Wall cladding: original details

1970s houses most often used timber weatherboards, brick veneer, asbestos or stucco cladding, or concrete block construction.

A range of new cladding materials or variations on existing materials emerged during the 1970s (Figures 1-5).

Timber weatherboards generally used a rusticated profile (Figure 5) - a change from the preferred use of bevel-back boards in the 1940s-60s.

Masonry (concrete or brick) veneer was also fairly popular, as was asbestos-cement weatherboards or sheet cladding, concrete block, and stucco.

Other materials were also used, such as stone, and plastic, metal or hardboard weatherboards.

A cladding feature used in this period for split-level and two-storied houses was to have the lower floor finished with a different cladding from the upper - for example, brick veneer to the lower with weatherboard to the upper.

Timber cladding

Timber, dimension and other details for horizontal weatherboards and vertical board claddings. Read more.

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Asbestos-cement cladding

Asbestos-cement cladding was popular due to its ease of installation and low cost. Read more.

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Masonry veneer

Clay and concrete bricks were a relatively common cladding. Read more.

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Concrete masonry

Concrete blocks were a popular low cost construction method. Read more.

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Stucco

Stucco was used as a cladding on some architect-designed homes in the 1970s. Read more.