ᐅ Options for Renovating Building Facades

Hello,

We are in the process of renovating the following house (photo).
The wooden facade on both sides of the house is neither attractive nor up to date.
However, it is likely that there is no plaster underneath.

What experiences or design options can you share with me?

Thank you very much!

This will be a prefabricated house. The possibilities for facade renovation and the requirements for energy efficiency upgrades, such as those related to building regulations, depend on the wall construction used by the manufacturer. This must be known or determined through a building survey. Generally, older wall constructions were not designed with proper building physics in mind. Moisture accumulation may have occurred. Make sure to get expert and independent advice.

Hello,

No, we initially thought so too... but it is a solid/concrete house!

You could remove the wooden facade. Then

- install vertical battens and fill the space in between with mineral wool
- install horizontal battens and fill the space in between with mineral wool
- install vertical battens and attach the ventilated facade on top

As far as I know, 6cm (2.4 inches) per insulation layer is “normal.” That would mean 12cm (4.7 inches) in total.
The ventilation gap should be about 3cm (1.2 inches).
So that means
6cm (2.4 inches) insulation
6cm (2.4 inches) insulation
3cm (1.2 inches) ventilation
x cm (x inches) facade

Altogether, this adds up to approximately 15–20cm (6–8 inches) thickness, depending on what you plan to do.

If it is a solid construction house, this should be relatively easy and cost-effective.
Whether this insulation thickness is actually necessary is up to personal judgment.
Judging by the photo, a thick insulation layer on the roof might cause problems with driving rain because there may not be enough roof overhang (possibly).

For the facade, you can use many materials. Either fiber cement board (also called cement siding or Eternit), which nowadays can create very attractive facades (including wood-look finishes), real wood, some type of plastic, or others...
Personally, I think fiber cement is a very good material—simple and very durable.

So this method could be worth considering in more detail.

But how is the roof insulated? Before doing anything with the facade, the roof should be inspected and renovated if needed. In my opinion, this is one of the most important aspects of a house.

PS: Unless there is already a fixed renovation plan, I would recommend starting work only after winter.

You could replace the old wooden cladding with new horizontal siding made of larch or Douglas fir and extend it across the entire wall. It looks very stylish on a house just around the corner from here.

Do you have a photo? 🙂

It would be on both sides if that’s the case, so I’m not sure...