Cedar cladding on houses: House Cladding – Everything You Need to Know About Timber Cladding Your House

House Cladding – Everything You Need to Know About Timber Cladding Your House

If you’re looking to revamp the exterior of your house, then you’ve come to the right place. Here we’ve put together a handy guide explaining everything you need to know about house timber cladding, including its benefits, some of the best species to use and how to receive the best price.

For help selecting the very best timber cladding for your home, get in touch with our expert team here at NORclad. We can help guide you through all sorts of timber cladding and ensure you find the right one for your specific project.

What is Cladding on a House?

Cladding refers to the process of applying an extra layer to the outside of a building, helping to protect the wall underneath as well as create a more beautiful appearance. A range of materials can be used for cladding, including timber, brick slips, PVC, stone, rainscreen/curtain walling, metal, glass and more.

House cladding provides a whole host of benefits and can be used for a variety of projects. Cladding can be used both internally and externally.

Benefits of Timber Cladding

Timber cladding has become incredibly popular with architects, designers and construction firms in recent years. It’s ability to create economic and attractive buildings has made it the go-to material for those wanting to transform the exterior appearance of their home.

The material offers a range of unique benefits:

Timber is a renewable resource.
Stunning, natural material which is attractive in both grain and colour, significantly enhancing the aesthetics of your house.
Environmentally friendly – low carbon footprint and can be recycled at the end of its life.
Lightweight but strong.
Extremely durable (those with lower durability can be easily improved with preservatives or through wood modification techniques).
Outstanding thermal and sound insulation properties.

External Timber Cladding Materials for Houses

Using exterior timber cladding can help give old buildings new life or be used to create stunning new builds. Designers may opt to clad the whole building in timber or use it to create a striking façade or feature wall. Timber used to clad the outside of a home or building can be vertical, horizonal or even diagonal. The properties of timber mean that it is easy to work with and all sorts of design features are possible.

Not all timber is the same. There’s a wide range of species out there, all of which provide slightly different finishes and styles, so it’s important you choose the material most suited to your project and vision. Prices vary widely, so remember that your budget will also impact which material you’re able to utilise.

For help selecting the right external timber cladding for your home or building, get in touch with our expert team here at NORclad for bespoke recommendations and advice.

Below we’ve listed and explained some of our favourite house cladding timber species:

European Redwood NORclad “Brunnea” Treated

European Redwood (otherwise known as Scots Pine and Scandinavian Redwood) is a specie we frequently use on house timber cladding projects. It’s well-known for its light colour and is one of the more cost efficient species available. In its natural state it is not the most durable softwood specie available. However, we are able to offer a 30-year warranty against rot and fungal decay once it’s been treated with NORclad Brunea.

Canadian Western Red Cedar

Originating from FSC-certified forests in Canada, Canadian Western Red Cedar is usually the preferred specie for those who want superior thermal characteristics. It’s unrivalled in many of its properties and is regarded highly for its durability, variance in colour which can range from salmon pink, to dark brown, also its resistance to decay.

A cedar cladding house will undoubtedly create a wow factor for any building.

House Cladding Case Studies

Here at NORclad, we specialise in cladding houses across the UK with the best quality timber. We’ve worked on a wide range of projects and love helping our clients’ imagination come to life. Here’s just a selection of the type of projects we’ve completed, but be sure to view our full range of case studies to get an even wider idea of the type of work we can conduct.

Private Home, Bristol

Kuratau Holiday Home

Glenview Farm

Skyridge

The Paintworks, Bristol

Tips for Cladding your House

We highly recommend that you visit timber clad houses to get an understanding of the different possibilities. You need to select a solution and effect that fit your home, so as well as looking through our case studies, try to visit and view a range of timber clad properties. Evaluate what you do and don’t like so that you can clearly explain to your cladding supplier just how you envisage your project to be completed.

House Cladding Cost

The cost of cladding a house will vary on a multitude of factors. For the best and most accurate house cladding prices, it’s advised that you get a quote from our experienced cladding specialists. No two projects are the same, and the cost will vary depending on the specie you intend to use, the size of your property and so on.

Our experts will take into consideration all the essential information to ensure you receive a competitive price. We have over 40 years of experience in the cladding industry and are committed to delivering projects to the highest standard.

Get Started with NORclad

To find out more about applying timber cladding to your house, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us here at NORclad today. We’d be more than happy to provide some of our personal recommendations based on what you’re trying to achieve in design and purpose.

We believe that timber cladding is the ideal solution for anyone wanting to modernise their home.

See more: How to Use Timber Cladding for a Modern Building

See more: How to Install Timber Cladding

To learn more about NORclad®, our approach and our products, simply get in touch with us today.

Get In Touch

Use our online tool to generate a quote for your project and we’ll get back to you right away.

Get a Quote

If you’re stuck for inspiration and want to see working examples of our expertise, feel free to browse through our case studies.

Our Case Studies

If your next project requires high-quality timber cladding and unrivalled industry expertise, then speak to a member of the NORclad team today.

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House cladding ideas | loveproperty.

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House cladding ideas | loveproperty.com

House cladding ideas

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Give your house kerb appeal

NedZink

Whether you want to give your home a facelift, protect it from the elements or add energy-saving insulation, there are so many types of cladding to consider. From ancient wood-working techniques to amazing new materials, we take a look at the options available and highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Cedar cladding

Jodie Johnson/Shutterstock

Not only does cedar cladding look great, it is also an effective insulator so it will reduce your energy bills and help your home to retain its heat in winter and stay cool in the summer months. The easy-to-install softwood can be stained any colour, but it’s perfectly lovely left its natural rich red, which will fade down to a silvery grey over time. To increase its durability, it’s worth sealing cedar wood against water ingress and to protect it from mould and algae.

Larch cladding

Soundsnaps/Shutterstock

Larch wood has a rich dark grain, comes in shades of reds through to golden browns and it gains a silvery hue as it ages, which is part of its charm. Larch is a softwood that contains a natural protective resin that gives it a strong resistance to rot and decay. It can be left untreated, but to protect its original colouring and enhance its durability, treating is recommended.

Painted wooden cladding

V J Matthew/Shutterstock

Painted wooden cladding does look quaint and when you tire of the colour you can give your home a mini-makeover and repaint it in a fresh new shade. To stop the wood from rotting and being eaten away by pests it will need to be regularly treated and repainted every few years, which can prove quite expensive in the long term.

Black charred wood cladding

Urban Front

The use of charred timber as a building material is an ancient Japanese technique also known as Shou Sugi Ban and Yakisugi. It is now being offered in many finishes from traditional to modern. The charred surface not only looks striking, but it should also be rot, weather, UV, and fire resistant. Pests don’t like the charred layer either so it deters them, too. Available in soft and hard woods it’s not cheap, but after the initial outlay it requires no further maintenance.

Contemporary faux stone cladding

Dekton®

The ultra-compact surface known as Dekton is produced using a high-tech process that reproduces the metamorphic change that natural stone undergoes when subjected to high temperatures and pressure over thousands of years. The resulting material is watertight and UV, ice, heat and scratch resistant. It’s also fireproof and can be used for flooring and worktops, as well as cladding.

Man-made marble cladding

Dekton®

This high-tech marble substitute comes in large sheets, which makes it relatively easy to install, and a range of natural stone-inspired colours. This house has been covered in a composite inspired by Calacatta and Carrara marble. Unlike actual marble, this effect can be engineered to match the veins so that they run from slab to slab. This isn’t a cheap application, but it’s very effective on contemporary architecture.

Fibre cement cladding

James Hardie®

Fibre cement board is made from a mix of cellulose, fillers and fibres, water and cement. This high-end product is available in a selection of shades or it can be painted to get an exact colour match. The cladding on these colourful houses has been shaped to appear like planks, which are impact, fire, mould, moisture and insect resistant. They are also impervious to the weather and shouldn’t crack, swell or warp like wood.

Metal cladding

philip openshaw/Shutterstock

Available in many colours, textures and styles, metal cladding is generally used on industrial and office buildings, but it can be used on residential properties. It is most commonly crafted from aluminium or steel. Steel is the tougher of the two and less likely to mark, but aluminium is easier to install because it’s lighter. Both normally come coated with a weatherproof topcoat, which makes them pretty low maintenance.

