Northlake
Cedar Maintenance in Northlake
Northlake is the most exposed cedar neighbourhood in Wanaka. Open bench, big sky, no shelter. We look after cedar homes up here through every season, and we know exactly what the site does to cladding.
Cedar weathers faster up here
Northlake sits on an elevated, open bench above town with almost no mature tree cover. Cladding gets the full force of the alpine sun, the nor-wester dries timber out through summer, and freeze-thaw cycles work moisture in and out of the boards all winter.
Cedar that would go 4 or 5 years between coats on a sheltered, tree-lined street often wants attention every 2 to 3 years in Northlake, especially north-facing gables and west walls. Catching it at the maintenance stage, before any real greying, costs a fraction of a full restoration.
We already work in Northlake
Brad has been staining and restoring cedar around Wanaka for over 15 years, with a growing list of Northlake homes on the books. The two jobs below are both recent Northlake projects: one caught early enough for a wash and oil refresh, one left long enough that the failed coating had to come off entirely.
That gap, between a refresh and a restoration, is the whole story of cedar in Northlake. Which side of it your house sits on mostly comes down to timing.
Penetrating oils only
Products that soak in and weather gracefully. Nothing that skins over and peels in Northlake UV.
Elevation by elevation
North and west walls get extra coats and a tighter schedule. Sheltered sides are not overworked.
Test patch first
Colour and product confirmed on a discreet section before anything goes on the wall.
Out-of-town owners sorted
Access, booking windows, photo updates and remote invoicing. One point of contact throughout.
Caught early
Cedar oil refresh in Northlake
Caught at exactly the right time. The cedar was dry and starting to grey but the surface was still sound, so this was a wash and refresh coat rather than a restoration.
- Chemical wash to cladding, soffits and joinery
- Three days drying before any oil went on
- Scaffold to the rear gable for safe access
- Single refresh coat of penetrating oil, two coats on the north wall
Left too long
Cedar restoration in Northlake
The original coating had failed on the sunny elevations and was peeling in sheets. We sanded the cladding back to raw timber and rebuilt the finish from bare.
- Chemical wash and full dry down
- Failed coating removed and cladding sanded to bare timber
- End grain sealed, damaged boards made good
- Two coats of penetrating oil stain, extra on north and west walls
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.
Thanks to Brad for doing such an amazing job on our Wanaka house. The newly stained cedar looks beautiful and the whole house has had a lift. It was very easy to work with Brad as out-of-town home owners. Highly recommended!
Answers
Northlake cedar questions
How often should cedar be recoated on a Northlake home?
Most Northlake homes want a maintenance coat every 2 to 3 years on the north and west walls, with sheltered elevations stretching to 3 or 4. Northlake sits on an open bench with very little mature tree cover, so cedar here weathers faster than in the older, leafier parts of Wanaka.
Why is Northlake especially hard on cedar?
The subdivision is elevated, open and largely unsheltered. Cladding gets the full force of high country UV in summer, the nor-wester dries timber out fast, and winter freeze-thaw cycles work moisture in and out of the boards. The upside is that all that sun also gives us long, dry application windows in spring and autumn.
Do you use penetrating oils or film-forming products?
Penetrating oil stains, almost without exception. They soak into the timber rather than sitting on top, weather gracefully and never peel. Film-forming products tend to fail in Northlake UV and turn a cheap recoat into an expensive restoration.
Can you match the existing stain colour?
Yes. We always do a test patch on a discreet section before committing to a product or shade. If nobody knows what was used last time, we work it out from the timber and the existing colour before anything goes on the wall.
Do you work with out-of-town owners and holiday homes?
A lot of Northlake homes are holiday rentals or owned from outside Wanaka, so this is normal for us. We sort access, work around bookings, send photo updates through the job and invoice remotely. One point of contact from quote to final coat.
What does cedar work in Northlake cost?
A maintenance oil refresh on a typical Northlake home usually lands between $2,000 and $4,500 including GST, depending on size, access and condition. A full restoration with sanding back to bare timber is more, usually upwards of $5,000. Quotes are free and come with a straight answer about which one your cedar actually needs.
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.