Covering a home in cladding in Western Australia has become all the rage. From transforming exterior appeal, to extending your home’s lifespan, to protecting against the elements, cladding offers many benefits. Yet, there are numerous factors to consider such as cost, maintenance, and more. Here, we’ll take a closer look at it all to help determine whether cladding is the right fit for you!

Why cladding can be a great fit for your home

Cladding can elevate a custom home from ordinary to architecturally striking, offering a modern finish while improving durability. Here are some key points:

Custom design:

If your home design focuses heavily on architectural character, cladding allows for bold lines, layered textures, and contemporary profiles. It enables you to express individuality through a wide range of cladding materials, timber, composite, cement sheets or even metal finishes.

Climate conditions might require better materials:

Western Australia’s sun exposure, coastal salt air, and potential bushfire zones mean certain cladding systems can be chosen for resilience. Options like BAL-rated cladding, UV-stable finishes, and corrosion-resistant systems can offer added protection for your home decreasing long term maintenance needs.

You have a long term view and have more to spend up front:

Quality cladding is an investment and can reward you with lower upkeep, fewer repairs, and stronger home resale value in the long run. If you have the money spend or invest in your custom home, consider doing so and be ready to reap the benefits down the road.

You have more flexibility with the timeline:

Some cladding systems have longer lead times or require specialised installation. If your project timeline is flexible, you can take advantage of these options to achieve a more refined result without rushing the process.

What people tend to forget about cladding

External looks and budget:

If your priority is internal finishes or functional upgrades like smart home tech, solar installations, or landscaping, cladding may be a feature you could scale back on or limit to focal areas only. If you seem to allocate more of the budget to other areas of the home, consider either scrapping cladding entirely or only have it displayed on the front or upper storey areas.

Can you maintain the cladding long term:

Some cladding materials, especially natural timber, require regular care, refinishing, or protective treatments while other cladding materials require less maintenance such as Colorbond sheeting. If you aren’t prepared for ongoing maintenance, or have the budget, choosing a low-maintenance alternative or avoiding cladding altogether may be better.

Key questions to ask yourself and recap

• What aesthetics are you trying to achieve?
• What is the climate or exposure conditions?
• What is the lifespan and maintenance schedule of the cladding solution?
• What is the entire cost (material, labour and maintenance) compared to alternatives?
• How does cladding integrate with building systems (insulation, membranes, waterproofing, flashings)
• Is cladding expected in your neighbourhood or price point?
• Do you have time for a specialty installation process?
• If selling in future, will cladding improve resale value?
• Can you commit to maintenance requirements if choosing natural finishes?
• Would partial cladding (feature sections only) achieve the same outcome?

In summary

Deciding on cladding is not as easy as flipping a coin. IQ Construction has extensive experience with various cladding systems, installation and costs with many homes in portfolio containing cladding. Let us guide you through the entire custom home building process!

Contact IQ Construction for all you home building needs today!

Brick veneer is an outer layer of brick, real bricks, used to dress the structure of a building. Whether it’s a structure built with steel, concrete, or wood, bricks can be used as cladding to protect it from the elements and visually alter its appearance.

Read more “Everything you need to know about brick veneer”