Wooden cladding: Oak

Hartwood Oak

Wood is a natural insulator and if it’s treated and maintained correctly it can last for years. This oak cladding has a pale golden colour that will silver over time. Be aware that all wooden cladding changes colour as it weathers so be sure to research other projects to see how the wood will look in a few years. If it’s sourced from a sustainable forest it is also environmentally friendly. Softwoods are cheaper than hardwoods, but they are not quite as durable and generally require more maintenance. For a period feel, lay the wood horizontally. Contemporary styles tend to favour vertical fixing.

Charred accoya cladding

Delta Millworks

Sustainable Accoya wood (also know as acetylated wood) is a hardwood that has had its cellular structure altered to make it rot-proof and water repellent; meaning cladding joints do not open, tolerances remain tight and twist is prevented. Hardwearing, low-maintenance and non-toxic, Accoya wood also offers superior stability making it an ideal material for exterior cladding applications. In this house clad by US firm Delta Millworks, the wood has been charred using the Japanese technique Shou Sugi Ban, which actually makes the wood more fire retardant and gives it a beautiful black appearance.

Traditional stone cladding

Ewelina Wachala / Shutterstock

This might look like a traditional solid stone wall, but it is actually created using a veneer. Stone cladding is pasted to the wall much like traditional tiles would be in your bathroom. By changing the windows and doors in your home and adding stone cladding it’s possible to completely change the look and feel of your home from a modern to a period-style house. Once it’s fitted it requires no further maintenance and adds a layer of insulation to your property.

Contemporary stone cladding

Wearedesignbureau

Stone cladding is now available in a variety of finishes, colours and sizes. Just as it can be used to turn a new-build into a period-style property, it can also be used to dress a building so that it becomes more contemporary in feel. Here, it has been used to create a feature out of vertical sections of the building to add contrast and texture. The wall surface behind the wall being stone clad will need to be treated with a water-proofing material to stop damp penetration.

Brick slips

Brick slips are similar to stone cladding. They are thin brick tiles rarely thicker than 2cm in depth and when laid across a building they look exactly like a solid brick wall. They are fixed with adhesive and then pointed in the same way as traditional bricks. They are available in all standard brick colours and can be used to give a whole home a period makeover. They are generally more expensive than a standard brick though.

Thermowood cladding

Aketuri Architektai

Thermowood is created by applying heat and steam to wood to make it more stable and resistant to decay and an enhanced insulator. It’s becoming an increasingly popular choice for house cladding. Thermowood’s natural brown colour will turn silver over time when exposed to strong sunlight, but if you don’t want this silvering effect a treatment can be applied to retain its colouring.

Hanging clay tiles

MarleyEternit

Tile hanging is thought to have originated in 17th century England to provide additional weather protection to the thin wattle and daub walls commonly used for building at that time but here it has been used to give a contemporary home a rich colour and character. Created using roof tiles, it enables water to run quickly off the sides of buildings and adds additional visual interest to your walls. As each of the tiles are hung on the wall individually, it is not a cheap solution.

Waney-edge cladding

Whippletree

This rustic wooden cladding is a traditional technique that overlaps planks cut straight from the tree, still bearing a line of bark down one side. Deployed as a means of protecting buildings since the 16th century, boards of larch or elm wood were often painting in a black layer of bitumen to make them water and weatherproof.

UPVC cladding

National Plastics

Unplasticised polyvinyl chloride or UPVC cladding is designed to look as close as possible to painted wooden cladding. With the more expensive UPVC cladding products it’s hard to tell the plastic apart from the real thing without seeing it up close. It’s cheaper to buy and install than wood, needs no maintenance and won’t rot or corrode. Dirt does collect on it though so it will need a wash down every few years. Being plastic, UPVC cladding can be moulded into many different incarnations. Is is also available in a variety of colours, although white is normally the cheapest. While shiplap is the most popular arrangement of it, open-v, feather edge and herringbone are also common fixing patterns. For a more contemporary look it is often laid vertically.

Wooden shingles and shakes

Silva Timber

Fixed like roof tiles, thin tapered pieces of wood shingles and shakes are one of the oldest forms of cladding. A shingle is sawn on both sides and is thinner at one end than a shake. A shake is generally split on one or both sides. Common in the United States, both are natural insulators and resistant to strong winds. They are expensive to install and require regular maintenance to keep them in good condition and resistant to rot, but the resulting aesthetic makes it worth

Painted render

K Rend

You can cover over traditional brick or breeze block walls with render, which is essentially a plaster designed for external walls. This extra layer of coating will be an additional insulator, it will help to protect your property from damp and the effects of weather and it can be painted. This gives you the opportunity to really make your home stand out from the rest by painting it in a vibrant shade as shown here. Or you could go for a more natural white or cream or an on-trend grey.

Pre-coloured render

K Rend

The latest technology has made it possible to create coloured render. This is a more expensive process than standard rendering, but it avoids the need for additional painting on top, which would need reapplying every few years. A silicone roughcast render was applied to this property in Polar White but there are a range of colours available including taupes, yellows and greens. Silicone renders have a high degree of water repellency and they offer increased resistance against algae growth and lime bloom

Metal standing seam cladding

NedZink Noir

The biggest trend for modern homes is to combine a number of cladding finishes, such as this beautiful home that uses a metal cladding with a vertical join that’s known as a standing seam, clean white render and a contemporary stone on the chimney’s external flue.

27 March 2018

Homes

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Houses With Black Cladding That Are in Harmony With their Surroundings

By Vera Dordick | Published on May 2, 2019

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A house with a black exterior is like a little black cocktail dress: Suitable for any occasion or location. Seaside, tucked away in the mountains or elsewhere, a home with black cladding will never shrink into the background.

It stands out against the landscape, almost as an extension of the dark earth. Infused with drama by their nature, houses clad in black raise the anticipation of what will be found inside, which is most often light and airy interior, quite the antithesis of the dark exterior.

There are many ways to execute a black modern house in a way that unites the design with its surroundings, as these Canadian homes exemplify:

Remote Three-Season Lake House

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Rising from the decay of a previous family getaway, this house clad in black was designed by Kariouk Associates of Ladysmith, Canada. The home sits beside a remote, private lake on the exact spot where the previous house was. Meant for use during three seasons, the house was designed with an open plan, using prefabricated parts to keep down the cost of building in a remote locale. A steel-post foundation supports the shell made of CLT panels and the entire structure was assembled in less than two days. Inside, surfaces of natural wood make a warm and welcoming interior and plentiful windows offer spectacular views of the lake and woods.

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Cantilevered Design for a Rugged Landscape

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Located in the woods of Quebec’s Eastern Townships, this home, clad in black vertical planks, has a sensibility that fits in with the jutting, rugged and rocky landscape. Designed by NatureHumaine Architecture Design, the house features what looks like stacked elements that are joined in the middle by a kitchen and master bathroom that divide the living space from the bedroom. The part with black wood has a section that cantilevers the main floor and its gabled roof makes it feel as if it is soaring into the trees. A long strip of windows bisects the side of the house, offering views of the vast valley and Mount Orford in the distance.

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Mixed Material Ski Home

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A mix of black-stained and clear cedar siding dominate the design of this weekend home in the Canadian Rocky Mountains at Kicking Horse ski resort. Providing beds for up to 14 people, the home is an ideal base for seasonal outdoor activities. Surrounded by a forest of spruce and aspen, the house sits along a ski trail and features two main elements: One that contains the sleeping and bath spaces, and an open shell with living and dining spaces, along with spectacular mountain views. A glass section links the two and fiber-cement panels with bold colors serve as accents. It is ideally situated to appreciate the vistas as well as hide other homes nearby from view. Inside, a variety of materials are used, from concrete to mahogany, steel and Douglas fir plywood. It was designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson.

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Minimalist with a River View

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As is the case for most residential development projects, the site of this charred cedar home was stripped of vegetation to clear the way for views of the St. Lawrence River. Designed by Alain Carle Architecte, “La Charbonnière” seems to rise out of the ground almost like a sculpture. The cedar cladding was blackened using the technique of “shou-sugi-ban” and cover the full exterior. In the back, the house has no windows, with all focused toward the river on the front side. The various sections hug the landscape, with the large jutting out as the dominant element. Inside, the living spaces have sweeping views and a rustic feel that is Zen-like and relaxing.

