What are your thoughts when it comes to imitation products? Take so-called vegan leather, which can be seen in shoes, belts and bags and is in fact usually just polyurethane or PVC. Footwear and accessories are one thing, but would you accept an imitation product when it comes to the construction of your new home? You certainly don't have to, but when it comes to a wooden home, a synthetic alternative is going to be far more effective than the natural stuff.
Wood or a Wood-Look
Whether your new home has been designed specifically for you or it's been predesigned and bought from a plan, you need to enquire about its intended weatherboard cladding. This is most pertinent for homes with a wooden exterior. You need to know if the proposed material is in fact wood. Weatherboard cladding is the outward-facing exterior of the structure, and generally only covers the walls. But what is wrong with using wood?
Using Treated Timber
You might baulk at the idea of your home's exterior surfaces being covered in a synthetic material, but it's certainly preferable to natural wood or even treated timber. Although treated timber cladding will have UV protection and is generally termite resistant, it will usually need to have a sealant periodically applied to maintain its durability. You can minimise the amount of followup work and maximise the durability of your home by opting for synthetic cladding.
Using Wood-Look Weatherboard Cladding
This synthetic cladding is a series of boards that have been fabricated to resemble wood. The cladding itself is usually made from uPVC (unplasticised polyvinyl chloride) or fibre cement. The best choice depends on the surface area to be covered, the colour and the finish. The end result looks just like wood while neatly sidestepping all the drawbacks of wooden cladding.
The Drawbacks of Wood
These drawbacks can include being more susceptible to termites and other forms of insect infestation, as well as warping and losing their colour in the sun (which can be a dealbreaker for any new home built in Australia). Weatherboard cladding also doesn't burn as easily as natural wood, offering your home some protection against stray embers if your area is ever affected by bushfires.
When your new home is going to have a wooden exterior, it's really important to enquire about the materials that will be used, since a synthetic wood-look is almost always going to be the superior choice.
