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Weathertex Pty Ltd is true Australian icon: Not too dissimilar to Vegemite, Aeroplane Jelly, or the Holden Car. The Company is wholly Australian owned and operated, employs approximately 100 people, and has been around for over 60 years.
The original Weathertex factory was commissioned at Raymond Terrace, just north of Newcastle, on the NSW Central Coast in 1939. Since that time, little has changed in the heart of the factory; In fact, the high-pressure steam driven mason gun and pressing facility is only one of three still operating in the world today.
There have been many upgrades to ancillary equipment over time. New paint facilities, cutting and routing facilities, high pressure steam boilers and packaging equipment has been added since the mid 1980's. These upgrades ensure the product is made to tight tolerances and is 'fit for purpose'. This is critical to the factory maintaining its Australian Standards Accreditation, (ISO 9002), and ensures we can comfortably stand by our 25-year product guarantee.
Weathertex is made by breaking local hardwood down to its constituent fibres using steam and pressure. (These hardwoods come from sawmill tailings, thinnings and managed forests. No old growth hardwood is used, so the source of the timber is environmentally friendly). The fibres are then transported to the presses in a liquid bath that removes all of the natural sugars and starches. (This makes the finished product very un-attractive to termites and white ants) The 'wet-lap' as it is known is then squeezed under great pressure and high temperature in one of four 'multi-daylight' presses. This not only thins the wetlap to about 9.8mm, but also activates the natural lignins in the timber, which forms the 'glue' that holds the fibres together.
The resulting reconstituted hardwood is very dense, has no artificial additives, and is of a random fibre pattern that eliminates delamination and promotes moisture resistance; it is this dense, random structure that allows the product to be successfully used in external applications. (It is also very good in internal applications!) Similarly, the reconstituted timber has no grain, knots or gum vein that will cause natural timber weatherboards to split and crack. It also allows nails to be driven close to edges without pre drilling.
A modern warehouse holds over 100,000 square metres of finished product, The products are distributed nationally to selected specialist customers, resellers, timber yards and merchants. (See our links!) They are also shipped to New Zealand, Asia and Europe.
Weathertex Weatherboards, Architectural Sheets and Signboards have stood the test of time, They are truly unique Australian products, environmentally sustainable, and made to last a lifetime. It has been said that a process that was invented at the beginning of the 20th century and that remains relevant in the 21st century is truly a marvel of manufacturing, We agree.
Weathertex Pty Ltd ACN 084 713 986
Masonite Rd
Raymond Terrace
NSW 2324
Australia
Customer Service Hotline 1800 040 080
International + 61 2 4980 3100
Facsimile 1800 647 926
International + 61 2 4980 3133
Export Enquiries Ruud Buddenberg
Weathertex timber weatherboards, cladding and architectural panels are made from reconstituted Australian Hardwood, not fibre cement. As Weathertex is available in planks and sheets, our panels are the perfect exterior wall material for the construction of houses, extensions, renovations, Do It Yourself (DIY) projects, Kit Homes, Transportable homes, or any other Australian building project.
Weathertex weatherboard, cladding and Architectural Panels are pre-primed, wood fibre products in grooved sheets and flat profiles. Weathertex timber products come with an installation guide and because they are made from reconstituted hardwoods and Australian Hardwoods, they come with a 25 year guarantee not to rot, split or crack.
Weathertex products include Weathergroove, Panelgroove, ExteriorBoard, ImpactBoard, SignBoard, Profiled planks, Smooth Planks, Smooth Sheets, Surface Planks, Textured Planks, Woodgrain Sheets, Primelok, Classic Smooth, Classic Ruff Sawn, Classic RuffX, Rusticated Smooth, Rusticated Ruff Sawn, Millwood Smooth, Millwood Ruff Sawn, Old Colonial Smooth, Weatherboard Shingles, Braidwood smooth, Braidwood Ruff Sawn, Federation Smooth, Federation Ruff Sawn and accessories.
Weathertex Shingles are not recommended as a primary roofing material. Fire regulations in most regions limit the use of flammable roof materials on houses. They can however provide pleasing decorative effects as a permanent awning over windows andas a roofing material for a garden gazebo or cabana. (see Project Sheet No. 3)
Yes, but additional studs and/or nogging must be provided. Because the maximum permitted distance between fixings is 600mm, the stud spacing for weatherboards at 45? to horizontal must not exceed 450mm, and the stud spacing for weatherboards at 60? to horizontal must not exceed 300mm. The positioning and number of nails/screws should be as shown in the Installation Guide and breather-type sarking must be used. Particular attention should be given to the detail of flashing at intersection with wiindows, doors etc to prevent water ingress.
Yes, some profiles are suitable, but additional nogging must be provided to enable fixing at maximum 600mm centres. The positioning and number of nails/screws should be as shown in the Installation Guide and breather-type sarking must be used. Millwood and Old Colonial are not recommended for vertical fixing. The visual effect of vertical weatherboarding can be achieved more economically by using Weathertex Panelgroove sheet.
