How Expensive is Timber Cladding?

Timber cladding is naturally durable and better at retaining heat than cladding made of other materials, such as stone, UPVC or metal, and, due the versatility of its design, from wood species, to profile, it means you have a range of aesthetics to choose from that best suit your home.

However, the big question is this: how expensive is timber cladding?

Our experts have compiled this short guide to answer any questions you may have about the varying factors that impact the cost of timber cladding.

Species

Your choice of wood depends on the look and performance you want. Milled with contemporary, planed or rustic sawn finish. The most common types of wood available for timber cladding are oak, larch and red Cedar.

Whatever species you choose for your property, there are benefits for each:

  • Oak – Oak is a hardwood, one of the more expensive option for timber cladding. This is a great option if you want a traditional look for your property, because left without a coating, oak will gradually fade to a silvery-grey colour.
  • Canadian Western Red Cedar – Cedar is a softwood, and one of the most stable available. It is naturally resistant to decay meaning that it can also be left with minimal maintenance and last for years. It is also quite striking in appearance and can be stained to preserve its colour if desired.
  • Siberian Larch – Larch is a lower cost softwood VS say Canadian Western Red Cedar, making it a popular choice. It is also denser in comparison to cedar, which makes it more resilient to knocks and dents.
  • Thermowood – When it comes to choosing species, you may opt instead for Thermowood. Thermowood is created when pine or spruce receive heat treatment (temperatures exceeding 200 degrees Centigrade), which changes the chemicals and structure inside the timber, improving its stability and thermal insulation properties, making it ideal for external cladding.

Profile

If you have been browsing for timber cladding, you’ve probably seen the word ‘profile’ mentioned a lot.

The ‘profile’ of your timber cladding means the way that the wood boarding is layered and assembled, contributing to the overall appearance.

Certain profiles are used to achieve different aesthetics; it depends entirely on the look you want for your property.

Some profiles are also designed for horizontal or vertical application. All contribute to either a modern or traditional look for your home. For each look you may want to consider the following profile types:

Modern/ Contemporary

  • Tongue & Groove
  • Square Edge Boarding

Traditional

  • Feather edge
  • Waney lap
  • Shiplap

Size of the Project

The cost of cladding also depends on how many wood boards are needed for your property. The larger the property, the more wood boards you will need to purchase in order to clad it.

It also depends on the look you want for the building.

Some property owners opt to have only one of the walls of their building clad, for a sleeker modern look, while others prefer the look of the whole building to be timber clad.

Installation

There are additional factors to consider when it comes to the cost of timber cladding installation that are separate to the purchase of the wood boards. These include the costs of hiring labour, skips and scaffolding.

Skip Hire

Hiring a skip is necessary if you are removing pre-existing cladding to replace it, or need to dispose of any other waste that may come from the exterior of your property.

Scaffolding

Scaffolding is crucial when it comes to cladding installation. The company you hire to will need to have scaffolding set up around your property, to use as a platform to work from in order to carry out the installation.

Treatments and coatings

Treatments can be applied to whichever species of wood you choose to clad your building in, reducing the need for maintenance in the future. Without treatments, your cladding may be susceptible to wood boring beetles, fungal decay..

There are also benefits to adding coatings or treatments to your timber cladding, such as NORclad Brunnea and Lite Treatment, which offer a formal 30 year warranty against rot & fungal decay, whilst the Brunnea product also contains a brown pigment. This brown pigment offers and element of colour stability.

How Long Does Timber Cladding Last?

While some species of wood are more durable than others, the longevity of your timber cladding can always be improved with treatments, and through maintenance and coatings, quality timber cladding can last from 30+ years. Factors such as design, installation, and ongoing maintenance cycles will all have an impact on just how your timber cladding performs long term.

Timber Cladding Solutions from NORclad

At NORclad, we have over 40 years of experiencing manufacturing an extensive range of timber cladding solutions.

For more information on our cladding services, don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of our team. We’re on hand to deliver to deliver an accurate (and free!), no obligation quote for all your timber cladding needs.

Learn More with NORclad

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