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Vista-Oriented Family Home

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Also located along the St. Lawrence River, but with an entirely different aesthetic, this black-clad home is the Chalet du Bois Flotté (the Driftwood Chalet). Designed by Boom Town, it overlooks the river and Cap-à-l’Aigle. The rectangular shape and gabled roof harken back to the original types of homes built along the river. A black steel roof sits atop an exterior of cedar cladding that covers the two separate buildings of the home. Joined at right angles, the two sections are custom designed and culminate in the massive window at the west end that takes up the entire wall. Inside, a minimalist Scandinavian interior includes polished concrete slabs that form split-levels to increase the living space.

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Lakeview Home with Privacy

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Set beside Lake Ouareau in Saint-Donat, La Barque is a home that is situated for privacy as well as the enjoyment of the lake. The black-clad house sits atop a concrete base and features a dislocated facade that also contains a barbecue and a pizza oven. In the direction of the water, the house, designed by ACDF Architecture, opens up to the vista before it. In contrast to the black, angular exterior, the interior is a light-filled space designed for comfort. The upper level contains the kitchen, dining room and two bedrooms and the lower level has a family room, sauna and children’s rooms. Built-in mosquito netting enhances the summertime enjoyment of the outdoor space.

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Artfully Situated Mountain Cottage

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A mountain cottage described as a “black stroke hurtling down the slope” makes artful use of the topography and at the same time offers views of Mount Sutton. Designed by Paul Bernier Architecte, the exterior of the family cottage is finished with cedar planks that were dyed black and placed horizontally, punctuated by vertical planks. The home’s roof slope is opposite the slant of the hillside and ends atop a concrete wall that shields the building from spring runoff. The most innovative feature is the green roof that covers the home, helping the structure blend almost seamlessly with the landscape when viewed from the slope above. Inside, the living space are bright, white, airy and comfortable.

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Cliff-Top Cube House

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Anchored on a rocky mountain cape in the Eastern Townships, the Crowhill cabin features two main sections that look out over the woods. The minimalist cube shapes were designed by NatureHumaine and perch atop raw concrete foundations. One angularly shaped section is devoted to the living areas and the second to the two bedrooms. The sloping roofs of the units add to the feeling that the home is sliding over the cliff, adding more drama to the black-clad structure, whose facades are made from burnt wood and the pre-woven hemlock planks. A center section unites the two and serves as an entrance. The interior is fully oriented to the view and uses natural finishes throughout.

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Historic, Gabled Hybrid

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Nestled in a Halifax neighborhood, this black home straddles modern design and the historic nature of the area where it is located. Peter Braithwaite Studio set out to create a family home that stripped off generations of bad renovations and replaced it with sustainable and stylish black cladding. The original gabled roofline of Elm House was enhanced with a design that features an exterior of Maibec’s Rabbited Bevel siding and the front and rear accent volumes were clad in locally sourced rough sawn Hemlock. The new entry porch looks out over the tree-lined street and the rear of the house was designed for gatherings and storage, as well as gardening.

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Black Barn-Inspired Compound

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Inspired by North American barns, “Les Marais” by Alain Carle Architecte consists of two, soaring structures amid the trees by a lake in Wentworth-Nord. The size and siting of the buildings contribute to the illusion that the smallest one seems larger as you draw near, even though it has the same profile as the largest one, which is actually located farther away. Near the house, two wetlands are preserved near the buildings, which are connected by a large “plate” of black wood, linking the three structures. While some sides of the buildings are solid, others feature a soaring wall full of windows, giving an open view to the forest and lake beyond. Inside, dark wood and architectural elements form the base, which is highlighted by the natural hue of the wood on the walls and ceilings.

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Bird’s Eye Lake View

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Perched on a hill overlooking a lake in the woods, the Résidence de la Canadière is made up of two perpendicularly stacked and bisecting elements. Designed by Boom Town, The upper section is cantilevered over the bottom one, with a gabled roof. The lower part of the house is anchored to the slope. The unique stacking and arrangement create a vertical circulation inside and the pivot space allows for the core of the building to connect with the outside. Ample windows created sweeping views of the lake below. Inside, natural wood floors, as well as concrete floors on the bottom level, are used for style, durability and easy. The minimalist interiors create a relaxing and carefree getaway for the inhabitants.

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Modern Farmstead Getaway

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Amid green farm fields east of Toronto, the Farm is a collection of buildings sited on a bucolic 65-acre site. The expansive property, created by Scott Posno Design, is used as a vacation home for a family of grown children and friends. The main house is oriented for engaging views of the property’s rolling hills and the Ganaraska Forest beyond. An existing pond and a winding stream add to the list of pleasing natural features. The house itself is steeply gabled and is a modern take on the historic longhouse form. Clad in cedar that has been stained a charcoal color, the structures ease gently into the surrounding landscape. Sleeping areas are in separate buildings and the master bedroom is a double-height structure that has plenty of privacy and a patio. A centrally located swimming pool is a major outdoor element and offers lots of relaxation space. Inside the main house, the light and minimalist modern decor takes full advantage of the home’s length and spaciousness.

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Slopeside “Rock”

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Atop the slope of Mount Shefford, the black-clad home appears to be inserted into the terrain, inexorably linked with its surroundings. The rocky, tree-covered slope allows the house to feel as if its living areas are one with the forest. Designed by Atelier Générale, the house — called the Rock — features a large terrace that is oriented to the topography. At the other end, the house rises above the void, pointing toward the treetops. The flat, floating roof has a laminated wood structure and the walls are punctuated with tall windows. The interior of the kitchen is finished in white pine veneer and two parallel white blocks are an indirect link with the adjoining dining room. The area opens completely to the slope. Nested between the master bedroom and the living room is a triangular-shaped veranda.

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Fragmented for Work and Play

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Design to be fragmented into four pavilions, the organic plan of the home by Alain Carle Architecte features a central space that is like the “heart of a village.” Each black-clad volume, which feels as if it is rising from the earth, features largely recycled materials: interior and exterior wall claddings were sourced from an abandoned sawmill and the paving stones come from an old quarry. Located in the southernmost unity, the living room opens up to the outdoors and has an open feeling and combines the functions of a traditional kitchen/living room/dining room format. Throughout the home, dark elements are lightened with white and gray walls and pale floors. Other buildings contain sleeping areas, dry and wet saunas and big showers. The compound also includes work spaces that are removed from the living areas. Outdoors a small cold water pond substitutes for the typical swimming pool and complements the saunas.

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Stand-Out Suburban Contemporary

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This home in Sorel, near Montreal, stands out for a couple of reasons: Set amid an entire neighborhood of Victorian-inspired house, the contemporary home features an unexpected profile and dark cladding. The house, designed by Nature Humaine, was created with two offset rectangular sections joined by a gabled roof with chamfered corners. The architects decided to use a small footprint of 1,200 square feet in order to preserve the existing trees. Oriented perpendicular to the road, the layout creates a semi-private wooded garden on the north side. The interior is brightened using two grand skylights at the center of the house.

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Best Timber for Cladding | Exterior Wood Types, Species & Profiles

So, when planning your project, you’re likely to have quite a few questions.

Which species of wood — the tree the timber comes from — should I choose? Which profile — the way this wood is machined to fit together — is the best? Should I treat my cladding? What is needed to maintain it for as long as possible?

Exterior timber cladding: a quick introduction

Firstly, however, for the completely uninitiated, let’s take a look at what cladding actually is, its key benefits and why you might want to choose it for your external project.

What is timber cladding?

Timber cladding is a popular way of creating a beautiful exterior finish on a building. ‘Cladding’ refers to components that are attached to a primary structure to form this external structure, and ‘timber’ (often used interchangeably with ‘wood’) refers to the material that these components are made of.

From the modest garden shed to the ostentatious Knarvik church, humans have perfected the art of cladding — and there’s no shortage of stunning, iconic architecture that stands testament to that.

Wood cladding is available in a huge range of species (the type of tree that the timber originated from), which is then machined to a certain profile (which determines the way the cladding pieces fit together).

There are estimated to be over 60,000 tree species across the world, all varying to some degree in appearance. Even amongst the same species, no two pieces of wood are the same.

Some woods have particularly good natural durability (moisture, rot, decay and insect resistance), workability, stability and beauty, making them ideal for external cladding. The choice of profile, similarly, can affect the performance of the cladding and its appearance.

