Timber Cladding installation has standard good practice guidelines that need to be followed to ensure optimum performance and to get the best aesthetic benefits from the exterior cladding or weatherboarding. In this article we highlight the key requirements for timber cladding installation.
Timber Focus are leading suppliers of Timber Cladding with a wide range of species and products supplied such as;
- Siberian Larch Heartwood,
- SertiWOOD Cedar- Clear Durable Hardwood Cladding a clear modified hardwood a good alternative to Western red Cedar
- Painted Timber Cladding, profiles, featheredge
- Fire Retardant Cladding,
- Shou Sugi Ban – Charred burnt, blackened timber
- Thermowood Cladding,
- Spruce Whitewood Cladding,
- Redwood Pine Cladding,
- Western Red Cedar Cladding,
- Sweet Chestnut Cladding,
- European Oak Cladding,
- Accoya Cladding,
- Sapele Utile Cladding
- Ayous Cladding
- Andira Cladding
- Iroko Cladding
- Scottish Larch Cladding etc
Timber Focus supplies the cladding in various patterns or designs such as sawn to size, machined to profile Square edge, Shiplap, tongue and groove, board on board, rainscreen or waney edge etc. They value sustainability, and as an organisation they are FSC, and PEFC Certified aiming to supply all our products from sustainable sources.
Timber Focus offers cladding specification and samples service for any timber cladding project as a free service nationwide. The Timber Focus Technical Cladding Team provides support for both external wall cladding and internal cladding.
External Timber Cladding Installation Instructions. Timber Focus strongly recommends that Qualified Professionals undertake the installation of cladding products.
Breather Membranes
Membranes to be used on all timber rainscreen wall cladding namely;-
- UV Facade membrane to be used on open jointed cladding.
- Normal BBA approved breathable membrane to be used on closed rainscreen cladding.
Insect Mesh ·
Install Insect mesh around all open cavities.
Timber Cladding Support Battens
- All battens to be treated to UC3, all cut ends to be treated on site.
- Vertical cladding to be supported with 45x45mm treated battens with a minimum 15degree slope or bevel to allow for water runoff away from the cladding.
- Horizontal battens to be minimum 38x50mm. · Recommended spacing of battens should be 450mm centres and not exceed 600mm centres.
- Ensure sufficient space behind the cladding for ventilation and drainage.
Fixings – Nails and Screw sizes
- Stainless Steel fixings type 304, or 316 near coastal areas.
- All nails to be annular ring shanks, minimum 50mm for 16-20mm thick board, or the nail length to achieve a point side penetration of 2 ½ times the thickness of the cladding board into the batten.
- Minimum 2 face fixings required for boards up to 150mm wide and additional fixings for wider sections. We recommend maximum board widths of 150mm to reduce overall shrinkage or swelling.
- Fix nails or screws approx. 20mm from the end and edge, avoiding splitting of the boards.
Some timbers require predrilling, refer to CE Marking and DOP – downloadable copies are
- Do not secret fix through the tongue or groove. · All fixings to lay flush with the surface of the cladding.
- Fix the cladding, ideally, at 450mm maximum centres.
Board Configuration and Layout
- For horizontal rainscreen the Grooves need to be to the bottom to minimise the collection of water or pollutants.
- Vertical Claddings need to be chamfered at the ends for drainage into the cavity.
- Minimum 2mm gaps should be left around the boards for expansion, larger gaps to be left for differential movement, especially in timber frame constructions.
- Allow between 6mm to 10mm for drainage gaps on corner profiles, ends, sides or other materials (check the compatibility of the cladding with other materials in the construction, to avoid/minimise corrosion and staining).
- Cladding to be installed at least 250mm above ground level.
- Store cladding away from direct sunlight, rain etc before installation or during acclimatising to minimise the risk of splitting, checking or distortion.
Finger-Jointed Cladding All finger jointed cladding is not supplied for load bearing, please ensure an external quality coating is applied and maintained to ensure you achieve optimum service life from the glue lines.
Waney Edge Cladding We recommend treatment for waney edged cladding due to the presence of bark and sap if ordered untreated.
Factory Finished / Coated Claddings
Always keep separating membranes between the layers during handling and transit to protect damage to the lacquer and sticking to surfaces. It is important to follow applied product manufactures guidelines due to the large variety of finishes, coatings and treatments available.
Ensure all edges and sides are sealed prior to installation, including any fixing holes.
All factory finished products need minimum annual maintenance i.e. to clean surfaces any pollutants moreover touch up for any degradation.
General Maintenance Comments;-
Timber will weather, oxidise and is susceptible to fungal / mould staining if unprotected or untreated, changing the aesthetics of the timber. During the early weathering process the timber surface may also show signs of variations in colour, which should gradually even out, this depends on exposure. Colour variation in wood is an inherent characteristic of wood i.e. Between and within board variation of colour should be expected in wood. We provide a sample service upon request to help in the selection of cladding species. Annual maintenance is recommended; i.e. basic care and maintenance for uncoated or untreated wood, depending on the type of pollution present, would be to wash off with water (do not flood), or sand it off. Bleaching can also be used to help remove stains. The above are general guidelines but cover some of the key aspects, as every project needs to be considered individually. All products offered above are available from Timber Focus and, for detailed timber cladding fitting instructions, copies of BM TRADAs External Timber Cladding installation manual are available to purchase from Timber Focus. Please feel free to download our cladding brochure from the downloads section of our website at https://www.timberfocus.com/downloads/
For more information contact
Timber Focus Ltd / Puidukoda (HEAD OFFICE)
3000 Aviator Way
Manchester Business Park
Manchester
M22 5TG
Tel: 0161 504 0011
Fax: 0161 240 3611
Email: info@timberfocus.com
