Fascia, Trims and Boarding for Timber Cladding
The exterior of any building is made up of many components, each with their own individual purpose. As well as providing protection, fascia, trims and boarding can provide a seamless connection between the bricks and mortar and other features of your building, such as its windows. Alternatively, they can provide the opportunity to add character. Whatever your preference, these elements can have a huge impact on the overall appearance of your home or building and the importance of understanding your options is not to be underestimated.
What are Fascia, Trims and Boarding?
Fascia
Fascias are a specific type of trim found on most modern homes just below the roofline. They are long, straight, horizontal boards that can be used to support guttering as well as to close the gaps between the building walls and its roof.
Trims
A trim refers to the material used to edge any external features of a building. They can be a combination of horizontal and vertical boards used to encase elements of the building, commonly window and door frames.
Boarding
This is a loose term used to describe material that is likely to be thicker than trims, but with the same purpose of covering, or connecting features. For example, a soffit board sits below a fascia board to close the gap between the fascia and the external wall. A bargeboard is a specific type of fascia board but one that is fixed to the diagonal edge of the roof. There are many more, but most are made from a few common materials.
Types of Material
There are a few different options for the types of materials you can use for fascia, trims and boarding. Composite sits at the top end in terms of outlay costs, with UPVC and PVC becoming a relatively recent option with good affordability for their durability. Wood on the other hand, has been around for many decades and has remained a hugely popular choice, and with good reason. Here at NORclad, we are passionate about wood as one of nature’s finest materials, so perhaps it comes as no surprise that our guide to fascia, trims and boarding revolves around this material. To help you understand more about whether wood is the right choice for your building, read on!
Benefits of Using Wood for your Fascia, Trims and Boarding
Protection
One of the biggest reasons for using fascia, trims and boarding is to offer protection. Whether this is from the elements, or from birds and other debris getting into the roof or loft space of your building, wood provides an incredibly durable option. Some wood has incredible natural resistance to the elements, and this can be further improved by appropriately treating the wood prior to outdoor use. If treated with the NORclad Brunnea, or NORclad lite preservative treatment, and maintained effectively, wooden fascia, trims and boarding can offer protection for 30 years.
Kerb Appeal
The fascia, trims and boarding on your home or property play an important role in the appearance of an all-round finished look. The boost in kerb appeal makes your choice for fascia, trims and boarding that complement your home an important one.
Style
As a material, whatever its purpose, wood is often thought of as a traditional and rustic style, which adds an element of charm that certainly appeals to many. That said, wood can also be used to give your home a contemporary, modern appearance, particularly when it is being used alongside the ‘wow factor’ of exterior timber cladding. If timber cladding is something you already have, or hope to have in the future, then using wood for your fascia, trims and boarding is a great way to complement the style of your home or building.
Customisable
Whatever your style preference, the fact that wood is incredibly versatile gives you the opportunity to customise your fascia, trims and boarding to suit your every need. From the type of wood, to the colour and the profile of the wood, the appearance can be customised to suit almost any desire. Perhaps you’d prefer them to fit in seamlessly with the rest of your building, or would you prefer them to stand out as a feature in themselves. In comparison to composite fascia, trims and boarding, which can’t be painted, the fact that wood can, offers you the potential to create the appearance you desire. Plus, it can be changed over time without having to replace everything should your preference change with new trends.
Affordability
One of the great benefits of using wood for any part of your home is that it is a suitable option for a large range of budgets. The type of wood you choose can have a big impact on cost and doesn’t necessarily mean compromising on quality, you just need to ensure you are clued up on how to maintain and prolong the lifespan of the species you choose. Using wood also offers you easy repairs, should a piece unfortunately get damaged, which is much more costly with composite materials. Being smart about your decisions is key to getting your fascia, trims and boarding needs met at a price you can afford.
Sustainable
Now, more than ever, we should be making every effort to use materials for our needs that are sustainable. As one of the world’s truly natural and renewable resources, using wood for your fascia, trims and boarding is a great option to help protect our planet. Before you make any purchase, make sure you check the environmental credentials to ensure the wood has been sourced sustainably, and carries either PEFC, and/ or FSC certification.
Other Factors to Consider
Type of Wood
Fascia, trims and boarding are available in a variety of different wood species with both hardwoods and softwoods being an option. The type of wood you choose is important, not only for the initial cost, but also in understanding how best to care and maintain its quality and durability. Ideally, if budget allows, you want to pick a species that offers a natural durability, the other option is to have the timber preservative treated, with either NORclad Brunnea, or NORclad Lite.
When it comes to types of timber, here at NORclad, we have a range of wood species available for your timber needs and can offer expert advice on the different species of wood available, allowing you to make the best choice for your budget.
Maintenance
It is important to remember that although wood provides a water-resistant option for your fascia, trims and boarding, as a material it is not entirely waterproof and it will naturally age, which could include rot and warping. Thankfully, there are many ways we can treat and care for the wood to increase its natural resilience to the elements and prolong its lifespan. Simply painting the wood can help to protect it but you should also speak to your supplier to ask about the recommended maintenance plan for the type of wood you choose to ensure you are equipped with the best knowledge, and most suitable product for your project, and needs.
Learn More from NORclad
As with any decision, having choice gives you the opportunity to find a solution that best meets the individual requirements of your home or building. Weighing up the pros and cons for the type of material you use for your fascia, trims and boarding is worth dedicating time to, especially given the impact it can have on the overall appearance of your home or building.
If wood inspires you, like it does us, to add impressive and attractive design features to your home and building, here at NORclad we have over 40 years’ experience in providing leading timber cladding solutions. We work with architects, designers, specifiers, contractors, developers and more to offer a professional service that covers your every need. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with a member of our expert team to find out more.
