# Forum Home Renovation The Garden Shed  Seeking advice on economical exterior cladding for timber frame garage/workshop (NSW)

## dmworking247

Hi guys, 
I've just (finally) received DA approval for building a 15 x 3.4m tandem garage/workshop. I've already done my white-card and intend to do the owner builder certification in the coming weeks.  
I've yet to submit for my CC though (OB certification and sewer encasement to come first). I'm of the understanding that I need to have decided my building materials before I submit the CC. 
I wonder if anyone here could advise on a suitable material for exterior cladding, where price and 'ease of installation' are the main priority, and the cosmetics are a distant second. Most of the walls are going to be hidden by a tall colorbond fence (500mm on the east side) or the existing dwelling (200mm from the west side), so something I could simply install (onto the 70mm timber frame) and paint over would be ideal. Only the front facade will be clad to match the existing dwelling. 
Also, are there any other specifics I need to have worked out (beyond the information already submitted for DA, and of course my OB certification) in order to submit for CC? 
Regards,
Dale

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## SilentButDeadly

corrogated iron....less than $20 per lineal metre, 760mm coverage per sheet

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## Lincoln

I agree with SilentButDeadly.  I'm in the roofing game on the Gold Coast and I think you should be able to get Colorbond sheeting for about $16m2 + GST and delivery.  To work out how many sheets you will need you divide the width of the area by .762.  So for example an area 10m wide by 5m long or deep would need 13.12 sheets so 14 sheets if you don't want to flash it out x sheets 5lm  long.
If you use roofing for wall cladding fix it through the pan of the sheet not the rib.  You can use screws with or without seals but the cost difference is negligible.  Good luck.

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## dmworking247

Thanks for the responses guys. 
Iron certainly meets the criteria of being cost effective, but I did want to stay away from a 'tin shed' (especially in the workshop part) or else I'd have bought a pre-fab steel frame garage. I should probably have added that the existing dwelling is largely clad with some sort of vinyl foam-backed cladding which looks ok and provides *some* sound and temperature insulation....  
From what I can gather so far, my cheapest options (in order) are:
Hardiflex (Not a great look, and needs to be painted) = Roughly $1000 (not including front facade)
Iron (worst look considering the neighbourhood/existing dwelling) = Roughly $2400 based on numbers quoted here?
Vinyl cladding (like Austech Duratuff or Formplex products) <--- This would probably be the main candidate, pending more detailed quotations, as it matches the existing dwelling, looks decent, and doesn't require painting). Initial quotes roughly $30 per square metre, which works out roughly $2700
Weatherboards like James Hardie Scyon and the like <-- Cost prohibitive, requires painting, 
I was originally thinking of something 'like' Fibre Cement on the sides with a cladding on the front facade to match the house, but considering the ugly joins of Fibre Cement, plus the fact it needs to be painted, I'm thinking the cladding option might be worth the extra cost (still confirming how much extra).

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## Black Cat

You can get colorbond in a flat profile - it does not need to be corrugated ...

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## Juz86

Heaps of options for Iron cladding, look up stramit and bluescope lysaght, profiles like Monoclad and Trimwall are availiable.

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## woodchip

Have a look at "Pine Ridge", its a fibre cement sheet product,
its not strictly an exterior product....its designed to line the interior walls of garages. 
I clad my garden shed in it, joiners are not noticable, once installed I waterproofed it with a product similar to Bond-crete, then painted to match existing house...looked good.
Put sisalation on the studs before installing. 
cheers

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