Durable Timber Cladding

In UK construction, there has been a major renaissance in timber cladding in recent years as a facing material, replacing the more common brick and rendered finishes. It’s easy to see why. It’s natural, beautiful, warm and practical, and it offers effective protection against the elements.

Not only that, but it is also lighter and simpler to fix to the building’s fabric. Last but not least, using timber cladding actually works as a carbon sink; so your project can have an even smaller and kinder footprint on the planet.

Durable Timber Cladding

In UK construction, there has been a major renaissance in timber cladding in recent years as a facing material, replacing the more common brick and rendered finishes. It’s easy to see why. It’s natural, beautiful, warm and practical, and it offers effective protection against the elements.

Not only that, but it is also lighter and simpler to fix to the building’s fabric. Last but not least, using timber cladding actually works as a carbon sink; so your project can have an even smaller and kinder footprint on the planet.

Durable Timber Cladding

In UK construction, there has been a major renaissance in timber cladding in recent years as a facing material, replacing the more common brick and rendered finishes. It’s easy to see why. It’s natural, beautiful, warm and practical, and it offers effective protection against the elements.

Not only that, but it is also lighter and simpler to fix to the building’s fabric. Last but not least, using timber cladding actually works as a carbon sink; so your project can have an even smaller and kinder footprint on the planet.

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Timber Species

There’s a huge variety of timber species that are suitable for cladding. Here we outline the main ones, although please get in touch if you’d like something more unusual – we’re always ready to help.

Cedar:

Cedar cladding is probably the most popular option and it mainly refers to Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata), which is usually sourced from Canada. Another option is British grown Cedar, which is not as durable and has more knots.


Larch:

Larch cladding mostly refers to Siberian Larch (Larix sibirica), which is a durable species coming from, well Siberia. You will find two quality grades available from most stockists, including us: Unsorted (higher grade) and Sawfallen (lower grade) – as the pictures below demonstrate. Siberian Larch is available in longer lengths than Cedar and is also cheaper due to its greater availability.


Thermo Woods:

Thermo Wood is actually a process, not a species, but it’s now just commonly referred in the trade as a species given its ubiquity. The process modifies the timber using very high temperature and steam in a controlled chamber so that the cell structure is changed and the end product is more stable and slightly more durable (albeit a bit more brittle too). The most common species is Pine although there’s plenty of Spruce as well – the main difference between them is the size and number of knots (Pine has bigger but fewer knots).

Our Thermodified range includes both Pine and Spruce (softwoods) as well as hardwoods such as Ash (temperate) and Frake (tropical) which offer even less or smaller knots so that Frake is practically called a clear thermo wood. And finally there’s newcomer Abodo – a clear pine that offers high durability, clear boards (no knots) as well as the increased stability of all thermodified timbers.


Oak

Popular with both rustic and modern country buildings such as barn conversions, car ports and oak framed buildings, oak cladding is usually offered as traditional feather edge profile, where fixings can be hidden. Sometimes the appeal of the inimitable oak is so high that designers and end-users specify “waney edge” cladding, where one side of the cladding board still keeps the bark visible.

Be aware that although Oak is a durable species and therefore suitable as a long-lasting cladding species, it is not famous for its stability! Oak tends to move as it weathers so unless there’s good ventilation and fixing, it is likely some boards will warp. Still, it is part of its character appeal and most think it is well worth the investment.


Tropicals

There still is a largely undiscovered world of tropical timber species in cladding projects in the UK, which is curious because there are so many options that are both available and suitable for this end. Some of them include Cumaru, Ipe, Pituca and Iroko. For further information, please give us a call.


OrganoWood

This is a new breed of modified timber where high quality Swedish Pine is given extra protection through a treatment with Silica, which is a natural and inert material. The end result is an upgraded cladding which, without any biocide chemicals, will last longer, weather to grey quicker and be more resistant to fire – no wonder it’s a favourite of schools and playgrounds!


Profiles

The profile of timber cladding is just as important as its laying style – how it’s fitted (vertical or horizontal, more or less gaps, etc) and how it sits on the property. We stock a wide range of timber species and cladding profiles and can also offer custom-made ones to suit your individual design requirements. When it comes to profile preference, it can vary tremendously from person to person, but the most popular styles are as follows:-

Shiplap – A profile with a neat finish where each board sits just behind the bottom edge of its adjacent cousin.

Tongue & Groove – A flat face design with no overlapping that is generally more popular in contemporary housing. Also available with “V” edges for more dramatic effect!

Feather Edge – With this profile, the boards are tapered and offer a definitively rustic aesthetic that lends itself well to barns and rural homes.

Our wide variety of timbers for cladding is suitable for both large scale commercial buildings as well as small domestic properties and even garden buildings. We also stock lengths up to 6m and offer a range of treatment options: from performance and preservation to purely aesthetic ones.


Corner Detailing

Corner detailing is an important area of fixing detail, not just aesthetically but functionally, to ensure adequate protection against water. Some examples of typical corner details can be seen below.

Whatever your design preference, we can deliver corner boards along with your chosen cladding planks.


Cladding profiles

Fire treatments

Cedar cladding

Larch cladding

ThermoWood cladding

Frake cladding

Chestnut cladding

OrganoWood cladding

WPC cladding

Cladding related insights

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