The use of wood to clad buildings is a long-established and well-refined weatherproofing technique.

Why should I choose timber cladding for my project?

Wood is undeniably beautiful and aesthetically versatile, slotting into almost any environment. It can provide a seamless transition between building and surrounding greenery, or a welcome contrast within an urban environment. Natural materials like timber even makes us feel good — a theory also known as biophilia!

Cladding can provide a beautiful, natural finish to any property.

Compared to others, wood cladding is also a more environmentally-sustainable building material, storing harmful greenhouse gases from the atmosphere during its life cycle. In sustainably-managed forests, for every tree harvested, another is planted. This makes timber a great way to weave a sustainable story into your project.

Timber is also architecturally versatile and adaptable, working for any project, regardless of size — such as the Redcar & Cleveland Leisure Centre!

The Redcar & Cleveland Leisure and Community Heart, clad in Canadian Western Red Cedar.

Did you know that timber cladding can also keep buildings at a more stable temperature? This is as a result of wood’s cellular structure. In fact, wood insulates fifteen times better than masonry, 400 times better than steel and 1,770 times better than aluminium. This also makes it a great sound insulator, keeping noise out.

Cladding can add a natural, stylish finish to any outdoor space.

What’s the best timber for external cladding?

As well as looking the part, a good exterior cladding timber needs to be able to stand up to everything the seasons throw its way — sun, rain, wind, snow — as well as having resistance to insect and fungal attack. In addition to this natural durability, dimensional stability is key.

Softwoods like Western Red Cedar, Siberian Larch, Alaskan Yellow Cedar and Douglas Fir are some of the most popular options for outdoor wood cladding as they perform these roles at a cost-effective price, but there are some gorgeous hardwoods that work well too.

1. Western Red Cedar

Colour: Varies; reddish to pinkish brown with darker red/brown streak
Grain: Straight grain, medium-to-coarse texture
Rot resistance: Very high
Workability: Excellent machining properties, takes both screws and nails well
Sourced from: British Columbia, Canada

A highly-durable softwood with a stunning, warm reddish-brown hue, Western Red Cedar has become a wildly popular cladding timber in recent years. Many consider it to be the best species for cladding.

Lightweight, stable, decay resistant and with impeccable workability and nailing properties, this resinous species naturally repels the destructive forces foisted upon it by nature.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re wood cladding a house or the side of a large real estate property, Western Red Cedar won’t let you down. Its legions of fans stand testament to that.

2. Siberian Larch

Grain: Generally straight or spiralled; medium-to-fine texture
Colour: Pale yellow to a medium brownish colour
Durability: High
Workability: Good machining properties, takes both screws and nails well
Sourced from: Siberia, Russia

A premier softwood, Siberian Larch is right up there with Western Red Cedar in terms of popularity. Since both perform such a great job outdoors, your choice will usually come down to personal preference for colour. We’ve actually written an entire blog post comparing the two!

Siberian Larch’s heartwood can range from a pale yellow to a medium straw yellow in colour so, for a natural finish, this is a great timber to choose.

Larch is harder than Cedar, however; despite being classed as a softwood, it has a density of 575kg/mᵌ — making it more scratch resistant than even many hardwoods. Siberian Larch also typically comes in at a cheaper price, making it a fantastic option for those working to a slightly tighter budget.

With great overall results when nailing and screwing, Siberian Larch makes for a highly durable, dense and stable exterior wood cladding material.

Siberian Larch is available in two grades — A and B. ‘A’ grade has few small or no knots, with ‘B’ allowing for larger, more frequent knots; not an altogether bad thing if you’re after that natural look!

2022 update: trade restrictions with Russia have created ongoing uncertainty around the availability of Siberian Larch. Until supplies replenish, you might want to explore one of the other timbers in this list — or take at our list of Siberian Larch alternatives!

3. Alaskan Yellow Cedar

Grain: Uniform and straight; fine texture
Colour: Pale yellow; occasionally white
Durability: High
Workability: Very good machining properties; takes screws, nails and finishes well
Sourced from: North-west coast of America

Yellow Cedar is another naturally-resilient, dimensionally-stable species — all the makings of an excellent cladding timber.

With a fine texture and straight grain, Yellow Cedar is a dream to work with. Not only that, but it takes stains and finishes exceptionally, which means you can customise the colour if its stunning, uniform pale yellow colour isn’t to your liking.

Given the trend of increasing costs associated with Western Red Cedar and the uncertainty over supplies of Siberian Larch from Russia, Alaskan Yellow Cedar has caught the eye of many home improvers. A trending cladding species, for sure.

4. Douglas Fir

Grain: Interesting, wild
Colour: Light brown with hints of red; darker growth rings
Durability: High
Workability: Typically machines well, taking screws, nails and finishes
Sourced from: British Columbia

Douglas Fir one of the world’s most outstanding softwoods. As with all timber species listed in this article, it boasts exceptional inherent resilience to those natural forces of decay it’ll encounter when used externally — moisture, fungus and termites.

Fir boasts a wild, interesting grain with plenty of variety — great for adding some stunning natural character to your project. Not only that, but it’s also particularly strong and scratch resistant.

5. European Oak

Grain: Straight, with a coarse, uneven texture
Colour: Golden-brown; can varies
Durability: High, but can leach water soluble substances
Workability: Good, but pre-drilling advised
Sourced from: France

Boasting gorgeous golden brown colour and a characteristic straight grain, European Oak is a perennially popular hardwood cladding.

As tough as nails and with good natural durability, the stunning beauty of this species can be enhanced by a stain or finish. European Oak stock imported into the UK has already been through the kilning, machining and finger-jointing process all prior to delivery.

As the boarding is glued and finger jointed, it can be supplied in longer, more stable 4. 5m lengths. For smaller pieces, this product can also be edited free from defects.

Nailing and screwing can be a bit more difficult — so pre-drilling is advised. It’s also worth noting that Oak reacts with iron, so stainless steel nails or screws are your best bet.

For a beautiful, longer-length hardwood external cladding, European Oak is the one for you — guaranteed to imbue your outdoor cladding project with a touch of timeclass class.

6. Thermo-Ayous, ThermoWood & other modified timbers

Grain: Generally straight; medium-to-fine texture
Colour: Mid-to-dark brown
Durability: High
Workability: Good machining properties, takes both screws and nails well
Sourced from: Central and West Africa, Baltic region and more

Looking for a darker, more exotic type of cladding, perhaps mimicking rare, expensive species like mahogany and teak?

There are a range of sustainable heat-modified timbers that provide similarly stunning tropical hues whilst being magnificently durable (as well as much more affordable!).

Hailing from the forests of central and west Africa, Thermo-Ayous’ heat treatment provides it with gorgeous, clear-grade mid-brown tones coupled with exceptional durability and stability — the ultimate cladding product.

ThermoWood® is another modified timber. It starts life as softwood Scandinavian Pine, before being treated and imbued with excellent stability, minimal shrinkage and movement. Available in a wide range of profiles, this medium-density cladding product also takes well to both screws and nails.

Be sure to also take a look at Thermo-Tulipwood CAMBIA® — another cladding timber with a magnificent clear-grade appearance and exceptional outdoor durability.

This is not an exhaustive list, of course. There are many other types of timber that also step up to the job of exterior cladding — but you can’t go wrong with those we’ve just mentioned.

Pricing up your project: how much does cladding cost in different types of timber?

When it comes to going ahead with any home improvement project, cost can be a sticking point. Your project price depends on how much cladding you require (of course), the species of wood you choose and, to a lesser extent, the profile chosen.

What sort of budget do you have in mind for your cladding project? Let’s say you’re working on a typical garden room (3.8 length x 2.4m width, 2.2m height). To clad all walls and allow for an 8’ bifold door in our ever-popular DTC2 V-groove cladding profile, you’ll need in the region of 22m² of cladding — but remember to allow approximately 10% for waste on top. The total required would be 24m² .

