Building envelope

south Cladding systems south Moisture management south Performance south Weathertightness south Windows & doors

Cladding systems 30

Talking façade fire testing

Kevin Frank

Building façade fire testing is a hot topic right now. This article explains the basics of some common testing options.

May 22, 2026, 3:13 PM

Curtain wall cladding

Trevor Pringle

Curtain wall cladding systems are almost universally used as the building envelope for high-rise buildings.

May 22, 2026, 2:53 PM

What you need to know when using rainscreens

Fiona Norten

When designing rainscreen cladding, BRANZ recommends taking a whole-of-system approach to ensure problems do not emerge further down the line.

May 20, 2026, 12:41 PM

What you need to know when using rainscreens

Detailing cladding penetrations

Alide Elkink

Penetrations through claddings need to be carefully detailed so they are weathertight. For commercial buildings, they may also need to be seismically restrained to prevent impact damage.

May 20, 2026, 12:00 PM

In-line lean-to junction detail

Trevor Pringle

The roof-to-wall junction detail where the side of a lean-to finishes in line with the main building is tricky. We work through some options.

May 20, 2026, 11:59 AM

Caring for timber weatherboards

David Hindley

Timber weatherboards have an excellent performance history, and almost one in four new houses is clad with them. Using a good product with the right handling, installation and finishing procedures will ensure a quality job.

May 19, 2026, 4:19 PM

Façade fire testing for timber structures

Devin Glennie

When combustible materials like timber are included in a façade system, the evaluation of vertical fire spread risk requires testing the system as a whole. There are several key things to consider.

May 19, 2026, 3:11 PM

Façade fire testing for timber structures

G is for gap

Trevor Pringle

Sometimes, gaps must be sealed, but in other circumstances they shouldn’t. The reasons are backed by science, so stick to these guidelines for a well performing building.

May 19, 2026, 3:11 PM

Movement control joints

Alide Elkink

Movement control joints must be incorporated in plaster finishes at locations identified by the architect or designer.

May 19, 2026, 3:09 PM

Control joints in plaster claddings

Alide Elkink

Well located movement control joints are essential in plaster claddings to avoid random cracking that can compromise weathertightness.

May 19, 2026, 3:09 PM

Timber weatherboards

Trevor Pringle

While the use of timber weatherboard cladding varies with changing trends, it remains perennially popular and its design and installation is well documented.

May 19, 2026, 3:09 PM

Cladding design

Annemarie Crampton

Although aesthetics are important in cladding selection, other factors need to be considered to ensure any water hitting the exterior is deflected, or can drain away or dry out.

May 19, 2026, 3:09 PM

Installing bevel-back weatherboards

Trevor Pringle

Bevel-back weatherboards are back in vogue, but there’s a lack of experienced installers. This has led to some poor installations, so here are the key pointers to getting it right.

May 19, 2026, 3:09 PM

Cladding junctions with a difference

Trevor Pringle

Current designs for both domestic and commercial buildings often have more than one cladding system. These can be tricky, so what is the best way to detail these junctions?

May 19, 2026, 3:09 PM

Coatings for timber weatherboards

Bruce Barclay

The home is built and now the timber cladding needs painting or coating. It is important that this is carried out correctly to ensure long-term durability and a great appearance.

May 19, 2026, 3:09 PM

Weatherboards above brick veneer

Ann Galloway

House designs with brick veneer cladding at the bottom and weatherboards above present a design challenge. Here we have some details that allow ventilation and drainage from the upper cladding while preventing additional moisture entering from the brick cavity and maintaining ventilation of the veneer cavity.

May 19, 2026, 3:09 PM

The fix on profiled metal wall cladding

Trevor Pringle

Callers to the BRANZ helpline have been asking about fixing centres and density for profiled metal wall cladding. We take a look at the requirements.

May 19, 2026, 3:09 PM

Vertical board cladding

Tony Conder

Vertical board and batten as a cladding reaches back to the earliest days of New Zealand settlement. The memory of rough pit-sawn timber and the scale and familiarity remains and many owners find it appealing, so the use of board and batten continues to this day.

May 19, 2026, 3:09 PM

Getting behind brick veneer

Trevor Pringle

The back of brick veneer will get wet when it rains. That’s why it’s important to design in elements such as vents and open prepends, install the veneer following the correct practices and adhere to certain tolerances.

May 19, 2026, 3:09 PM

C is for cavities

Trevor Pringle

The role of drained and ventilated cavities behind cladding systems to manage moisture and maintain weathertight residential buildings.

