When it comes to creating a dream home, street appeal is a crucial element which demands imagination and flair. With a variety of products on the market, there is no reason for any new build or renovation to result in a cookie-cutter home.
According to building materials manufacturer James Hardie, the options for exterior finishes are endless.
“Street presence can do a lot for the value of a home, you might have the best locality or a smart floorplan but what will make your property stand out from the crowd will be an interesting front elevation that demonstrates some creative thought and draws the eye,” James Hardie State manager Craig Oatway says.
“While you live there you’ll know that your home reflects part of your personality to the world that passes by.”
Craig says the classic Aussie beach look is always in-vogue. “We have a range of weatherboard products which have remained hugely popular over time,” he says.
“Our Scyon Linea is currently the people’s choice as it’s 16mm thick so looks the closest to timber, giving great deep shadow lines but can hold a quality paint finish for 15 years plus – taking away the fear of upkeep people associate with that look.”
“Another trend we have seen in recent years is the urban commercial look. This is popular when people want a contemporary addition to an old home that provides an interesting contrast or even as a complete new build with a modern look.
“Typically the design will feature geometric shapes and sharp angles, the facade elevations will pop out in places and feature strong lines or grid-style panelled cladding. Our Scyon Matrix and Scyon Stria products are popular with this look and complement well with our Easylap board which takes a simple roll-on render to create areas that look like solid masonry.”
Craig says there are lots of ways to re-invigorate the facade of an old home. “There are plenty of old fibro or timber weatherboard homes that could be structurally sound – in this case taking down the old cladding and putting on something new should be straightforward and cost effective,” he says.
“Even more common is a 70s or 80s face brick cottage, there are thousands of them around Perth. You could simply apply a cement render over the brick work and paint it, that would help but a much better option would be to batten over the brickwork and apply a cladding of your choice to give the entire home a complete facelift.
“This option will have the added advantage of improving the thermal performance of your walls, saving you money on energy bills.”
To find out more, visit scyon.com.au.
