard very varied reports of these and I would have to paint them from time to time (but maybe I need to get over that!). How do they compare in terms of maintenance, durability and cost?
2) Permalite Aluminium. Similar look as colorbond, resistant to salt, etc. But bad sustainability credentials – very high embodied energy, etc. – and also has a very restricted colour range.
3) Brick Veneer… I know, I know. But at least it adds a bit of solidity and perhaps longevity to the building? Maybe clutching at straws.
Would love some feedback from people with experience with any of these – especially the various weatherboard options – or information about how sustainable / durable they are.
Thanks!
Replies
not familiar with the brands your mentioning but a quick google search looks like its similar to James Hardie products. The "cladding" (we call it siding) we use here under that category we call fiber cement.
I am a fan of the product, and although you do have to paint it, it holds up very well.
Can you explain why you think brick veneer is stupid in relation to your thermal concerns?
My understanding is that brick veneer has a lot of thermal mass on the outside of the house. In summer, in hot climates, this iabsorbs a lot of heat from the sun, so even in the evening when the sun has gone, there is a big brick radiator wrapped round the house...
It is used a lot in Australia, but people are starting to maove away from it....
Will look at the James hardie products - thanks.
how do you guys build interior walls? wood framing? masonry?
How do you insulate?