Weatherboard cladding has been used in Australian home design since the first European settlers began building on this land.
A popular type of exterior cladding, weatherboards are found on homes throughout Geelong and the Bellarine. Classic beach shacks, large Queenslanders or worker’s cottages – weatherboard is everywhere you look. In Geelong, we see weatherboard homes in a lot of the older established suburbs, such as Geelong West, East Geelong and Geelong CBD. Widely used from the late 1800s through to the mid-1950s, weatherboard houses are a mix of charm and ongoing maintenance, unfortunately.
With the range of modern finishes one can do to weatherboard, many homeowners wonder if they should maintain, renovate or remove their weatherboard. Whilst it often comes down an aesthetic choice without a doubt there are pros and cons to weatherboard cladding.
Reasons to keep weatherboard
Without a doubt, keeping your weatherboard has some pros.
- Character – if you want to retain the character of your home, keep your weatherboard.
Weatherboard is a classic exterior cladding in Victoria. - Colour choice – painting your weatherboard is cost-friendly to update your home.
- Flexibility – create a seamless transition between the older and renovated part of your home with a weatherboard. Plus weatherboard makes it easy to bump out walls and windows during a renovation.
- Withstand weather – it is called weatherboard for a reason! Weatherboard cladding can withstand ground movement and soil shrinkage.
Reasons to remove weatherboard
Like all things in life, a weatherboard also has some drawbacks.
- Maintenance – Undoubtedly the biggest downfall of weatherboard is the maintenance. Whilst modern paint has come a long way in durability, if you want to keep your weatherboard house looking nice you will need to regularly repaint it. As a professional maintenance service provider, we also recommend a powerwash of your weatherboard to keep it looking clean and to reduce rotting.
- Heating and cooling – when compared to bricks and masonry weatherboard homes cool down quicker in winter and heat up quicker in summer. If you are re-weatherboarding your home we suggest adding insulation or building wrap underneath to help your home heating and cooling efficiency.
Maintenance
If you choose to keep your weatherboard cladding it’s important to have it maintained and repaired regularly. Painting, power washing, weatherboard replacements and carpentry repairs will help keep your weatherboard home looking top-notch. Contact MMD Maintenance for all your weatherboard repairs and replacements.
Weatherboard home in East Geelong
MMD Maintenance carried out some weatherboard replacements and carpentry repairs recently to the East Geelong home pictured. Giving the whole exterior a fresh coat of paint gave the home a new look! Watch our socials this month to see pictures of the before and after photos of the home.`