In various different species, this would cost:

Western Red Cedar — approx. £1940 (£80 per m²)
Thermo-Ayous — approx £1,750 (£73 per m²)
Thermo-Tulipwood CAMBIA® — approx. £1515 (£63 per m²)
Alaskan Yellow Cedar — approx. £1,450 (£60 per m²)
Douglas Fir — approx. £1,260 (£52 per m²)
Siberian Larch (‘B’ and ‘A’ grade) — approx. £915–1,200 (£38–50 per m²)

Prices are correct as of August 2022 and can change. For a solid cost estimate, feel free to get in touch with our team of timber cladding experts. You’ll be assigned a project handler who will be with you at every stage, from initial quote through to the delivery of your cladding.

Exterior cladding profiles: different types, styles, designs, options & examples

A cladding’s profile refers to how the wood is machined and determines how the pieces fit together. Different profiles can provide very different finished looks, and can even affect weather resistance and outdoor performance.

Just as with the species, when it comes to profiles, there are many types. There’s no universal ‘best profile for exterior timber cladding’ — your aesthetic vision and practical needs will determine this, of course.

Some types of profile can provide a classic, traditional or rustic look, while others can lend your project a sleek, modern and contemporary feel. The profile fit can also convey protection benefits against moisture and rainfall, so that might factor into your decision making if your cladding is at a high elevation or exposed to the elements.

V-Groove

Whether for a small household or large-scale commercial project, this is the ideal all-rounder profile and is possibly the most popular out there.

The boards slot together neatly and simply thanks to a tongue (the protruding section) and groove (the slot). It’s why species like V-groove are often referred to as ‘tongue and groove’.

This fit forms a ‘V’ shape on the surface, providing a pleasing, faint shadow line between each.

V-groove ensures a modern, clean, neat look and, much like Shiplap (mentioned below), has the ability to shield buildings from water — providing excellent weatherproofing. This is one of the more popular timber and cedar cladding profiles out there.

V-groove works well for: any project where a smart, modern, clean look is desired. A real all-rounder cladding profile.

Shadow gap

For the architecturally-minded amongst you, look no further than this modern, stylish profile for a designer cladding option.

Similar in fit to V-groove and Shiplap, once these profile boards are put together you get a smart square 1cm shadow set within a sleek gap.

Making use of natural sunlight (which means the look can change throughout the day) and available in horizontal and vertical, this playful profile provides a striking, contemporary touch.

Shadow gap works well for: making a subtle architectural statement and adding a bit of designer flair to your project.

Shiplap

Another very popular profile, Shiplap shares similarities with V-groove — both have a tongue and groove fit. The key difference is the longer lip, which provides superior water protection.

This lip gives a pleasing, soft curved shape on the cladding surface; a popular, traditional choice often associated with rural settings. Ideal for invoking a sense of countryside charm, Shiplap is very popular for cladding sheds and other outbuildings, but can still provide a rustic decorative touch for any surface.

Shiplap works well for: any cladding project where a slightly more traditional, rustic (yet still smart) feel is desired, such as a garden shed or outbuilding.

Feather-edge

For a traditional touch, feather-edge will suit you down to the ground. Cut at an angle, the overlapping boards that characterise this type of profile are wildly popular with barn conversions, outbuilding renovations and old-style agricultural buildings.

The clean, smart and professional uniformity of feather-edge is guaranteed to catch the eye with a nod to all things rural; its excellent weather-proofing attributes only add to the utility of the profile.

As well as being a secure and sturdy choice, feather-edge gives an element of freedom. The way feather-edged cladding is cut is to allow for an overlap, giving more control over how the finished result looks. This gives the fitter flexibility over the cover size.

Feather-edge works well for: a sturdy, rural-inspired, clean and weather-proofed look — such as barn conversions or garden sheds.

Half-lap

If you’re looking for a minimalist take on Shiplap, chamfered half-lap could be the ideal profile — it brings a little bit more subtlety whilst retaining a soft, sleek curvature.

Stable and performing well against moisture, this is a refined, classy and understated profile for any horizontal exterior cladding project.

Once installed, the surface reveals a smooth finish with distinctive, slim shadow lines; a versatile, dynamic profile for a traditional or contemporary cladding project.

Halflap works well for: classic and contemporary cladding projects where a more subtle take on Shiplap’s curvature is required.

Log-lap

So-called because of the profile’s uncanny ability to replicate the look of a log cabin, log-lap bursts with rural charm.

This profile is increasingly popular with home improvers looking to style a modern summerhouse, garden room or office.

If you’re wanting to make a unique statement, this distinctly European profile can be provided in thicker boards to achieve a more pronounced log-like curvature.

Log-lap works well for: recreating the look and feel of a log cabin, with its curvature providing unashamed rural, architectural charm.

Splayed (rainscreen)

If you’re looking for a clean, completely decorative façade from your cladding, consider a splayed profile (also known as rainscreen cladding).

This profile’s rhomboid-shaped boards are equally spaced, but aren’t interlocked or connected, meaning that they don’t provide protection against the elements. That said, they provide a stunning, unique architectural touch.

As such, this profile is best suited to style-focused projects that are completely shielded from the elements.

Splayed works well for: eye catching, design-led projects where protection from the elements isn’t a consideration, but contemporary style is key.

Looking to really make a statement with your cladding?

For an attractive designer finish to your project, angle bead corner trim is a popular way to frame your cladding and finish off the edges.

If you’re seeking inspiration for your project, be sure to take a look at our top eight styles, ideas and current trends for a standout cladding project for 2022.

The orientation is another key consideration. Be sure to check out our guide to vertical versus horizontal cladding if you’re having trouble making up your mind.

Treating your exterior timber cladding

So, now you’ve chosen a species, profile and style, your mind might turn to finishes, maintenance and treatment of your cladding.

Outdoor cladding is nearly always exposed to direct sunlight at some point in the day. Regardless of species chosen, this will eventually discolour the cladding, turning it into a silvery-grey colour.

Some people enjoy natural timber cladding as it’s left to weather — particularly those looking to achieve a rustic architectural feel. In fact, you can even buy weathering accelerants to speed up this process. We’ve explored this trend in more detail in another blog post about ‘old look’ grey timber cladding!

The weathered ‘grey look’: increasingly stylish and popular, but easily avoided with some treatment.

However, if you wish to protect your wood or drastically slow down this weathering process, a UV protective finish or paint can be applied. This should ideally be done before the cladding is fitted. There are a number of different products on the market.

Preservative oils

If you want your timber to age gracefully to that distinctive silvery-grey but want to protect against water damage, then a colourless preservative like Owatrol h5 Wood is the cladding treatment for you.

These types of transparent treatments don’t contain any UV filters, so they allow your cladding to age and weather slowly and consistently whilst guarding against water, insect and rot damage.

UV protectant

A powerful, penetrating UV protectant like Owatrol Textrol HES can be applied by brush, cloth or spray. These types of treatments are available in a range of tints, from clear to charcoal — so you’ve got some power over the finished look.

This type of protective treatment shields the cladding from sunlight damage, resulting in the timber preserving its colour for a much longer period of time. If the cladding is in an area of direct sunlight, we recommend recoating once every two years, but if it is in a shaded area, give it a slap of treatment every three or so years.

A sun-cream you need to re-apply every couple of years, if you like — not a bad price to pay for retaining the gorgeous natural colour of your timber cladding!

Protective paint

For the most powerful and long-lasting protection, an opaque, acrylic-based paint can also be applied to coat the timber. Make sure to choose a quality product, however. Many types of paint can bubble.

This process will completely hide the grain of the wood and replace it with a solid colour — so not the ideal option if you’re looking to showcase your timber in its natural glory. That said, there are also some solid-colour stains on the market that still allow you to retain some of the wood’s original texture.

Opaque coatings like this tend to require more top-ups to maintain their look.

What time of year should I install my exterior timber cladding?

Though you can install new cladding year-round, the best period of time is between October and April. This is to ensure the timber does not shrink or curl in warm weather. Therefore, consider planning for your new cladding during the summer months.

Maintenance of exterior timber cladding

By choosing a durable, stable timber species and by opting for an appropriate treatment, your cladding can be essentially maintenance free. However, over time, it’s bound to gather dirt which can change its colour, particularly if you live in an urban area. To keep your cladding looking tip-top, consider giving it a gentle summer scrub down with a sponge and some warm, soapy water.

In terms of maintaining the finish, this depends on how exposed your cladding is and the product manufacturer’s guidelines on reapplication. If your cladding takes a regular beating from rain and the sun’s UV, the maintenance and reapplication period might be as short as two years, or as high as five years if relatively shielded.

