Wondering which house cladding material is best for a timber frame home? Cladding plays a crucial role in both the aesthetics and performance a finished house. With a variety of characterful materials available in a range of shades, finishes and laying patterns, you’re certain to find an exterior solution that balances these factors with your
The post Timber Frame Cladding Options Explained – Which is Best for Your Timber Frame Self Build? appeared first on Build It.
Wondering which house cladding material is best for a timber frame home? Cladding plays a crucial role in both the aesthetics and performance a finished house. With a variety of characterful materials available in a range of shades, finishes and laying patterns, you’re certain to find an exterior solution that balances these factors with your project budget, location and other considerations. Designing this element alongside your structural plans is key for ensuring you can achieve great results, potentially using a combination of quality materials.
When specifying your exterior finish, core considerations include durability, breathability, thermal performance, aesthetics and cost. Like most construction approaches, timber frame homes need a cladding system that allows moisture to escape, while protecting the structure from the elements. Maintenance requirements, installation complexity and sustainability credentials should also be factored into your final decision.
Ultimately, finding the most appropriate exterior material will enhance your home’s character while providing long-term protection. Whether you prefer a rustic, natural look or a sleek, modern design, there’s a cladding option to suit your needs. Here I’m taking a look at the most popular house cladding options for timber frame homes, including:
- Timber cladding
- Stone cladding
- Tudor-style boards
- Bricks & brick slips
- Standing seam zinc
- Render
- Timber shingles
- Metal cladding
- Fibre cement cladding
Jump to timber frame cladding FAQs
Wood cladding options for timber frame homes
There are plenty of different types of timber cladding systems on the market, with a plethora of species, treatments and finishes to choose from. The options can be broken down into: hardwood, softwood and engineered wood.
Hardwood cladding
In terms of hardwood, oak is a classic choice in the UK. Thanks to its hardiness, it can be left untreated and will develop an attractive silvery patina over time. If you prefer, the wood’s original honey-coloured hue can be retained by applying a protective coating every couple of years. Depending on its level of exposure to the elements and the maintenance routine followed, oak cladding can last up to 100 years.
Engineered cladding
Engineered cladding solutions such as Accoya, Kebony and Vastern’s Brimstone range are all products that undergo a process to render them more dimensionally stable. As a result, they bear similar characteristics to hardwood products in terms of their durability.
Some of these claddings are treated at high temperatures to remove moisture and resins that make the wood less structurally sound (thermally modified), whereas others are infused with non-toxic chemicals to increase their durability (chemically modified).
Softwood cladding
Larch and cedar are among the most popular softwood cladding options in the UK. High-quality larch products tend to feature few knots, which makes them well-suited to crisp, machine-cut finishes on contemporary new homes. Available in a range of colours and grades, larch cladding lasts between 30 and 50 years. Cedar provides a clean, knot-free aesthetic and is naturally resistant to decay. Well-maintained cedar cladding can last 50+ years, depending on its level of exposure to the elements.
Photo: Martin Gardner
AR Design Studio won the 2023 Build It Award for Best Timber Frame Home with their outstanding project Woodland House (above), which has championed the advantages of timber frame construction to create a distinctive home. Millworks provided the Charcoal Black Siberan Larch for the exterior, which has been finished with their Millcoat factory coating for enhanced performance and increased UV protection.
How is wood cladding secured to a timber frame structure?
“A common approach is to fix cladding boards to treated timber battens, using either visible or concealed screws,” says Steven Newman, founder of Millworks. “The battens form an important part of the overall system, so their expected service life should be appropriate to the durability of the timber cladding. There is little benefit in specifying highly durable timber if the supporting components behind it are likely to require replacement sooner. For a fully concealed solution, a dedicated fixing system can be used, leaving the face completely free from fixings. The exact method you choose will vary based on the finish you want.”
This illustration from the Timber Decking & Cladding Association shows cross-battening being used to fix vertical tongue-and-groove wood boards
The post Timber Frame Cladding Options Explained – Which is Best for Your Timber Frame Self Build? appeared first on Build It.