Timber cladding, recommendations

[Russell griffiths]

Evening all

has anybody got any recommendations for types of timber they used and who they got it from. 

 

Had some samples from MILLWORKS just getting samples ready so we can stain them up to do a comparison 

 

local sawmill is coming out dearer than some some of the speciality cladding places. 

 

Also so interested in any stains or finishes you used. 

 

Cheers russ. 

[Jeremy Harris]

Very much depends on the look you want, Russell.  We wanted a rustic look (pretty much had to because of planning restrictions) so opted to use very cheap local waney edge larch.  Not that easy to fit, and it's proved to be a bit wild, in that I've needed to go up and remove a fair few ring nails (anyone know an easy way to remove these bastards?) and replace them with screws.

 

I'd have liked to have used a more tidy-looking, vertically planked, cladding, perhaps in planed cedar, but the planners (well, conservation officer) wouldn't go that far, it was either local stone cladding (ludicrously expensive) or waney edge (cheap but a bit wild and mobile).

 

When looking around I found that Vastern Timber (not who we used) were the best in terms of price and quality for planed timber cladding.  They were also very helpful the couple of times I drove up there to get samples to try and convince the planner that tidy-looking cladding would look OK.

[lizzie]

I had samples from lots of suppliers...Rustwood, Vastern, Silva, Vincent et al all were very helpful in sending me bits of wood. I had them all lined up outside for months weathering.

 

i knew I wanted vertical and I knew I wanted a hidden fixing profile.  I always intended to have cedar but just couldn't find one that was exactly 'it'.  In keeping with my house style I wanted a very crisp clean look not at all rustic..

 

One day the nice man at Vincent Timber in Birmingham sent me some random samples of his choice  (after sending me lots of my choice that were unsuitable when I got them) - he thought I might like this and bingo.......Siberian Larch with a factory applied sacrificial coating of new age gris.  I knew as soon as I saw it that it was the one for me.  I am hugely pleased with it and the service from Vincent Timber was excellent.

[Ian]

@Russell griffiths

Unless you’ve very carefully planned for ways to control the effects of shrinkage of the cladding i’d strongly recommend using seasoned timber rather than freshly sawn.

[Russell griffiths]

Thanks  both of you, we have a distinct look we are after, the picture shows a house we have based all our thoughts on. 

[Russell griffiths]

4 minutes ago, Ian said:

@Russell griffiths

Unless you’ve very carefully planned for ways to control the effects of shrinkage of the cladding i’d strongly recommend using seasoned timber rather than freshly sawn.

Thanks for that, after the visit to the local saw mill I think I have discounted that idea. Not really what we are after, but I like to use local suppliers so I thought I would have a look. 

[Ian]

@Russell griffiths

some more thoughts:

- if you’re after high quality then make sure you specify timber with no sapwood as it will not weather as well as the normal heartwood.

- consider whether you want all your timber joints to line up or whether you’re willing to accept the look of random timber lengths.

- do you want the timber to keep its original colour or are you willing to let it weather to its natural silver grey?

[Russell griffiths]

Timber will be treated with something, don’t know what yet as I want to try and replicate that picture. 

[Miek]

That picture shows some really well thought out details. Looks expensive. No knots in sight, hidden fixings, mitred corners, etc... 

 

1 hour ago, JSHarris said:

 I've needed to go up and remove a fair few ring nails (anyone know an easy way to remove these bastards?) 

There isn't one. Ring shanks hold like screws, amazing fixings. 

[lizzie]

@Russell griffiths that looks like cedar. Have you looked at Russwood.  I think they have some of the best cedar around. You need a high grade for that look.  Need to watch the colour mix too as cedar can vary a lot in the same batch.

 

If it were me I would e-mail that picture to the nice people at Russwood (after a prelim phone call ) and ask them to suggest a cladding to replicate that and send you samples.

 

Nice look btw.

Edited March 11, 2019 by lizzie

[Gone West]

13 hours ago, Russell griffiths said:

Thanks  both of you, we have a distinct look we are after, the picture shows a house we have based all our thoughts on. 

That looks like Western Red Cedar and the top grade is called "No. 2 clear and better" which is what we used. Ours came without any knots and we have left it to 'silver'. To keep the look that you want will require quite a lot of maintenance.

[Teaboy]

We bought our cedar from Brookridge Timber, we had quotes from 3 other suppliers and they had the best prices.

[K78]

I agree that looks like western red cedar. 

 

My PP specifies this for my upper floor cladding. 

 

I’m really hoping they let me change it to Siberian larch. I prefer the silver look now. 

[lizzie]

This is cedar, its carved from a log of a tree my newphew cut down somewhere in Hampshire.  It has had no treatment whatsover and is just out in the garden in a fairly exposed location. Its weathering nicely 5 years on.  

 

I went for larch cladding in the end as I saw some I fell in love with.

 

I had spent time looking at cedar cladding weathering at different points - 1 year, 2 years etc and found the uneven weathering look not what I wanted. I also looked into having it treated with siouu (?spelling) to help miniminse that.  Also the mix of colours the new cedar comes in was again not what I wanted.  Had been set on cedar (blame pinterest) until I saw my larch and that was it a coup de foudre for me.