Timber is a natural product. Just keep your eyes peeled and try to spot any issues as soon as they occur or begin to develop — adverse weather may also make repairs necessary.

How long does timber cladding last for?

If properly installed, treated and maintained, a quality, naturally-durable timber cladding species like Western Red Cedar, Douglas Fir, European Oak, Siberian Larch can last for more than 30 years in the UK’s climate. With good treatment and maintenance, this can extend to over 40 years.

Ready to get cladding?

Whether you’re working on a stylish home improvement project or some larger-scale commercial cladding, we’re here to help.

We stock a wide range of timber cladding in the world’s most beautiful, durable, sustainable species — each machined to profile on-site in the UK!

Choose from Western Red Cedar, Alaskan Yellow Cedar, Siberian Larch, Douglas Fir, Thermo-Ayous, ThermoWood, Thermo-Tulipwood, European Oak — and more.

As a third-generation family timber merchant and machinist, customer service is our top priority. We’re there at every stage to help you get the best possible end result for your budget.

If you’re just after a bit of cladding maintenance kit, you’re in the right place, too — explore our range of angle beads, nails, screws, shingles, ridges, solid colour stains and UV protective finishes.

To get your project started or to pick the brains of our expert timber team, click the ‘Get in touch’ button below, email [email protected] or phone 01765 640 564.

reSAWN TIMBER co. – Exterior Cladding

Abodo®, Accoya®, Kebony®, Cedar, and Cypress for exterior applications

ABODO®

ACCOYA® WOOD

KEBONY® WOOD

CYPRESS

reSAWN offers several sustainable, durable options for real wood exterior cladding. All of our exterior cladding products are finished in the USA, in our facility in Telford, PA. We use domestic wood species whenever possible, including Cypress from the Southern US, Wester Red Cedar from the Pacific Northwest, and Atlantic White Cedar from the the coastal plain regions of the Eastern US. Our diverse offering includes modified pine from Abodo, Accoya & Kebony which have been developed specifically for exterior applications. reSAWN’s products have been meticulously designed using modern finishes and incorporating reSAWN’s many years of experience in the architectural & design specification market. Click here to receive a price quote or place an order:

REQUEST A QUOTE

ABODO VULCAN CLADDING :: FINE SAWN FACE

Vulcan thermally modified wood cladding is created from New Zealand plantation timber and engineered with a patented vertical grain orientation for superior weathering characteristics. reSAWN TIMBER co’s Abodo® Fine Sawn Face Vulcan Cladding provides a unique, textured surface with beautiful grain depth. The fine sawn texture opens the wood grain to allow for optimal coating performance. The thermal modification process and vertical grain structure means Vulcan cladding has superior stability and reduced resin content. All our Abodo products are FSC certified and come with a 15-year warranty on the Vulcan Cladding.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ABODO

ABODO VULCAN CLADDING :: SMOOTH FACE

Vulcan thermally modified wood cladding is created from New Zealand plantation timber and engineered with a patented vertical grain orientation for superior weathering characteristics. reSAWN TIMBER co’s Abodo Smooth Face Vulcan Cladding is made using a proprietary brushing technique during manufacturing. Brushing the material opens the wood grain to allow for optimal coating performance. The brushing technique also provides a smooth, modern texture on the face of this unique clear vertical grain modified wood. The thermal modification process and vertical grain structure means Vulcan cladding has superior stability and reduced resin content. All our Abodo products are FSC certified and come with a 15-year warranty on the Vulcan Cladding.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ABODO

ACCOYA

Accoya® wood is the result of decades of research and development that has brought together a long-established, extensively proven wood modification technique and leading-edge patented technology – acetylation to create a high performance wood, ideal for outdoor use and challenging applications. By significantly enhancing the durability and dimensional stability of fast-growing and abundantly available certified wood species, Accoya® wood provides compelling environmental advantages over slow-growing hardwoods (which are often unsustainably sourced), woods treated with toxic preservative chemicals, and non-renewable carbon-intensive materials such as plastics, steel and concrete. All our CHARRED Accoya® products are FSC certified and come with a 50-year warranty on the wood when used above ground; 25-year warranty when used at/below ground level.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ACCOYA

KEBONY

Much of Kebony wood’s enhanced performance characteristics stem from the patented modification process they have adopted. Differing from other modified wood products, Kebony uses furfuryl alcohol as its modifying agent. Furfuryl alcohol is a non-toxic, bio-based fuel that impregnates the wood’s cells through a vacuum pressure treating process. When the impregnation is finished, the resulting cells are slightly changed, and that results in changes to the physical and mechanical properties of the wood byproduct. Kebony is beautiful wood recommended by leading architects. Kebony’s performance has been proven in a variety of applications, including decking and cladding, because of its high-quality characteristics.

LEARN MORE ABOUT KEBONY

ALASKAN YELLOW CEDAR

reSAWN offers Alaskan Yellow Cedar (AYC) as a sustainable exterior material. Yellow Cedar trees can be found along the North American Pacific Coast from the California-Oregon border to Southern Alaska. AYC is highly aromatic and highly decay resistant. It has exceptional resistance to exterior elements and insects and is easy to work with. It can be used for exterior wall & roof cladding and interior wall & ceiling cladding.

WESTERN RED CEDAR

reSAWN offers Western Red Cedar because it’s one of North America’s great renewable resources. In addition to it’s prominence as sustainable exterior material, it’s very durable and is one of the lightest commercial softwoods. It is an expansive and popular tree in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The wood is used to build shingles for roofs, siding (cladding) for homes, decks, and furniture among other applications.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CEDAR

CYPRESS

Cypress is notable for its color consistency, density and hardness. Although cypress is a softwood, it grows alongside hardwoods and traditionally has been grouped and manufactured with hardwoods. The oils in cypress’ heartwood make it one of the most durable woods when exposed to moisture conditions causing decay. Cypress trees are natives of the south. They are found primarily in wet, swampy areas along the Atlantic Coastal Plain from Delaware to Florida.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CYPRESS

EXTERIOR CLADDING Portfolio

Selection of exterior cladding installations

Timber cladding ideas – Grand Designs Magazine : Grand Designs Magazine

Grand Designs houses

Add an extra dimension to your self build with a beautiful wood finish

By Victoria Purcell | 22 October 2021

Looking for timber cladding ideas? Different woods not only offer varying finishes, they can also offer different levels of protection. The lightweight material is quick to install and reduces the size and cost of foundations, while also offering great thermal and sound insulation properties.

But which variety of wood should you go for? Cedar, Siberian larch, Scottish pine, or maybe the beautiful shou sugi ban? Take inspiration from these five great projects from the latest series of Grand Designs, which all used timber cladding to striking effect…

1. Local larch meets old stone

Ruth Grimshaw and Rob Glass got planning permission to convert a crumbling Cumbrian water mill, but four months into the project, Historic England deemed the original structure unsafe. Save for one gable end, the whole thing had to be demolished.

The couple, who run Ulverston-based architectural practice Tape Design, rebuilt the old walls using as much of the original stone as they could, completing the build with a new timber-framed larch-clad house on fresh beam-and-block foundations.

In an effort to maintain a low carbon footprint, they used square-edge rough-sawn local larch, grown and milled nine miles away, for the cladding. Larch is an oily, resinous and dense wood that is often used as external cladding because of it’s durability. It’s stronger than pine and doesn’t require any maintenance. Larch will weather eventually to a silvery grey, but a clear timber treatment will maintain that gorgeous original colour.

Watch the Grand Designs Cumbrian mill episode on All 4 here

2. Spa-like Siberian larch

Dan and Nina Rowland transformed a tired house next to a stagnant pond into a biodiverse family retreat to bring up daughters Isla, 6, and Lexi, 5. Dan, an architectural designer, and Nina, an interior, furniture and lighting designer, hoped to create a house that promoted wellness and relaxation, inspired by Californian beaches and a forest spa they had visited in Thailand. This swamp-like plot in Chichester fitted the bill. So did the Siberian larch cladding they sourced for the exterior of the property.

Able to withstand its harsh native environment, Siberian larch is a highly durable timber that’s naturally impervious to infestation and most diseases. On this build, the cladding runs in two directions, horizontally and then vertically on the gable end to emphasise the extra height in this section of the house. Inside, sections of timber-clad walls echo the exterior, and bespoke kitchen units are made with larch offcuts.

