# Forum Home Renovation Cladding  Where can i buy this cladding?

## maxminder

Hi All, 
Seeking advice on replacing this wooden front of house cladding (see pics) on a Victorian Weatherboard cottage in Windsor.  
Approx 30% of it rotten and previously attacked by termites and needs replacing. I want to replace it and any (non structural) timbers underneath..my questions are; 
1. Where can i buy this cladding? 
2. Does it lend itself to partial replacement (ie a section of the front to replace)
3. Ant tips or traps with doing this work myself?  
Pics attached...thanks  :Smilie:

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## SilentButDeadly

Never seen anything like it!! 
And I'll wager you need to get some new stuff machined up especially.  If it is all square edged then it shouldn't be too exey. 
Have a yarn to A Lewis Timber Merchants & Moulding Producers

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## watson

We lived in a house in Ascot Vale.....back when I was 5 yr old....and it had that style of cladding.
Don't remember much else about it, and I was too young to take notes. 
What I do remember is that only the front of the house was clad like this, and the rest of the house was normal weather boards.
The cladding on the front was not overlapped like weather boards.

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## maxminder

Yes, spot on, just the front is like this. The side ones will be easy to replace.

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## Godzilla73

G'day, 
I've worked in several places over your way with that cladding and never given it a second look as to how it's done, is it individual pieces or is it a machined out of a length of timber. Could you make it up out of individual pieces to replicate the look? 
Might even give you a better chance to water proof it properly also using treated timber as well, still a lot of fixing on and edges to seal though. 
Any neighbours done a reno and had to source it? Have to say i like the look, you see quite a few with it driving around the older parts of Albert Park too, near Ferrars st and that area.

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## Tools

You have a 'block fronted' house which is relatively common around inner Melbourne. You won't buy it off the shelf though. I have seen a whole front replaced with compressed sheet and once it was painted you couldn't tell it apart from the original facade. If you only want to repair part of the front though you would be better off getting some timber machined to blend in better with the bits that you keep. 
Tools

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## Annie_s

yeah there is heaps of them in williamstown too, I think either your or Williamstown's council building guys would point you in the right direction, as this would be carefully checked by them on heritage listed homes in those areas.  They would know what it is, where to get it and what it would cost you.

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## maxminder

Thanks all, really appreciate the feedback. Ill chase it up with local council.  
Tools, you said you can buy compressed sheet that replicates 'block fronted' is that correct? I ask incase its more feasible to replace the whole thing? Where would you get this? Is it a Hardie product?  
Ill also call the timber merchants on Monday. Id rather not replace the whole thing if i didn't have to.  
M.

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## nww1969

There must be a secound hand building place/demolisher down there who has the stuff.
Occasional see similar design around Sydney, even old areas of Newcastle/Maitland.

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## dynamicsguy

> Tools, you said you can buy compressed sheet that replicates 'block fronted' is that correct?

  Maxminder, 
There was a block fronted house in Port Melbourne which I saw recently repaired. They didn't use specifically manufactured cladding for the job. They first attached flat sheet to the front of the house, then the blocks were pieces of plywood cut to size and nailed to the sheet.  
Probably cheaper than getting something machined and easier to match the existing cladding.

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## maxminder

Good call, I thought of that... Would you use plywood as the base sheet and cut plywood as the Blocks?

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## Moondog55

Maxminder I would use cement sheet rather than plywood, when painted you cannot tell the difference,

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## SilentButDeadly

> Maxminder I would use cement sheet rather than plywood, when painted you cannot tell the difference,

  True......but you can when you are trying to cut the bastard stuff.  With so much cutting to do....I'd use plywood.  Or routed LOSP treated pine.

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## Tools

> True......but you can when you are trying to cut the bastard stuff.  With so much cutting to do....I'd use plywood.  Or routed LOSP treated pine.

   I'd buy it already cut to size.  
Tools

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## r3nov8or

With the right blade in your circ saw the cement sheet will cut OK. Lot's of dust though. Be careful at the corners as this job will need a clean sharp result.  
To get the 'block' look, LOSP TP is probably easier to get the required clean finish. 
If using ply, I think you'll be filling the 'block' edges to hide the grains and those inevitable hidden knot holes.

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## flynnsart

This looks a lot like yours. Healy's Building - Original Glory - Period Weatherboards, Shingles - Melbourne Victoria Australia 
Donna

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## maxminder

Ok, im gonna use marine grade ply, and make on-site with my new Milwaukee cordless circular  :Smilie: ...wish me luck. I thought when i cut away the rotten stuff, ill cut to a clean point on the edge of the 'blocks', this should make blending the old and new a bit more discreet...as i said, wish me luck.. :Exclaim:

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## watson

Check the post above....which came in at the same time.
I reckon Donnas found it.

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## maxminder

OMG Donna you star! You have it, you have saved me a Tom of work! Thankyou Thankyou!

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