Materials That Age Well in a Perth Backyard

A garden room in Perth faces conditions most interiors never see: long, hot summers, strong afternoon sun, salt air near the coast and the occasional winter downpour. Materials that look sharp on day one can fade, warp or need constant care by year five.

We specify materials for how they'll perform in ten years, not just how they photograph at handover. Here's what we use, and why.

Composite cladding

Composite cladding is the standard exterior finish across the HAVN Studios range. It's a low-maintenance, timber-look board selected for durability in Perth conditions.

Why we choose it:

• No oiling or staining. Natural timber exposed to full sun needs regular recoating to keep its colour. Composite holds its finish with an occasional wash.
• Stable. It's far less prone to cupping, splitting and warping through Perth's swings between dry summers and wet winters.
• The look of timber. Fine grain and vertical boards give the warmth of timber without the upkeep.

Natural timber, architectural profiles and aluminium feature panels are also available, depending on the design and final specification. Natural timber is beautiful for feature walls and exterior accents, especially under the cover of a soffit, where it's protected from the worst of the weather.

A low-pitch COLORBOND® steel roof

Every HAVN room has a low-pitch COLORBOND® steel roofing system with integrated guttering, downpipes and roof drainage.

• Built for the Australian climate. COLORBOND® steel is made in Australia for local conditions, and its colour range includes lighter shades that reflect more of the summer sun.
• Proper drainage. A low pitch sheds water reliably to the gutters, so winter storms run off rather than sitting on the roof.
• A slim profile. The low pitch keeps the roof line clean behind a slim fascia, so the room still reads as a crisp, contemporary form.

Powder-coated aluminium frames

Windows and doors are framed in powder-coated aluminium, which gives a durable, colour-matched finish.

• No rot, no swelling. Doors keep sliding smoothly through humid and dry seasons alike.
• A finish that lasts. Powder coating is baked on, so it resists chipping and fading far better than paint.
• Slim sightlines. Aluminium is strong enough to carry large panes in a thin frame, so more of the wall is glass.

Double glazing and full insulation

What you can't see matters as much as what you can. Every room includes double-glazed aluminium windows and doors and full floor, wall and ceiling insulation.

Together they keep summer heat out and winter warmth in, so the split-system air conditioner does less work and the room stays comfortable all year. They also cut noise in both directions, which matters as much for a home office as it does for a gym or music room.

Inside: hybrid flooring and painted plasterboard

Inside, plasterboard-lined walls and ceilings are fully painted, and the floor is a durable hybrid. Hybrid flooring copes with sandy feet from the garden, gym equipment and the odd spilt drink, and it doesn't need sealing or sanding.

Ageing well is a design decision

The longest-lasting rooms combine good materials with good detailing: deep roof overhangs that shade glazing and protect cladding, decking set clear of the ground, and drainage that takes water away from the structure. Those decisions are made at the drawing stage, which is why every HAVN room is designed for its own site.

See the full list on our Inclusions page, or book a free design consultation to talk through finishes for your room.