Sarking is used to prevent wind driven rain blowing under the weatherboard lap. It is essential that sarking be used where this is likely to be a problem, eg in upper storey extensions. Sarking is recommended under Weathertex cladding, but it must be a vapour permeable (breather) grade. Vapour permeable sarking such as Bradford Enviroseal Wall Breather Foil may be used directly under Weathertex weatherboards. Foil laaminated sarking will also act as a reflective insulation. In cold climates, a vapour barrier should be used on the inside of the frame or on the internal wall to prevent transmission of water vapour to the wall cavity, eg from clothes and dish washing, unflued gas heaters etc. Subsequent condensation can cause decay of the timber frame. Expert advice should be sought on this aspect of building design. Typical "R" values of wall systems are given in the Weathertex Technical Information Brief.
Joint trimmers allow for expansion and contraction of weatherboards caused by changes in relative humidity, and thus minimise the possibility of buckling between studs. Weathertex slowly absorbs moisture at high humidity and expands, and slowly loses moisture at low humidity and contracts. The typical movement of an unrestrained weatherboard is 0.25% of the face dimensions between 50% and 90% relative humidity. Trimmers also act as flashing to prevent water entry behind the weatherboards. Joint trimmers must be used if the weatherboards are joined off-stud. Trimmers must be used with Weathertex Wall Shingles. Weatherboards may be butt jointed over studs on short lengths of wall (not longer than 5.5m or 1? weatherboard lengths) without the use of trimmers. Cut ends should be primed. Nails or screws should not be closer than 12mm from the weatherboard ends and therefore the stud needs to be of sufficient width to prevent splitting of the stud and subsequent poor fastening.
Several types of sealants have been found suitable. Flexible, exterior grades should be used. These include acrylic sealants such as Fuller's "Fulacryl" or "Caulk-in-colours", and Polyfilla "Gap Sealant"; paintable silicone such as Selley's "All Clear"; and polyurethane such as Fuller's "Joint Seal". For filling nail and screw holes use a sandable, exterior filler suitable for timber
Weathertex has similar properties to most natural wood products. A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is available in accordance with Worksafe Australia Guidelines and the following statement is made in the MSDS. Weathertex is a reconstituted wood product made from wood, and wax. Exposure to wood dust may cause irritation to the eyes, respiratory system and skin, and may cause sensitisation by inhalation resulting in asthma, and by skin contact resulting in dermatitis. In addition, inhalation oof wood dust may cause cancer. Worksafe Australia has established Exposure Standards for wood dust, based on he known health effects. Levels of wood dust must be kept below these Exposure Standards.
Weathertex cannot be claimed to be termite "proofed" but it does not attract them and is not their preferred food. The timber frame will most likely be destroyed before the Weathertex is substantially attacked. We have inspected termite infested buildings where the Weathertex was all that was holding a wall together. Protection against termite infestation is required by building codes regardless of the materials used in construction. Weathertex should not be used in contact with the ground. Our fixing instructions state that there should be at least 150mm clearance between the bottom edge of Weathertex and paved surfaces which are exposed to the weather and at least 225mm clearance to unprotected ground. (See Fact Sheet:Weathertex and Termites)
Installation Guide Amended Version July 08
Gun Nailing to Steel Frame Homes in C2 Areas
Federation Primelok Concealed Joiner
Concealed Joiner 170mm Installation Instructions
Concealed Joiner 200mm Installation Instructions
Architectural Panels
Weatherboards Brochure
SignBoard
ImpactBoard
ExteriorBoard
Weathergroove
Weatherboards Brochure
Termites
Fire Ratings
Interior Lining
Gun Nailing
Environmental Statement
Material Safety Data Sheet
Painting
Cubby House
Weathertex Shingles
Pool Pumps & Enclosures
Newsletter Issue 1 September 2006
Gun Nailing to Steel Frames in C2 areas
Inspiration for ExteriorBoard
The Great Australian Dream
Weathergroove Sale Starts 1st October 2008
When size matters, choose WEATHERGROOVE. Weathergroove is the only 3660mm panel product on the market. From 1 October 2008, Weathergroove is on sale. See Brochure for more details.....
ExteriorBoard Installation Guide
The Weathertex ExteriorBoard Installation Guide is now available. Recently launched, ExteriorBoard is one of the most unique, durable and versatile cladding products. All the ExteriorBoard product details and installation instructions are found in this new ExteriorBoard Installation Guide.
Concealed Joiners are here!
Weathertex has now introduced Concealed Joiners to the our Primelok 170mm and Weathertex 200mm Weatherboards. Concealed Joining provides a neat, clean professional finish to your project. Check out the Technical downloads for further installation details
ExteriorBoard Deep Channel Joiner
ExteriorBoard now offers the sought after modern panel and matrix look, together with the Weathertex ExteriorBoard Deep Channel Joiner.
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Please click here to download a PDF of our recent newsletter (499kb).
Please click here to download our recent product information.
If you are a reseller or would like to become a reseller/stockist, please call our customer service centre on 1800 040 080 or email info@weathertex.com.au If you are an end user, please search for your local stockist using the 'search for a stockist' facility below. Our customer service centre is here to help you if you cannot find a local stockist. Click here to download the current "Terms of Trading".