Timber cladding your house

Choosing the natural wood look for your cladding? We have a variety of suitable woods from which to choose and you can be assured of their sustainability credentials. Pine is excellent value and practical; Larch – ever popular – is a superb durable softwood; Western Red Cedar – again one of the most popular woods for cladding; the exceptionally durable Accoya; Thermowood, thermally modified for increased stability; a variety of Hardwoods including Cumaru, Red Louro and Ipe, and a range of premium Redwood cladding. Our knowledgeable teams will be able to give you guidance and information to help you decide and get it right.

The weathered look is currently very popular, where wood is allowed to respond to the elements and your cladding may take on a silvered look.  Varnish, paints and oils are always an option, but remember you will need to keep on top of the finish so your house retains its tip-top look. Now that’s worth considering in those harder to reach areas.

Carefully measure the space which you’d like to clad, and ensure you order sufficient wood. Also measure for batons, which should be 38mm high by 50mm wide if you’re covering over brickwork. It might seem obvious, but keep to hand a pencil and a vacuum cleaner. You will also need nails or pins, a saw, a power drill, a combination square and right angle square, a spirit level, a hammer, a sander or sandpaper, and wood filler. Always make sure you are safe at heights when cladding – a second person is good to have to hand! Remember too, if your cladding is a feature, you might want to consider framing the cladding so measure up and order mouldings to keep it neat.

The positioning of your batons is key and these need to be firmly attached to your wall. Factor in external features and remember to retain access where necessary.  Vents and pipes will always need to be clear, and wires at least accessible. Be very careful when affixing your batons that you avoid any electrical elements. TV aerial wires are often attached to a wall, so watch out for those. Once the baton frame is in place, start to attach your cladding from the most prominent edge, so if you’re going vertical start left to right, and bottom to top if you’re going horizontal and overlapping your cladding.

Traditional timber cladding often takes on a horizontal format, with the wood predominantly used to protect the exterior wall of the house offering additional shelter from the elements. This is the same for some of the oldest structures in the country, such as agricultural buildings and houses predominantly in the south of our country and on the coast. Today, cladding is used horizontally, vertically and even both! Whatever you do is your call and some patterned cladding can be very effective when it is a feature.

Make sure you think about your pattern and map it out ahead of attaching the batons so you know where the timbers will need support. If you’re going for a shadow-gap between the wood (usually around 10mm), then remember to factor this in when you’re measuring and planning the batons, and think about the wall behind. If you’re going for the weathered look, you’ll get that silvered look in approximately 18 months’ time.

Whatever you choose is individual to you and your house, but cladding done properly can certainly add a dash of the contemporary to a home and ensure it certainly stands out from the crowd.

For more information on timber options, visit our dedicated cladding page