# Forum Home Renovation Cladding  Removal of aluminium from weatherboard house

## Freemunji

I am looking for some advice.
We have a weatherboard home purchased about 18months ago. It has aluminium cladding over the whole house. We dont like the colour of it - a creamy brown, and in some parts where the house has moved, we can just see the weatherboard underneath. So we want to remove the cladding and repaint the house.
It is a big job. Window frames etc will need to be taken off and reinstalled once the cladding has been removed.
Who can we get to remove the cladding? It is simply too big a job to do ourselves, and my wife and I both work full time. Is there a particular type of tradesman we should use - for example, a carpenter?
Any suggestions would be welcomed.

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## Ken-67

It will definately be a big job. You would most likely get a carpenter willing to do it.

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## FelixTheCat

Don't see why window frames need to come out.  Are you sure that there are timber weatherboards under the aluminium ones?   There was an era when people thought cladding fake aluminium weatherboards over real timber ones, was a great idea (maintenance reasons being one).  There is a slight chance that the real ones underneath might not be too bad, depending on how installed (with correct overlap), aspect (west, east, etc), maintenance (whether painted until the point of putting the over-cladding on) and whether you've had problems with possums (they like to chew holes from the inside, if they've been able to get in, and you don't have insulation)   
Anyway I've reclad most of my house.  I've done it with my brother and a mate.  Its not rocket science.    But it sounds like you need help.  While i don't believe you legally need a qualified builder, you need to find someone who you can trust, and who has an eye for detail and does decent quality work.  A carpenter, builder or a decent home handiman.  But its probably going to cost a few dollars.  Don't know the size of your house, but for a typical 3 bedroom small house, i'd be very suprised if the quotes come in at under $6000, and more towards the $10K range, and thats without painting.

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## Black Cat

My parents did this to one of their houses. Under the steel weatherboards there is fibro. Under the fibro is wooden weatherboards in an advanced state of decay. Be very cautious before committing to this. New weatherboards are thin and flimsy rubbish fit only for ornament. Friends have been replacing their's recently. Only installed ten years ago.

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## Steffen595

> . Under the fibro is wooden weatherboards in an advanced state of decay.

  thats most likely. The alu was just a quickfix for rotten weaherboard / paint. When we were hunting for our house, this was one of the places we did not even bother to inspect.
Suppose only the architraves have to be removed, ot you pull the alu away. Better still, just repaint the place and sell asap. Afraid more dodgy renovations inside. Dulux only lasts as long as you life there, avg. 7 years. 10 years warranty.
If you go for 170mm weatherboard it still may be okish, 225 mm is really bad. Spyros Dickheados, former owner, actually managed to nail 170s in spacings for 225s, i.e. 5mm overlap instead of 55 or so. Then it started shrinking.
The good news is: any house you buy is dodgy, so you don't have to blame yourself that you bought the only piece of @@@@ in your street.

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## Steffen595

> . Under the fibro is wooden weatherboards in an advanced state of decay.

  thats most likely. The alu was just a quickfix for rotten weaherboard /  paint. When we were hunting for our house, this was one of the places we  did not even bother to inspect.
Suppose only the architraves have to be removed, ot you pull the alu  away. Better still, just repaint the place and sell asap. Afraid more  dodgy renovations inside. Dulux only lasts as long as you life there,  avg. 7 years. 10 years warranty.
If you go for 170mm weatherboard it  still may be okish, 225 mm is really bad. Spyros Dickheados, former  owner, actually managed to nail 170s in spacings for 225s, i.e. 5mm  overlap instead of 55 or so. Then it started shrinking.
The good news  is: any house you buy is dodgy, so you don't have to blame yourself  that you bought the only piece of @@@@ in your street.

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