5 Ways to Make Your Exterior Look Incredible With Cladding
Dress to impress with these materials that will have your house looking the best on the block
Brick, timber and, increasingly, concrete houses are common sights along the suburban streets of Australia. But cladding choices extend beyond the standard and can elevate the look of your home. From charred timber to metal and terracotta tiles, be inspired by these houses that are cloaked in materials and techniques that make them stand apart from the neighbours.
Shou sugi ban cladding can be purchased from manufacturers and suppliers, or natural timber can be torched using an open fire or jet flame to achieve a charred finish. For safety reasons it is important to enlist a professional.
The process forms a carbon layer on the boards, which protects the lumber inside. It is weather-, UV-, pest-, fire- and rot-resistant, and can last upwards of 80 years with very little maintenance.
Find a local builder on Houzz with experience in using different cladding materials
Find a local builder on Houzz with experience in using different cladding materials
The timber can also be used inside. In this bathroom it has been paired with white-oak joinery.
2. Add texture and variation with shingles
The use of shingles has taken a contemporary turn in recent years, and is increasingly seen cladding sections of facades to bring detail and texture to the exterior of a home.
Shingles are individual overlapping elements that are generally fixed over sheathing or timber battens. They are laid in courses, or rows, from the bottom to the top of a wall, with each successive course overlapping the one below. Shingles are typically applied in straight, single courses, but variations on this can be used to create interesting, decorative effects.
The use of shingles has taken a contemporary turn in recent years, and is increasingly seen cladding sections of facades to bring detail and texture to the exterior of a home.
Shingles are individual overlapping elements that are generally fixed over sheathing or timber battens. They are laid in courses, or rows, from the bottom to the top of a wall, with each successive course overlapping the one below. Shingles are typically applied in straight, single courses, but variations on this can be used to create interesting, decorative effects.
Timber is the traditional material for shingles, and in Australia it is often made from imported western-red cedar, a durable wood from North America.
Cedar shingles are resistant to harsh weather and environmental conditions. Shingles take on a textured and rugged appearance as they naturally weather. They also grey with age unless stained, painted or coated with water-repellent preservative. Wood shingles are a fire hazard and some local Australian governments restrict their use.
Cedar shingles are resistant to harsh weather and environmental conditions. Shingles take on a textured and rugged appearance as they naturally weather. They also grey with age unless stained, painted or coated with water-repellent preservative. Wood shingles are a fire hazard and some local Australian governments restrict their use.
3. Keep it dark and contemporary with zinc
Zinc is a highly versatile cladding material and a popular choice for contemporary architecture.
A soft and malleable material, zinc allows for flexible construction, and is extremely durable and low maintenance. It resists oxidisation by forming a naturally protective layer, known as a patina, which helps it achieve an average lifespan of approximately 60 to 80 years.
Zinc is a highly versatile cladding material and a popular choice for contemporary architecture.
A soft and malleable material, zinc allows for flexible construction, and is extremely durable and low maintenance. It resists oxidisation by forming a naturally protective layer, known as a patina, which helps it achieve an average lifespan of approximately 60 to 80 years.
As a non-toxic, recycled and recyclable material, zinc is a sustainable choice, and it takes less energy to produce zinc than other principal metals. It is also fire resistant and therefore a good choice in bushfire-prone areas.
Zinc can come in the form of shingles or tiles, like in this house with diamond-shaped zinc cladding.
5 Exterior Metal Cladding Types for a Flash Facade
5 Exterior Metal Cladding Types for a Flash Facade
4. Colour it in autumnal steel shades
Corten steel has a rusted effect that brings shades of red, brown and orange to the exterior of the home, and can blend with urban, rural, industrial and natural settings.
Corten is a weather-resistant copper-chromium alloy steel. Its chemical composition reacts to pollutants in the atmosphere and promotes the early formation of a protective oxide film that continuously regenerates over time. This patina develops as a reddish brown layer and gains a darker hue with time. It also becomes more textured with rain and sun exposure, creating deeper or lighter tones.
Corten steel has a rusted effect that brings shades of red, brown and orange to the exterior of the home, and can blend with urban, rural, industrial and natural settings.
Corten is a weather-resistant copper-chromium alloy steel. Its chemical composition reacts to pollutants in the atmosphere and promotes the early formation of a protective oxide film that continuously regenerates over time. This patina develops as a reddish brown layer and gains a darker hue with time. It also becomes more textured with rain and sun exposure, creating deeper or lighter tones.
Corten has twice the tensile strength of mild steel (despite the look of corrosion), which makes it an ideal cladding material.
It’s important to note that Corten steel is not rustproof in itself, so provisions should be made for drainage to reduce the possibility of rust stains on nearby surfaces.
It’s important to note that Corten steel is not rustproof in itself, so provisions should be made for drainage to reduce the possibility of rust stains on nearby surfaces.
5. Create tonal variation with terracotta tiles
Terracotta tiles have been a popular roofing choice in Australia since the 19th century, but here they are used to clad external walls. The terracotta roof tiles are laid like shingles with overlapping courses, and the tonal variation ties in with the bricks and timber of the facade.
The clay-based ceramic tiles are hardwearing and provide a well-insulated surface that suits any climate. And as terracotta doesn’t fade, the colour will be retained for years to come.
Terracotta tiles have been a popular roofing choice in Australia since the 19th century, but here they are used to clad external walls. The terracotta roof tiles are laid like shingles with overlapping courses, and the tonal variation ties in with the bricks and timber of the facade.
The clay-based ceramic tiles are hardwearing and provide a well-insulated surface that suits any climate. And as terracotta doesn’t fade, the colour will be retained for years to come.
Harmer Architecture won the inaugural Robin Dods Terracotta Roof Award in the 2016 Think Brick Awards for this project.
Elizabeth McIntyre, CEO of Think Brick Australia, explained the common misconception that terracotta has to be orange. “What we see in the blending of the dark colours is that terracotta can be darker and that beautiful granite colour,” she says.
Your turn
Which of these five cladding materials do you find the most appealing? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
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Elizabeth McIntyre, CEO of Think Brick Australia, explained the common misconception that terracotta has to be orange. “What we see in the blending of the dark colours is that terracotta can be darker and that beautiful granite colour,” she says.
Your turn
Which of these five cladding materials do you find the most appealing? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
Renovating? Read up on tomorrow’s colours with 6 Top Paint Colour Trends For 2020
Originating in Japan in the 18th century, shou sugi ban translates to ‘burnt cedar board’ (and is also known as yakisugi, which refers to cypress).
The technique of charring a wood surface preserves the timber and makes it weatherproof. Once charred, the timber becomes a deep charcoal black and reveals the texture of the wood.