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NZ Building Code · MaterialsCladding types: pick the look and the fixing together
A plain-English rundown of the common NZ cladding families — what each one is, and whether it goes up on a cavity or direct-fixed.
Picking a cladding is a balance of four things: look, budget, durability and weathertightness risk. The risk part is the one that bites — a high E2/AS1 risk score (two storeys, high wind, complex junctions) usually forces a drained cavity and rules out direct-fix, which changes the cost and the detailing. Decide the cladding and the fixing method together, early.
How to read this list
Claddings group into families — weatherboard, sheet, masonry, metal and plaster. For each one, work through the same three checks before you commit.
- Check the install note for whether it’s typically cavity or direct-fix.
- Confirm the exposure-zone fixing and finish for the site.
- Run the E2 Risk Matrix per elevation before committing.
Timber weatherboard
The classic lapped horizontal look, most often run over cavity battens.
- Bevel-back / rusticated (pine) — $$: 180×18mm bevelled pine, H3.2, pre-primed or factory-coated. Lapped horizontal over cavity battens with roughly 25mm overlap; fix mid-board with a 60×2.5 galv nail (not the edge). Stop ends and scarf joints over a stud.
- Linea board (JH fibre cement) — $$$: 180mm or 230mm × 16mm cement composite. Horizontal, lapped, to James Hardie spec over cavity construction. Stainless steel nails coastal.
- Cedar weatherboard — $$$$: Western Red Cedar, naturally durable, sometimes H3.1 for added durability. Lapped or shiplap over cavity. Use stainless steel nails — cedar tannin corrodes galv. Pre-finish or oil annually.
- Shiplap pine — $$: 140×18mm or 180×18mm with a shiplap rebate. Vertical or horizontal over cavity. Seal the end grain; pre-prime plus two topcoats.
Brick veneer
A masonry skin over a cavity, tied back to the frame.
- Clay brick — $$$: Standard 230×110×76mm modular brick, CodeMark certified. 50mm cavity, brick ties on a 600×400 grid, weepholes every third perpend along the bottom, vent the top course, struck mortar joints. SS316 ties coastal.
- Concrete brick — $$: Same modular size, concrete rather than fired clay. Built as above, and slightly less expensive than clay.
Fibre cement sheet (JH)
Sheet and plank products, mostly vertical-fixed over a cavity with sealed or channelled joints.
- James Hardie Axon Panel — $$$: 2440×1200×16mm with a vertical groove pattern. Vertical fix over cavity, sealed joints, JH-spec express channel or fillet at horizontal joints. Cavity battens at 480mm centres.
- HardieFlex / EasyLap — $$: 2440×1200×7.5mm sheet for soffit and light cladding — soffit panels, gable-end fill, and simple cladding behind battens.
- Stria / cladding plank — $$$: Plank-profile fibre cement, lapped horizontal so it looks like weatherboard.
Metal cladding
Profiled steel run vertically over cavity battens.
- Corrugated (Dimond corrugate) — $$: 0.40mm or 0.55mm Colorsteel® / ZINCALUME®, profile depth 16–21mm. Vertical install over cavity battens (normally 450mm centres). Fix tek screws to the top of the rib (not the pan), with 200mm end laps, per the NZ Metal Roof CoP.
Plain-English guide, not advice. This page helps you understand and navigate the rules — it is general information, not design, engineering or consent advice, and it does not reproduce the copyrighted tables of NZS 3604 or any Standard. Always check the current Standard or Acceptable Solution and your BCA, and use a suitably qualified LBP, engineer or QS where it matters.
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Common questions
What decides whether I can direct-fix or need a cavity?
The E2/AS1 weathertightness risk score. A high risk score — two storeys, high wind, complex junctions — usually forces a drained cavity and rules out direct-fix, which changes both the cost and the detailing. Run the E2 Risk Matrix per elevation before committing, and decide the cladding and fixing method together, early.
Why do coastal jobs call for stainless steel fixings?
Coastal exposure drives the fixing spec. The source calls for stainless steel nails coastal on Linea board and SS316 brick ties coastal on clay brick. Cedar is a separate case — use stainless steel nails there regardless, because cedar tannin corrodes galv.
How do I nail bevel-back weatherboards correctly?
Lap them horizontal over cavity battens with roughly 25mm overlap, and fix mid-board with a 60×2.5 galv nail — not through the edge. Stop the ends and place scarf joints over a stud.
What are the key numbers for a clay brick veneer?
Standard 230×110×76mm modular brick, a 50mm cavity, brick ties on a 600×400 grid, weepholes every third perpend along the bottom, and a vented top course with struck mortar joints. Ties are SS316 in coastal zones.
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