 

I think it depends on the look you want to achieve.  If you go for a natural untreated  cedar be prepared for it to take a few years to achieve an even silver colour.

[ragg987]

We ended up with Canadian Western red Cedar, half lap, from vastern. Very helpful and good prices. Now nearly 3 years and is silvering nicely, though not completely even e.g. areas in shade are less silver.

 

As I understand it, if you want to keep that red or brown colour you have to protect it immediately and then reapply every couple of years. Seems too much faff so we used timber in the raw.

 

For a while I was hooked to the smell of the natural oils in the timber. Had to have a sniff when I walked past. Faded after a few months.

[Alexphd1]

I actually like the variation in cedar colours and random lengths. We received many samples inc many mentioned above and ended up chosen a supplier through travis perkins. They where one of the cheaper ones which was a unexpected bonus.

 

Edited April 8, 2019 by Alexphd1

[scottishjohn]

I would check to see if there is a man made type that gives you the look you want --then up keep  is zero 

[Big Jimbo]

On 07/04/2019 at 13:29, ragg987 said:

We ended up with Canadian Western red Cedar, half lap, from vastern. Very helpful and good prices. Now nearly 3 years and is silvering nicely, though not completely even e.g. areas in shade are less silver.

 

As I understand it, if you want to keep that red or brown colour you have to protect it immediately and then reapply every couple of years. Seems too much faff so we used timber in the raw.

 

For a while I was hooked to the smell of the natural oils in the timber. Had to have a sniff when I walked past. Faded after a few months.

Yeah. I get that. If i had been younger when glue sniffing started i would have joined in.

[scottishjohn]

https://www.jameshardie.co.uk/live-colourfully/warm-colours/

[Mr Punter]

I have bought some Siberian Larch from Vastern Timber near Wootton Bassett. They do other cladding as well. If you want eco, Sweet Chestnut seems the thing. If you want it to look like your picture you will be up there every 2 years coating, stripping and pampering. Probably more fun just to take on a mistress.

[Russell griffiths]

7 hours ago, scottishjohn said:

I would check to see if there is a man made type that gives you the look you want --then up keep  is zero 

Yep been looking all year, must have a dozen samples 

im afraid none of it fits the bill, if it’s man made it looks man made, nothing compares to the shade variation of natural timber. 

[scottishjohn]

2 hours ago, Russell griffiths said:

Yep been looking all year, must have a dozen samples 

im afraid none of it fits the bill, if it’s man made it looks man made, nothing compares to the shade variation of natural timber. 

Ok --then buy a truck load of preservative .lol

years ago we had a chalet park which had sweedish wood chalets and they needed treating every 4 years

the cladding was vertical and every 10ft or so   on each wall was an expansion joint 

when they needed doing you could put your fingers in the gap,or close to it 

 treat it and the gaps dissappeared

the makes was xyladecor -- very slightly tinted in colour --and was like piss,didn,t seem to have any sort of lacquer in it  --but it went on easy and just disappeared into the wood 

  it did work very well  and smelled a bit like parafin--definately not water based

 

was not cheap-- but would use it again --chalets were 30 years old when we had it and wood looked like new 

people we sold it  --did not do it so,  they have had to re-clad it some years on --and the cheap skates have used horizontal  pine ship lap instead of vertical t+g--already looks crap 

Edited April 11, 2019 by scottishjohn

[Pete]

2 hours ago, Russell griffiths said:

Yep been looking all year, must have a dozen samples 

im afraid none of it fits the bill, if it’s man made it looks man made, nothing compares to the shade variation of natural timber. 

We used Trespa Romantic Walnut for our contemporary build and we think it really works for house. It will never need any maintenance apart from a wash down now and then. Over the time we have been building and going through the process of choosing everything associated with self build we found we over thought a lot of things cause that is how it is when you have many things to choose! Then as you move on through the build and things you chose/debated months a go just blend into the house as a whole (unless it is a dolphin window blind ala @Onoff) and you hardly notice the thing in isolation.

[Russell griffiths]

@scottishjohn any idea of the treatment type, I looked at their website and there was a multitude of different products, and where did you buy it, 

cheers russ. 

[scottishjohn]

10 hours ago, Russell griffiths said:

@scottishjohn any idea of the treatment type, I looked at their website and there was a multitude of different products, and where did you buy it, 

cheers russ. 

Hi, 

yes i looked last night to see If  i could recognize the tin 

 most say they are a blend of lacquer +preservative  ,all except one which has a 7 year re treatment period ,which does not mention any lacquer in it 

I suspect it was that one , but maybe spec has changed since then ?

anything that makes a lacquer coat ,could  in time fade or go opaque  ,then need sanduing off --the stuff we used   you just put another coat on  

https://www.amazon.co.uk/XYLADECOR-Protection-Choose-Container-Colour/dp/B004XBO8JQ/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=xyladecor%2Bdauerschutz&qid=1555054959&s=diy&sr=1-1-fkmrnull&th=1

but i would check with ako -nobel tech  department .

 where did we buy it? --- come on now thats over 20 years ago  ..LOL

was no internet then    .

I remember it was over £20 a gallon then  and a chalet took 3  tins to do 

watch out for the drips  on the concrete  .

we were lucky all chalets were surrounded by grass   --

 

Edited April 12, 2019 by scottishjohn