Lake Hawea
Cedar Maintenance in Lake Hawea
Strong sun, reflection off the lake, and a nor-wester that dries timber out fast. We look after cedar on lakefront and township homes in Hawea, including plenty owned from out of town.
The lake works the timber hard
Hawea gets the same high country UV as the rest of Central Otago, plus two local extras: reflection off the water onto lake-facing walls, and the nor-wester that funnels down the lake and pulls moisture out of timber all summer. Lake-facing and west elevations are nearly always the first to fade.
The pattern we see on Hawea cedar is uneven wear. One or two elevations gasping, the rest perfectly sound. So that is how we treat it: the hard-working walls get more coats, more often, and the sheltered sides are not charged for work they do not need.
Caught in time, it stays a small job
Brad has been staining and restoring cedar across the Wanaka and Hawea area for over 15 years. The lakefront job below is what catching cedar at the right moment looks like: faded but sound, so most of the house needed a proper wash and two fresh coats rather than sanding, with spot sanding only on the exposed west gable.
A lot of Hawea homes are holiday places, and cedar there quietly fades between visits. If that might be your house, send us photos and we will tell you which side of the line it is on before anything gets booked.
Lakefront experience
We know what the water and the nor-wester do to each face of a Hawea house.
Only the work it needs
Spot sanding where the timber calls for it, not a whole-house bill by default.
Out-of-town owners sorted
Access, photo updates through the job, remote invoicing. Many owners never need to be on site.
Penetrating oils only
Colour matched to the original, soaked in rather than skinned over. Nothing that peels.
Seen it in the flesh
Cedar refresh in Lake Hawea
Faded but sound cedar on a lakefront home. No sanding needed on most of the house, just a proper wash and two coats to bring the colour back.
- Soft wash to the whole house including garage and outbuilding
- Spot sanding on the exposed west gable only
- Full mask up of joinery and outdoor living area
- Two coats of penetrating oil stain, colour matched to the original
Reviews
What people say once we have left
Bradley and his partner were excellent to work with. So obliging and did such a fantastic job. So easy to recommend and I will be using for any further work I need done. They did exterior staining on my property.
Bradley and team were reliable, easy to communicate with, and did a great job.
Brad has been fantastic to work with. We've used his painting services for multiple properties and have always been impressed with the quality of his work and his excellent communication. Professional, reliable, and easy to deal with. Highly recommend!
Answers
Lake Hawea cedar questions
How often does cedar need doing at Lake Hawea?
Plan on every 2 to 3 years for north and west walls and anything facing the lake, stretching to 3 or 4 on sheltered elevations. Hawea cops strong sun, reflection off the water, and a nor-wester that funnels down the lake and dries timber out fast.
Is lakefront cedar different to look after?
The exposed faces work harder. Lake-facing walls and west gables fade first, so it is normal for us to recoat those more often than the rest of the house rather than doing everything every time. It keeps the house looking right and the bills sensible.
We are not in Hawea most of the year. How does that work?
Very common here, a lot of Hawea homes are holiday places. We sort access, do the work, and send photos through the job. Plenty of our customers have not been on site once between the quote and the invoice.
Does the whole house need sanding every time?
Usually not, and the Hawea job below is a good example. Faded but sound cedar mostly needs a proper wash and fresh coats. We spot sand the boards that need it, the exposed west gable in that case, rather than sanding for the sake of it.
What does cedar work at Lake Hawea cost?
A maintenance refresh on a typical home usually lands between $2,000 and $4,500 including GST depending on size, access and condition, with full restorations upwards of $5,000. Quotes are free. Send photos if you are out of town and we will give you a ballpark first.
Get in touch
Not sure what your cedar needs?
Send three photos: the whole house, the sunniest wall, and a close up of the worst boards. We will tell you straight whether it wants a wash, a recoat or the full job.