Which Timber weatherboard is Best for your project?

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Although we think Redwood is the best for all premium homes cladding, we feel it worth mentioning some of your other options.

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Californian Redwood.

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Considered as the benchmark in appearance grade timber more stable and durable than most timbers including cedar. Being Locally grown it is very good value for a premium option. It is naturally weather and bug resistant requiring no toxic chemical treatment.   

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• The premium grade has a stunning knot-free ‘clean’ appearance

• Stunning Red colour

• medium / fine grained

• Excellent Durability - Natural resistance to decay and moisture absorption

• High Stability -  the most stable of the softwoods, very little movement, cupping or shrinkage when installed.

• Readily takes on stains with no resin issues.

• Locally grown

​DOUGLAS FIR

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Douglas fir is another good softwood, grown locally in New Zealand and sourced from Canada and the USA. Europe grown Douglas fir may require a protective coating to improve durability.

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• The premium grade has  ‘clean’ appearance

• yellowish/ white

• medium / fine grained

• Natural resistance to decay and moisture absorption

• High Stability - Subject to little movement, cupping or shrinkage when installed.

• Readily takes on stains some resin

• Locally grown and imported

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SIBERIAN LARCH

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Siberian Larch is a  denser timber making it more resilient to knocks. It’s available in varying grades — the higher (quality) grades tend to contain fewer knots. 

 

• Knotty appearance

• Cream/ light brown

• fine grained

• Moderate natural durability

• Low/medium stability timber - movement and cupping can occur 

• Larch can however lose resin once installed, making it unsuitable with some finishes.

• Imported

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WESTERN RED CEDAR 

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A beautiful appearance grade timber with fine grains. Stable and naturally durable imported timber. Due to demand and importing costs this is a highly expensive cladding option.

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• Premium grades a clean knot free appearance

• Reddish brown

• fine grained

• Excellent natural durability

• medium/ high stability timber - cupping can occur 

• Cedar is a highly resinous timber which is why its durable. However the resin will bleed through waterborne primers and paints making it unsuitable with some finishes.

• Imported

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Low-Maintenance Timber Cladding Advice on low-maintenance options

 

Redwood and thermally modified timber are less likely to move and allow you to use a more delicate joint. All wood will weather and go silver over time unless it is treated, but treatment adds to the upkeep of your cladding.

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Osmo provides a UV protection oil which will slow down the weathering process, but their clear version is less resistant to UV. The pigmented versions perform better, but change the colour of your wood.

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Sioo offers a product which accelerates the weathering process to turn the timber a pale silver. This means that you can ‘even out’ the silvering on different elevations, as they would otherwise naturally weather at different rates.

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The alternatives

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Shakes and shingles are made from split logs and have an appearance more like timber tiles than boards. Although similar, shingles were originally sawn from a block, whilst shakes were split off using a chisel and mallet. Shingles tend to look neater and more precise than shakes, which give a more rustic appearance. As a cladding material they look fantastic on both contemporary and traditional homes. Shakes usually made from New Zealand Redwood, gives them good durability, and can also be supplied pressure treated with preservative for enhanced protection. In some areas, shakes or shingles are made from pine.

 

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Laying Styles

 

SQUARE EDGE
This type of boarding has a uniform thickness, usually between 12-18mm, whilst widths of boards vary from 125mm to 225mm. Many fibre cement boards are square edge.

 

FEATHER EDGE
Boards are tapered across their width. This style of board produces a rustic, rural appearance that is perfect for more traditional homes, or barn-style self-builds.

 

SHIPLAP
Shiplap has a shaped front face and profile so that the top of each board fits behind the bottom edge of the adjacent board. It gives a neat finish. Moulded PVC boards are often avialable in this style.

 

TONGUE & GROOVE

These produce a uniform look that suits contemporary houses. They have a flat face and in the absence of any overlapping, rain is kept out by the way the groove covers the tongue of the board below.

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Fixing

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Horizontally mounted boards are preferable to vertically mounted ones as they produce greater resistance to moisture penetration. In cases where vertical weatherboarding is used, the overlap should face away from the prevailing wind.

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If you’re going for a style where the boards overlap, they should do so by 30mm. Boards are fixed to battens, which should measure 50mm deep and be spaced at a maximum distance of 600mm centres. Battens should be fixed to a breather membrane or vapour barrier.

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When fixing the battens, start from the bottom up and leave a distance of 150mm between the bottom edge of the weatherboarding and the ground. Each board should be fixed to at least three battens to ensure stability.