We’ve done it again! Featured in ‘renew.’ the Alternative Technology Association’s magazine! As a case study in articles about cladding. Tackling this tricky subject for the first time they requested information from readers.
Our response:
“In late 2017 we moved into our latest (last?) home which will be open again for the coming SHD – Footprint Garden Farm.
We wanted our wall cladding to visually have a ‘cottagey’ appearance but with a fairly low carbon input and easy maintenance as we age. So we initially chose to use different cladding materials depending on these factors.
Around the walls where we could easily access them for re-oiling etc., we chose to use radially cut timber because of its reputation for less milling waste. We had used it in our previous house ‘Eco house Stirling’ (also featured in 2 SHDs) for the same reasons. However they didn’t have any recycled material available this time and so in discussion with our builder, we chose to use a vertical batten and board pattern in hardwood.
We had heard about MgO2 board (probably at an ATA meeting) and thought that it would be good to try this for its low carbon manufacture and CO2 absorption properties (I think). So we used this on the walls which were not so visually obvious or were harder to maintain. It came up well with especially thick paint, suggested by the builder again, and looks to all purposes to be a plastered wall.
For the walls around the skillion which were too high for us to maintain at all, we decided on Mini-orb, and fortunately discovered a new version with wider flutes/waves which looks less ‘busy’ than the traditional – sort of a “midi-orb.”
Choosing colours is another story but we think that it has all turned out looking really good!”
You can read the full articles in ‘renew.’ Issue 149 page 49. And if you want to see what we have done we are having monthly house and garden tours and the first is on Nov 2nd at 1pm.
