Blue Mountains Home Showcases New Cemintel Board & Batten™

A striking new home in the NSW Blue Mountains showcases the new Cemintel Board & Batten™ solution, bringing together a distinctive mix of architectural influences with the performance and construction benefits of Cemintel, Hebel and AFS.

Built by Guardian Building Group, the home combines barnhouse, Hamptons and rustic influences through a considered neutral palette of sandstone, hardwood timber, rendered surfaces and vertical cladding.

As part of the exterior design the new Cemintel Board & Batten™ product was used. For builder Nathaniel Lynch of Guardian Building Group, the system provided the right aesthetic to bring the different elements of the home together.

“We wanted a little bit of everything,” Lynch says. “A little bit of rustic, a little bit of Hamptons and a little bit of farmhouse. The Board and Batten lends itself really well to that overall look with the sandstone, hardwood timber and rendered Hebel.”

A Fresh Approach to a Familiar Look

While the Board & Batten look is not new, the Cemintel solution introduces a new approach to installation.

Using Cemintel Cladding Sheet and Trims, the system features a patented glue installation method designed to make installation easier and provide greater flexibility in design.

For Lynch, one of the advantages is the flexibility this provides when positioning the battens. Without the same need to coordinate every batten position with the supporting framework behind the sheet, the installation can be simpler to plan and execute. “It would make positioning the battens easier,” Lynch says, adding that it also reduces the need to plan the framework beneath the sheet around individual batten locations.

Visually, the strong vertical profile helped provide definition to the facade while working comfortably alongside the other materials selected for the home. “It complemented the stone and render, and that’s what we were after,” Lynch says. The Board & Batten look is particularly suited to farmhouse and Hamptons inspired designs, while also having the potential to work across other residential styles.

Designed for its Blue Mountains Setting

The home’s Blue Mountains location also played an important role in material selection.

As well as responding to the architectural character of the area, the building needed to address the temperature extremes and bushfire considerations that come with building in the mountains.

Alongside Cemintel, Hebel PowerPanelXL was chosen for areas of the home where thermal, acoustic and fire performance were particularly important. Guardian Building Group has extensive experience with Hebel, making it a natural inclusion in the project. It was used on the home’s most exposed wall, where its thermal properties offered particular benefits in a climate that can experience both hot summers and cold winters.

For Lynch, the combination of performance characteristics is one of Hebel’s key strengths. “Up here, bushfires are definitely a consideration,” he says. “For me, Hebel ticks all three boxes. It’s got acoustic performance, fire resistance [up to BAL-FZ] and thermal performance. Those are the major ones for me.”

Together with good quality windows and insulation, Hebel forms part of the overall approach to creating a more comfortable and responsive home throughout the year.

Hebel also provided Guardian Building Group with a practical alternative to rendered brickwork, both from a construction and cost perspective.

AFS Provides a Practical Structural Solution

AFS Rediwall was also used in in the new build. The simplicity of the system made it a natural alternative to bricks or traditional concrete formwork. “AFS is a very simple system for me,” he says. “You don’t need a bricklayer, it’s quick and it’s easy to install.” The system also enabled the team to create a curved wall adjoining the garage, which was subsequently finished with stone.

Integrated Systems, Supported by Practical Design Guidance

The finished home demonstrates how a mix of complementary CSR systems can respond to design, construction and performance requirements within a single project, with the new Cemintel Board & Batten™ solution providing a distinctive way to achieve one of residential architecture’s most enduring exterior looks. Supported by resources such as the CSR Exteriors Junction Guide, builders and designers can confidently deliver refined detailing and high-quality outcomes, while helping to simplify the construction process.

For Lynch, the ability to access a broad range of building solutions through CSR is an important part of the relationship. “CSR has an array of building materials and there is a building material for every solution,” he says.

The experience of working across the three systems was equally positive. “The deliveries were easy. Everything was easy. It was just easy from start to finish.”