Cladding fixing - interlocking hardwood boards - face fix or secret fix?

[MarkyP]

HI all,

 

I'm finally cladding my kitchen extension (5 years after I built it, I quite liked the blockwork but my wife was wondering if I was ever going to clad it!). I decided ofcourse to wait until timber prices had at least doubled before deciding it was time to proceed.

 

So, I have some iroko hardwood cladding boards coming. It is going to be horizontally fixed with an interlocking T&G type profile. I cant decide whether to face fix with two screws or to fix through the tongue and secret fix them. Is there any consideration other than aesthetics? Also, does any consideration need to be made for movement of the boards or are they butted up tight with the T&G. I dont really mind the idea of visble screws but wonder if it will be much faster doing a screw into the tongue method as I can see it being slow work for face fix with putting in 2 screws and keeping neat lines and perps for each batten run.

 

I'll be using stainless screws of the type for cladding fixing.

 

thanks

Edited June 16, 2022 by MarkyP

[Thorfun]

8 minutes ago, MarkyP said:

HI all,

 

I'm finally cladding my kitchen extension (5 years after I built it, I quite liked the blockwork but my wife was wondering if I was ever going to clad it!). I decided ofcourse to wait until timber prices had at least doubled before deciding it was time to proceed.

 

So, I have some iroko hardwood cladding boards coming. It is going to be horizontally fixed with an interlocking T&G type profile. I cant decide whether to face fix with two screws or to fix through the tongue and secret fix them. Is there any consideration other than aesthetics? Also, does any consideration need to be made for movement of the boards or are they butted up tight with the T&G. I dont really mind the idea of visble screws but wonder if it will be much faster doing a screw into the tongue method as I can see it being slow work putting in 2 screws and keeping neat lines and perps for each batten run.

 

I'll be using stainless screws of the type for cladding fixing.

 

thanks

our Siberian Larch vertical cladding T&G style shadow gap cladding was tongue fixed using tongue-tite SS screws. the joiner said that with the interlocking T&G and a screw in the tongue they aren't going anywhere. our cladding is vertical though so I don't know if it's different for horizontal. 

 

 

I happen to have loads left over to sell if you do decide to go down that route as I originally bought enough to face fix but now don't need anywhere near as many as I bought!

[Modernista]

Just for comparison we've just face-fixed our vertical Adobo (Radiata Pine) cladding with stainless steel nails and nail gun. There are six nail holes showing per board in this pic if you zoom in. A nice quick way to fix - and it has a fine sawn face rather than planed so nailing fine plus sits recessed under deep soffit so quite sheltered.