# Forum Home Renovation Cladding  Replacing weatherboards - does height of weatherboards matter?

## organix

Hi, 
We have many weatherboards to replace and our current ones are about 165mm-170mm in height. The ones stocked at bunnings/tait and timber are 175mm in height. I am aware that we could source weatherboards from a timber place to suit the existing weatherboards (which would possibly be cheaper anyway).  
One carpenter we spoke to said that it doesn't really matter as they will be overlapped anyway. I suppose 10mm is minimal but just wondering if it really matters if your weatherboard heights are different to existing ones? 
Thanks

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## gpkennedy

It does not matter, they can be easily overlapped.

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## Snipper

170 - 175mm (7 inch) is the common nominal size for baltic pine weatherboards and generally made for 150mm (6 inch) coverage.  With the square edged boards,  the coverage can be squashed down to about 135 mm without protruding out further than the weatherboard stops on the corners which are only 30mm thick.  Bullnose about 130mm.  Either profile can be stretched out to about 160 max IMO.  Preferably 155mm.I certainly wouldn't use them for your required coverage being 165 - 170mm as they shrink in width and thickness once installed so is also good practise to paint the lap before cladding.  You'll need to source some 200 mm larger ones if you want everything to line up.  Pretty sure you can get them but only in bullnose and may be hard to find.  Maybe I should of asked,  are they baltic pine / cedar / hardwood / fibro / masonite (weathertex)????

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## organix

Snipper, our current weatherboards are square edged. They're really old weatherboards. I'm guessing that they are Baltic pine but I really don't know!
Unfortunately you have lost me with all your technical speak! Are you saying that it would be best for us to get 165mm weatherboards to match the existing ones?  
I've also heard that the quality of the bunnings ones are poor. Are the ones from tait and timber the same quality?

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## Snipper

Coverage is what you see of the board when overlapped.  Eg 170 mm board you'll see between 130mm  to 155mm coverage.  You stated your required coverage is 165 - 170.    0 - 5mm overlap is obviously inadequate especially since they'll shrink.  You'll need 185mm - 200mm nominal (total) width.  First step is to determine the timber type, and thickness at the bottom and the top as they are tapered. Possibly hardwood if very old and may be unavailable but someone could have something similar.  No idea what Bunnings sell but for baltic pine boards I use kosiken,  which are pretty good.   The cheaper baltic boards ( sometimes a bundle without any plastic cover) are full of knots in which some will fall out and the board will cup more.

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## organix

Apologies, maybe I wasn't very clear. The size of the current weatherboards are 165mm, this is not the overlap.  
Thanks, I might have to bring in one of our weatherboards to a timber place and see if we can match it up with something.

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## goldie1

> Apologies, maybe I wasn't very clear. The size of the current weatherboards are 165mm, this is not the overlap.  
> Thanks, I might have to bring in one of our weatherboards to a timber place and see if we can match it up with something.

  IF you are replacing only some boards the extra 10 mm in width doesn't matter they just overlap 
 the extra bit. What is important is the profile and thickness if you want to match in with the existing. 
 Taking a piece of the old to a timber yard would be your best bet if you are unsure.  
What part of Melbourne are you in

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## Snipper

Oh.  Sorry.  Not sure why I went down that path as there was no mention of coverage in your op to begin with.   Just me over complicating something that need not be.  The baltic pine square edged ones will be alright matching up with with your old ones being either hardwood ones or baltic which don't last very long if not primed and maintained.

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## organix

I'm in Footscray, goldie1.

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## goldie1

> I'm in Footscray, goldie1.

    Try     Bowens      they have a branch in N Melbourne

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## 3209547

Bowens Nth Melb. are good or you could try a little closer to home, Tait Home Timber and Hardware, Footscray at 101-103 Geelong Rd. (Near The Plough Hotel). 
Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

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## organix

Thanks for your suggestion everyone! 
I'm looking at getting the sycon linea weatherboards now for one side of the house but the width sizes are either 150mm or 180mm. Given that our current weatherboards are 165mm (and we will be replacing others around the house with 175mm weatherboards), will this one side of the house look different if we use the sycon weatherboards??  
I am thinking if we use the 150mm ones, the weatherboards will be very close together and not look like the rest of the weatherboards around the house, or if we use the 180mm ones is it possible to get them to look like the existing ones if we overlap the weatherboards more? I hope this makes sense! Which width would be the best one to use?

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## Snipper

the linea are the same thickness all round, 16 mm,  where as the timber ones are tapered from around 21mm at the bottom to about 7mm on the top.  Will look very similar providing they are not meeting up though. 
The hidden nailing in the linea is good and will be a far better investment long term.  180 will be fine to get your coverage with slightly more overlap but may protrude out further than your current weatherboard stops on the corners.  Make sure you install as directed with 2mm gaps against the stops and butt joins for expansion.  These get filled with sika or similar.

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