Cladding

Choosing cladding is a big decision to make because A: It’s not cheap - and B: It completes the entire style of your clients home.

Help your clients make informed and easy cladding decisions with the information below

Things to Consider

We’ll unpack each one:

Modern Home Styles
Price Categories
Products available
Pre-finished Options
LRV
BAL Ratings
Wall Build up
Think about Cladding over Brick?

Shop Cladding Products

Modern Home Styles

Getting caught up what style is what? Expand each section below as a guide. Below are the 5 most common modern home designs with examples in each.

Keep in mind - for the Modern look. It’s all about:
- Simplicity
- Clean lines
- Confident shapes
- Minimal ornamentation
- Simple colour palettes, and
- A focus on form and function

Expand each header to see the modern home style and the products NHS has to achieve the look.

Mid Century Modern

Modern Coastal

Scandi Barn

Box Modern

Mixed Cladding Look

Japandi Cladding Look

Modern Farmhouse Cladding Look

Price categories

Looks are everything - until the price tag walk in...

When you are looking at buying a large qty of cladding the price per square metre really does matter. Below is a breakdown of the different ranges of price per square meter and the products that fall into each so you can have an idea on what products are in your clients budget

** Dollar signs are a relative representation of product costs only with $ being least expensive and $$$$ being most expensive**

Price Relativity = $ / Sqr Meter

Price Relativity = $$ / Sqr Meter

Price Relativity = $$$ / Sqr Meter

Price Relativity = $$$$ / Sqr Meter

Products Available

The way a home looks from the street is a huge factor in perceived value and quality. With a large range it isn’t easy to make a decision. Here are some of the most common and trending products as a place to start.

James Hardie’s

Weathertex

Innova Fibre Cement Panel

Other Weatherboards

Modinex

Hardword Weatherboards

Shou Sugi Ban
- Charred Coulee Callitris Pre-Oiled
Wood Elements
- Coulee
- Flume
- Ravine

Pre - Finished Cladding Options

NHS can also provide a range of pre finished cladding options - That’s right no painting required!

Innova

Newtechwood

Modinex

Alu Selekta Castelation Screenclad

Deco

Shadowline - (Decowood or Decocoat)
Narrowline - (Decowood or Decocoat)
V-Groove - (Decowood or Decocoat)
Weatherboard - (Decowood or Decocoat)
Castelated Cladding - (Decowood or Decocoat)
Croatia Board - (Decowood or Decocoat)

Available in Decowood or Decocoat finishes with a huge range of colour varieties

Eva-last

Evalast Vistaclad

LRV - Whatis it & why is itimportant?

LRV stands for Light Reflective Value. It tells you how much light a colour reflects.

In cladding selection, LRV is crucial for several reasons:

Thermal Efficiency: Cladding with a high LRV (lighter colours) reflects more sunlight, helping to keep buildings cooler and reducing the need for air conditioning and cost of cooling, especially in hot climates. In contrast, cladding with a low LRV (darker colours) absorbs more heat, which might be more suitable in cooler climates or for energy efficiency strategies where heat retention is needed.
Material Durability:Darker colours with lower LRVs tend to absorb more heat, potentially causing thermal expansion, which can lead to warping, fading, or cracking over time. This makes LRV an important factor for cladding materials subject to prolonged sun exposure.
Aesthetic and Design Impact:LRV influences how a building feels and interacts with its surroundings. Lighter colours (higher LRV) can make a structure appear larger and more inviting, while darker colours (lower LRV) can create a more grounded, subdued look.

Many claddings cannot be painted dark colours, and if done so will completely void the warranty. Make sure you know the colour before purchasing the cladding to avoid any issues.

If your client is looking to paint their cladding a dark colour, Fibre Cement products are a safe choice as these can be painted any colour without restrictions.

BAL Rating

The BAL (Bushfire Attack Level) rating must be considered in the cladding selection process. Whether you require minimal BAL or are building in a flame zone we have you covered.

Find the cladding that suits you with the cladding selectortool

Cladding Selector Tool

Thinking about cladding over brick?

Cladding over existing brick is a great way to refresh a house at a fraction of the price!

Here’s some considerations to think about before you get stuck in:

Inspection of Masonry Wall
- Does it have the strength and durability?

Moisture Management
- How will you manage moisture inside the envelope?

Existing windows and doors
- Where are windows and doors located, does this pose any problems?

Is it a heritage home?
- Some houses in certain locations will be listed as a heritage home or conservation area which will involve more rigorous approval regulations on what can be renovated.

Using a batten system is effective to cover these considerations as they:
- a. Make fixing the cladding much easier than fixing directly to brick
- b. Creates a cavity between the house and external wall which allows it to breath
- c. Adds insulation by creating a thermal break which helps cut down on the cost of air conditioning during summer and heating during winter

Products to complete a cladding over brick job:
- Wall wrap
- Pine battens
- The selected cladding

Wall Build up

What goes on behind the scenes of your clients great looking cladding is vital.

Considering things such as thermal resistance, ventilation and drainage in the wall build up can save you plenty of time and money in the long run and ensure you are building with confidence

NHS can help you with the products you need for a quality wall that ensures strength and durability including - wall wraps, breather foils, frames, internal and external angles for all cladding types as well as fixing accessories.

Come instore, jump online or call us to sort out what you need.

Got questions about cladding? Contact us below

Drop in to one of our 3 stores at Lambton, Cardiff or Beresfield to check out our cladding displays and talk to the experts.

Call us on 02 4979 0000

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FAQ'S

Where do I go to get exact pricing on cladding?

To find out the pricing of the material costs you can call up our contact centre on 02490000 or head into any NHS store and talk to a team member. The fastest way to get a price is to head to the NHS website at nhs.trade and log in to your online account. This will give you your personalised pricing linked to your NHS account.
Can I see these cladding types in person?

Absolutely! At every NHS Store we have cladding displays with the wide range of cladding we can supply for you. Bring your client with you to any NHS to experience the real effect of the different claddings options.

NHS Cardiff displays are open 24/7
What is Pre-Finished cladding?

Pre-finished cladding can be installed and completed right away. There is no painting required once it is installed. This can have great benefits for speed of your project.
What cladding options are in stock vs special order?

The easiest way to find out if the cladding your client selected is a special order is to head to NHS.Trade. Click the product, then click on the stock availability button. You will then be able to see which locations there is stock.

If it is a special order, there will be a special order heading on the product image or underneath the product name.
What is LRV and why is it important?

Light Reflective Value (LRV) measures how much light a color reflects, making it key in cladding selection for thermal efficiency, durability, and aesthetics. Higher LRV (lighter colors) reflects more sunlight, helping buildings stay cooler, which lowers cooling costs — ideal for hot climates. Lower LRV (darker colors) absorbs heat, aiding in heat retention for cooler climates but may increase thermal expansion, risking warping or cracking.

LRV also impacts design; lighter tones can make buildings look larger, while darker tones add a grounded feel. Note that many cladding warranties exclude dark colours, however, Fibre Cement cladding can safely be painted any colour.

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Things to Consider