Their beautiful, light-filled contemporary home that sits right by the water – so close that they can dive off the deck outside the kitchen into a crystal-clear pond. The duo’s vision even led them to co-found their own niche practice, studiofuse.co.uk, integrating the disciplines of architecture, interiors and nature.

Watch the Grand Designs Chichester episode on All 4 here

1.

Local larch meets old stone

Watch the Grand Designs Cumbrian mill episode on All 4 here

2.

Spa-like Siberian larch

Watch the Grand Designs Chichester episode on All 4 here

Image: Gretta’s shou sugi ban-clad self-build. Photo: Jefferson Smith

3. Single storey shou sugi ban

Gretta Funnell’s Malaysia-inspired pavilion in the Cambridgeshire Fens is located next door to her elder sister Mary Gris and husband Fernando’s house. Unable to find a prefabricated design that she liked, Gretta turned to her nephew – Mary and Fernando’s son Carlos – who is creative director of his own design studio, Carlos Gris Studio.

Carlos drew up designs for a minimalist open-plan house with a steel frame, a generously overhanging roof made from structural insulated panels (SIPs) to support a roof garden, lots of glass and exterior cladding in Japanese-style burnt wood called shou sugi ban (the ancient technique of charring wood with fire and coating it with natural oil not only produces a lovely, charcoal black aesthetic, it also weatherproofs the wood and makes it fire resistant).

Fernando took on the project manager role, marshalling a gang of independent tradesmen and dealing with the inevitable delays caused by Covid-19. This included a shortage of Douglas Fir for the exterior cladding. But despite this, the 18-month build went remarkably smoothly.

Watch the Grand Designs Ely episode on All 4 here

4. Black-painted Scottish pine

Typically found in remote mountain areas of Scotland to provide shelter for estate workers, not many would see a simple bothy and decide it would make the perfect family home. But Iain Shillady, co-founder of Staran Architects, and his wife Jenny, a marketing manager, did.

Iain had always imagined designing his own contemporary house. But Jenny preferred older buildings, like the farmhouse of her youth. The century-old gardeners’ bothy they bought near Kinross, Scotland, offered the chance to combine the two by upgrading and extending the property.

A bit of imagination was required to see how this old stone shelter could be transformed into a family home. The trickiest part was navigating the relationship between the original building and the extension. Iain built a sizeable linear extension that runs along the edge of the garden wall, parallel with the bothy but lower in height. The extension is clad in black-painted Scottish pine, creating a simple and elegant counterpoint to the stone. Scottish pine timber is strong, light, easily worked and widely used in the construction industry, but it requires treatment to make it durable.

5. Cedar-clad triangle house

Olaf Mason and Fritha Vincent tackled one of the trickiest plots ever seen on the show, navigating a railway line, busy main road and a sewer to craft their beautiful cedar-clad home in West Sussex.

Olaf, 45, a carpenter specialising in high-end bespoke interiors, made the most of the obstacles in their way by creating a triangular shaped build, which allowed them to avoid the sewer and create a large garden. Acting as architectural designer, he designed a timber-framed house with an angular zinc-covered roof covered in solar panels to help power the property.

The house was constructed on site with hand tools – showcasing some exemplary carpentry skills – rather than using modern factory-made panels. It was finished in white render, brick and cedar cladding, a mix that adds texture and visual interest to the external façade. Cedar cladding offers a high degree of weather resistance and is also a very effective insulator, making it easier to keep those heating bills in check.

Additional words by Paisley Tedder, Jayne Dowle and Emily Brooks

5 stunning house exterior transformations

5 of best self build projects using timber 2020

Bespoke architect designed homes that embrace their locations

More in Grand Designs houses …

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What fool sheaths the steam room with cedar? Myths about cedar

Article

May 28, 2018

On our site, users rarely leave comments, but the more diligently we respond to the few that we still have. We are not in the habit of deleting even the most inconvenient questions – only spam is subject to strict moderation.

But last month, a comment came to us on a bathhouse lined with cedar from the inside, of such content – we even took a screenshot:

Ivan, we want to have a serious talk with you on the topic of what kind of fool sheaths a steam room with cedar.

To be honest, we are puzzled by your question. And what, in fact, is wrong? Sheathing a steam room with cedar, building baths from cedar is a fairly popular and in-demand service. Most of the customers who order it from us came by recommendation. This means that Vasya came to visit Serezha, saw the cedar lining in the bathhouse, went nuts from the beauty and smell, and asked: “Well, Sereg, is it a good thing? Satisfied? And it turned out expensive?

Since Vasya came to us, it means, I think, that Seryoga was satisfied with everything.

What problems can arise in a cedar steam room?

Among fans of whining and negativity, myths about cedar wood are widespread. Let’s analyze them in more detail.

Myth #1: Cedar lining turns black when heated.

We have little idea to what temperature it is necessary to heat the bath so that the lining turns black. Are you sure you’re not on fire yet? Like any other wood without special treatment, cedar loses its original shade during the operation of the bath – it becomes golden-reddish. This is a standard oxidation process. The tree does not look worse from this, rather it acquires nobility:

If the cedar has turned black, we have a question – was there a cedar?

Myth #2: Canadian cedar is more expensive than Altai or Siberian cedar because it is better.

Already shaking from such statements. This beautiful red Canadian cedar generally belongs to the Cypress family and is a giant arborvitae! And what we call the Altai (Siberian) cedar is nothing more than the Siberian cedar pine of the Pine family. By the way, there are only three types of real cedars in nature: Lebanese (Cedrus libani), Himalayan (Cedrus deodara) and Atlas (Cedrus atlantica), and they all belong to the Pine family!

In general, Canadian cedar is more expensive simply because we have forgotten how to use Wikipedia.

Myth #3: Does the cedar weep or not?

He cries from the inability to comprehensively study the issue. The extraction of resin from a board / lining / beam depends on the production method: sawing, drying, processing, sorting. It may tar, or it may not tar.

However, none of our clients consider resin emission a disadvantage of cedar. Rather, it has an advantage – it has a unique smell, it really cannot be confused with anything. For a bath – you can’t imagine a better tree.

We hope, Ivan, we have made some clarity on your question. Ask more, we liked it. And even better – come to our exhibition, we will flood the bathhouse for you, we will show and tell you everything.

And once again admire the beauty of the steam room, lined with cedar lining:

And if you still doubt, here is a real review:

Houses from the Siberian Cedar. Cedar houses from timber

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EXTERIOR FINISHING OF A COUNTRY HOUSE: options

The presence of a country house or cottage allows you to enjoy fresh air and silence at any time of the day. The countryside is becoming more and more popular for city dwellers. The development of the construction of private cottages and holiday villages offers customers a variety of options for exterior decoration of the facade of the premises. Choosing these or those options for finishing the appearance of the house, many form thereby the primary opinion about themselves as the owner of the house.

Designing a cedar house according to the wishes of the customer allows us to implement a variety of styles and extraordinary solutions. You can choose gothic, high-tech, baroque, or dive into the rococo era to add color and personality to your home. Designers, architects and decorators are just splashing with new ideas for exterior decoration of a country house: decorative plaster, siding, artificial or natural stone, varnishing, etc.

Exterior decoration of the house is the final stage. At the same time, the construction of the house structure is almost completed, and the building itself has passed a year of shrinkage. The latest trend in the world of home decoration is natural naturalness. Facing tiles made of porcelain stoneware, natural or artificial stone look more organic. This classic combination will always be in fashion. This solution always goes well with any roof, landscaping and has a long service life coupled with the highest quality standards. Decorative brick also meets the above requirements.

Wooden buildings are most often lined with clapboard. Its advantage: low price, availability and easy combination with wooden surfaces. If the task is to insulate and isolate a dilapidated building from moisture, then siding is suitable like no other. And a long service life only adds a number of advantages to siding. Exterior decoration of a country house for wet and bulk plaster is also very popular among customers. It is perfectly attached to the walls of the premises, and it can be periodically refreshed and repainted according to your mood.

A wide variety of facade finishes allow you to be creative and find exactly what suits you and your home.

