Weathertex, Newcastle - Timber Made perfect - Naturally

Weathertex, a proud North Coast timber processor, is the only Australian-owned and operated manufacturer of natural Australian hardwood weatherboards and architectural panels.
Based in Raymond Terrace on the Mid North Coast of NSW, the Company has made a considerable commitment to environmental sustainability, all the way from material sourcing, high technology production processes, waste control and management.

It uses only hardwoods sourced from new-growth North Coast State Forests or private forests from certified sources making Weathertex very environmentally friendly compared to other construction materials such as concrete, brick, steel and fibre-cement. As a further example of the Company’s focus on its environmental footprint, a high quality waste material, derived from the production and installation processes, produces an excellent, environmentally friendly mulch material , akin to a bark mulch which, when applied to garden beds, saves both water and waste costs for builders on-site.
And as far as the environmental credentials of the finished products are concerned, Weathertex notes that the production of a single cubic metre of concrete releases four hundred kilograms of carbon and the production of a single cubic metre of aluminium releases more than eighty tonnes of of carbon into the atmosphere. On the other hand, with the manufacture of Weathertex, ten kilograms of carbon is actually stored – that is, ten more kilograms of carbon is stored during the manufacturing process than is released into the atmosphere.
A recent research project undertaken by the Forest and Wood Products Association compared the cost of building with timber versus traditional materials. It involved four steps: developing a model design for each of four building types; designing each building in timber and a traditional material; developing an independent cost plan for each building type; and providing a commentary on each building type so that design professionals know why decisions were taken and what was considered in the cost plan.

The project revealed that constructing a building in timber resulted in cost savings of 13.9% for a 2 storey aged care facility, 12.4% for the 7 storey office building, 9.4% for a single storey industrial shed, and 2.2% for an 8 storey apartment building.

During the Weathertex production process new growth pulp and fibres are processed using high pressure steam, natural wax is added and the resultant wet-lap is pressed for 30 minutes between steel plates, planed and embossed with the beautiful patterns available to complement most natural finishes.

Weathertex is a truly a remarkable North Coast timber manufacturer, prospering in an era when manufacturing in Australia has been very tough. Originally established in 1939 to produce Masonite, the Company has been owned by Paul Michael since 1998. Under his careful guidance, significant investment of more than $2m has occurred in production technology, computerisation and painting facilities creating a state-of-the-art facility and a beautiful range of lightweight building products which are a breeze to handle and install.
Weathertex’s website (www.weathertex.com.au) provides a number of case studies and a gallery of finished products. It’s well worth a look!