Coastal home building in the Illawarra: salt air, materials and suburbs

The Illawarra coast is hard on buildings. Salt air changes which materials last and how a home is detailed.

What salt air does to a home

Illawarra builders say salt air affects cladding, fixings, glazing and roofing. Metal fixings corrode faster, finishes weather sooner, and glazing and roof sheeting need to suit the exposure. These choices are made at design stage, because they affect what is specified and what it costs.

The coastal suburbs this applies to

The coastal strip runs from Stanwell Park, Scarborough, Clifton, Wombarra, Coledale and Austinmer in the north, through Thirroul, Bulli, Woonona and Towradgi, to Wollongong, Port Kembla and Windang, then Warilla in the Shellharbour area, and Kiama, Gerringong and Gerroa further south. These sit in the areas of Wollongong City Council, Shellharbour City Council and Kiama Municipal Council.

What to raise with your builder

• Which cladding, fixings, glazing and roofing suit your distance from the water.
• What finishes and warranties apply to those materials.
• Whether the site is also sloping. See building on a sloping block in Wollongong.
• How maintenance is planned, because coastal homes need regular washing and checking.

Choosing a coastal builder

Ask a builder for coastal homes they have completed, and what they would specify for your exposure. Illawarra coastal builders, such as coastal home builders in the Illawarra, list coastal homes among their work.

Common questions