May 19, 2026, 3:09 PM

Brick veneer over habitable spaces

Alide Elkink

Some external moisture is likely to penetrate masonry veneer, but this isn’t a problem when sufficient ventilation can drain and dry any water that enters. In this example, poor construction details restricted ventilation and caused problems.

May 19, 2026, 3:09 PM

Horizontal timber weatherboards

Alide Elkink

Horizontal timber weatherboards have been a popular cladding material for houses in Aotearoa New Zealand for many years, with an excellent track record for durability when properly installed and maintained. Even when maintenance has been less than ideal, timber weatherboards have sometimes lasted more than 100 years.

May 19, 2026, 3:06 PM

Structurally fixing cavity battens for horizontal timber weatherboards

Greg Burn

Using longer and thicker nails to fix horizontal timber weatherboards to structural framing through cavity battens can damage the weatherboards. However, there’s a way round this.

May 19, 2026, 3:06 PM

Structurally fixing cavity battens for horizontal timber weatherboards

Protect those weatherboards

Alide Elkink

A Build reader recently asked if H3.1 treatment for timber cladding is sufficient to protect against rot. It is, but only if primed before installation, painted and regularly maintained.

May 19, 2026, 3:06 PM

Guide

Good Repair Guide: Horizontal timber weatherboards

Over time, water entry through poorly installed or maintained weatherboard cladding may cause significant structural damage and other problems long before any symptoms become apparent on the exterior or interior...

May 12, 2026, 9:52 AM

Guide

Good Practice Guide: Timber cladding (3rd edition)

Timber cladding materials and skills needed for building and installation of traditional claddings have changed over the years. The conditions for building new timber-clad buildings have also changed over the years....

May 11, 2026, 2:39 PM

Search

Building envelope

Cladding systems 30

Talking façade fire testing

Curtain wall cladding

What you need to know when using rainscreens

Detailing cladding penetrations

In-line lean-to junction detail

Caring for timber weatherboards

Façade fire testing for timber structures

G is for gap

Movement control joints

Control joints in plaster claddings

Timber weatherboards

Cladding design

Installing bevel-back weatherboards

Cladding junctions with a difference

Coatings for timber weatherboards

Weatherboards above brick veneer

The fix on profiled metal wall cladding

Vertical board cladding

Getting behind brick veneer

C is for cavities

Brick veneer over habitable spaces

Horizontal timber weatherboards

Structurally fixing cavity battens for horizontal timber weatherboards

Protect those weatherboards

Good Repair Guide: Horizontal timber weatherboards

Good Practice Guide: Timber cladding (3rd edition)

SR75 Life cycle costs of claddings

SR97 Life cycle costs of selected claddings for non-residential buildings

SR324 The potential for over-cladding: A scoping study

SR248 Life cycle costs and analysis of roof cladding systems

Moisture management 47

House condition matters

Airtightness of selected apartments in New Zealand

Build tight and ventilate right

To drain or not to drain – that is the question

Ventilation building retrofit project

A school lesson

Supporting bank customers to build better homes

Housing condition and occupant wellbeing

Deepening the conversation about healthy homes

Designing super-healthy homes

Airtightness and ventilation

Optimal ventilation?

Cold roofs? Warm roofs?

New home, old habits

Roof space moisture – it’s complicated

Passive roof ventilation

Vents in skillion roofs

Roofing rethink: warm roofs, healthy Kiwis

Mind the gap

Roof ventilation

Dealing with internal moisture

Pressure on air seals

Trouble-free ducting performance

Closing the top of ventilated cavities

Air barriers vs vapour barriers

Air seals in exterior envelope penetrations

Managing internal moisture

Fixing common renovation problems

Remediation of leaky buildings

Good Repair Guide: Dealing with mould

Building Basics: Internal moisture (2nd edition)

SR372 Warm, dry, healthy? Insights from the 2015 House Condition Survey

SR7 A survey of moisture damage in southern New Zealand buildings

SR60 An anatomy of mildew risk with reflective insulation

SR462 Comparative study of corrosion rates in vented and unvented roof cavities

SR452 Indoor climate and mould in New Zealand homes

SR84 The effect of coatings on wood composite siding performance

ER90 Natural ventilation in damp homes – a qualitative exploration of behaviours and interventions for change

SR389 Could damp homes be too cold, underheated?

SR344 Vapour control in New Zealand walls

SR343 Numerical simulation of ventilation in roof cavities

SR341 The role of ventilation in managing moisture inside New Zealand homes

SR289 Remediating condensation problems in large-cavity, steel-framed institutional roofs

SR228 Study of the moisture management properties of roof underlays

SR48 A literature survey of electrical techniques for measuring concrete moisture profiles

SR180 Air flow rates field measurements