The greening of weatherboard cladding

Weatherboards are the quintessential exterior cladding used on New Zealand homes, but one Kiwi company sets itself apart with a product that is both durable and eco-friendly.

KLC manufactures a high-quality, eco-friendly alternative to CCA-treated timber weatherboards, known as Generation 2 NZ Timber Cladding Systems, and is one of the largest and most innovative timber treatment and re-manufacturing operations in New Zealand.

“We manufacture high-quality weatherboards, fascia and finishing boards at our Kaingaroa based  facility (50km southeast of Rotorua). These products are made exclusively from New Zealand radiata pine that have been preserved using the revolutionary Koppers MicroPro® H3.2 timber treatment system,” explains KLC’s marketing manager, Chrissie Atkinson.

“MicroPro® is a water-borne, copper-based biocide preservative system that is applied to the wood using a high-pressure treatment process," she adds. "It effectively protects against fungal decay, borer and termites, without leaching nasty chemicals into the environment.” MicroPro® also has four environmental certifications making it a safer alternative timber preservative for our environment.

The timber that is used for the Generation 2 cladding range is 100 per cent Radiata Pine sourced from renewable plantation forestry in New Zealand. KLC is a Chain of Custody FSC Certified Company, which guarantees that the product has come from a responsibly managed forest and supply chain.

Given that New Zealand is still living with the legacy of the leaky homes fiasco, it is reassuring to know that KLC’s product comes with a 50-year treatment guarantee for home and building owners, which is more than double the length of treatment guarantee offered by other suppliers in the New Zealand market.

“There is a real concern about imported products manufactured overseas that don’t meet our compliance requirements, but Generation 2 cladding complies with both New Zealand and Australian standards,” says Chrissie.

With environmental issues at the fore, many architects are increasingly designing buildings with serious ‘green’ credentials.

“KLC has a number of architects and builders who have completely switched to this product because they value longevity, durability, sustainability and performance,” Chrissie explains.“For example, because of the nature of the MicroPro® treatment, our product can be placed in direct contact with aluminium to avoid potential corrosion, which makes it the perfect solution for the joinery industry as it’s ideal to use with fixings and hinges.”

“We have researched and worked hard to find an alternative wood treatment that is safer for everyone, and this is an exciting alternative for the New Zealand construction industry."

"This product keeps New Zealand’s tradition of building with timber weatherboard and embraces a new treatment that’s kinder on the environment and is much safer for humans who work with and live within treated timber.”

For more information about KLC’s Generation 2 NZ Timber Cladding Systems, click here on ArchiPro.

References:

BRANZ: weathertight.org.nz/new-buildings/timber-treatment

Koppers Performance Chemicals: bit.ly/2JNUO0y

New Zealand Timber Preservation Council: nztpc.co.nz/ccaTreatedWood.php

The Ministry of Education: bit.ly/2JnZzP4

Nelson City Council: bit.ly/2JGrgCg