We choose a tree (type of wood) for the construction of a log house of a Russian bath or sauna

Practically everyone would like to take a steam bath in a sauna, and especially in a log one. If people have the desire and opportunity, they will be happy to acquire their own bathhouse, so the question arises, which tree is best suited for building their own bathhouse? Since ancient times, the Russian people used wood for the construction of baths, because this material retains heat best of all, while it is environmentally friendly. Let’s decide which type of wood is best suited for building your own bath.

Pine. This type of tree is endowed with a number of positive properties. Firstly, it is easy to process, the tree is not too heavy, it is a fairly durable material that has a low degree of deformation, and secondly, the price of this wood is quite acceptable. Of the negative qualities, weak resistance to the appearance of fungi in a humid environment and susceptibility to decay can be distinguished. Also, at high temperatures, resin begins to stand out, and untreated wood attracts insects.

Spruce. The positive quality of spruce is the ability to retain its natural color well, the tree is also easy to process, and the price of the material is low. However, with strong heating of the tree, an abundant release of resin appears.

Linden. This type of wood is endowed with useful properties, it is easy to process, the weight of the tree is not too heavy, the heat capacity of such wood is low, and the price is affordable. However, along with all the positive qualities, linden also has a number of disadvantages: linden wood does not stand out with a high density, the service life is noticeably lower than that of other types of wood.

Larch. Positive aspects: excellent strength, high resistance to wood fungus and moisture, excellent wood structure, beneficial effect on the body. Of the negative sides, one can note the abundant release of resin during heating, a rather high price.

Cedar. One of the most durable types of wood, has excellent resistance to decay and cracking, excellent wood structure. Cedar wood has the ability to release disinfectant resins that purify the air. The disadvantage of cedar is its high price associated with the rarity of cedar wood.

Oak. Positive aspects: excellent strength and hardness, beautiful structure, durable in use. Negative sides: the tree is expensive, heavy, besides, it is difficult to find.

This is not all types of wood that can be used to build a sauna. Therefore, whatever one may say, the final decision remains with the owner of the future building. But personally, I like Siberian cedar wood most of all for building a bathhouse or finishing a sauna, which I recommend to you.

January 13, 2014, 02:33

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Phytobarrel cedar for a sauna or a bath

In the early days, a person could bathe in this phytobarrel made of kerd, then it seemed like a great luxury. And human health cannot be corrected with the help of various slander, spirits, broadcasters, and the like. Therefore, they began to resort to simpler methods of treatment, and at that time it seemed to be of quite high quality.

Usually in Russia they used a simple bath, where hot and humid air completely expanded the cellular space, blood vessels, glands and other organs of the human body. It seemed to many that a person, having washed himself in a bath, becomes surprisingly light, cheerful, capable of turning this world upside down. Since then, small brooms, aromatic oils, poultices and the like began to appear.

Let’s take cedar, which in its structure, phytonation, almost completely replaces our pharmaceutical book. And this, as a rule, is pain in the spine, various backaches, fevers, angina pectoris, as it was then believed. But this was in the century before last, and at the present time all this has been fully confirmed, and therefore we use this cedar phyto barrel quite confidently, and by the way, it helps us a lot in almost any case.

Back in the old days, there was a small drawing on the wall, which was located in Arkhangelsk, where it was shown that a cedar barrel was heated with a fire, in which there was a bathing person. Under them is a healer who puts stones under this barrel, and who adds healing medicinal herbs and decoctions to this barrel so that this person feels great. And no matter how it might seem, but it was the barrel, moreover, cedar, that could completely suit us. And in the past, the way it was – the person who bathed in it came out almost completely healthy, because it was believed that this barrel was created for this.

Now a little about the Siberian cedar itself. The steam coming out of the water concentrates on the human body, allowing various sweat pores and sebaceous glands to expand. Which, as a rule, helps this organism to be completely cleansed of various toxins, salts and toxins, which, being pushed out, allow absorbable healing compounds to take their place.

Thus, our body can practically fly after such a cedar barrel, which with its qualities replaces the usual saunas, steam rooms and other types of water bathing.
In a similar way, we almost completely found ourselves in a simple phytosauna, which helps us to recover, and at the same time to heal in this place.

Therefore, use a cedar phyto barrel, and it will show you its amazing, rejuvenating power.

December 20, 2013, 02:31

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Cedar products for health from cedar

Currently, there are many health products: creams, ointments, balms, food supplements, but there are very few natural effective products among them. It is for this reason that scientists in Novosibirsk created products (ointments, balms, oils) that do not contain chemical preservatives, fragrances and dyes.

It is unique due to its base – oleoresin (resin) of cedar and the absence of water, which makes it possible to obtain health-improving ointments and balms with a high concentration of medicinal substances. The development and production of healing ointments and balms based on cedar resin, propolis, mumiyo, cedar oil and medicinal herbs of Siberia and the Altai Mountains has been going on for 5 years.

Ointments and balms of the RadoGrad and SPRINGS OF SIBERIA trademarks, based on traditional medicine recipes, are not a medicine that is intended to rid you of all diseases, but our preparations contain enough components with high biological activity. They can change the state of the cell, organ and organism as a whole, creating favorable conditions for maintaining normal life, including the elimination of many painful phenomena.

We, a team of like-minded people who organized the collection of medicinal plants, the development of products based on recipes and the experience of traditional medicine and the achievements of scientists, established the production of medicinal preparations, we are glad to welcome everyone who is interested in the healing gifts of Nature.

November 1, 2013, 10:20

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Cedar house of your dreams. You live like in a cedar forest

Cedar is a high quality material for making and finishing your home. Soft pliable cedar wood will serve as a good material for the manufacture of cedar boards, cedar timber, cedar lining and a great many premium products are made from Siberian cedar.

In rooms where cedar wood is used, it is useful for people with hypertension, people suffering from high blood pressure, people suffering from diseases of the central nervous system and diseases associated with the respiratory organs. In all these cases, a cedar beam has a positive healing effect on a person.

Cedar timber without additional treatments with antiseptics and stains will last for many years, and will give its happy owner warmth and comfort, and hence health, which is so important in the modern world. And all this is due to the fact that the cedar timber and the cedar board are impregnated with natural resin, which prevents the decay of cedar lumber and the penetration of bugs and insects dangerous for wood, the smell of cedar resin scares them away.

A house made of cedar timber will be warm and, of course, it will breathe. After all, cedar has a unique structure of wood fibers. On the one hand, this allows the cedar beam to quietly carry out air exchange, and one by one, it also filters the incoming and already existing in the room upholstered or built from cedar lumber from harmful bacteria.

On the other hand, cedar fills the whole space around itself with a pleasant, gentle, unique aroma that seems to intoxicate. Cedar has a healing effect on human health. The smell emitted by cedar lumber carries great energy in the literal and figurative sense of the word.

In a house built of cedar timber, a person seems to merge with nature. His emotional state is so balanced that it seems that you find yourself in another world, without fuss and worries. If you ever spend the night surrounded by cedar, in the city bustle of ongoing business, you will definitely feel what real, healthy, deep sleep is like. You will fall in love with this feeling once and for all.

Siberian cedar has always given a person health since ancient times, helped to cope with many ailments. Therefore, a bar made of cedar is initially an ideal option for building a reliable, strong and environmentally friendly for human life, a cozy and warm cedar house, the house of your dreams!

August 15, 2013, 19:55

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What to build a house from? From Siberian cedar, or from larch?

Many people ask themselves: what to build a house from? From larch or Siberian cedar?

On the one hand, Siberian cedar is not subject to rotting, unlike most sawn timber of other species, although it is softwood itself. Therefore, cedar timber can be used for both interior and exterior weather-prone work.

It would seem that a round larch log will stand for centuries and will never rot. On the other hand, a rounded cedar log is much better in terms of internal ecology in such a house, and has no analogues in the world.

After all, a house built of rounded cedar logs creates its own microclimate. The bacteriological atmosphere in such a house is cleaner in terms of indicators than in an operating room in a hospital.

In connection with such different and at the same time very useful properties in the practice of building from logs from cedar and larch, a mixed alternative has appeared: the three lower crowns of a round log house are made from larch.

Both species are thoroughly saturated with their unique resin, which even when removing the top layer – bast during processing on a cylindering machine, does not allow the log to deteriorate for hundreds of years.

Such a house will serve its owner for many years, it will be warm and, most importantly, beneficial for human health. Therefore, the choice for me is unequivocal: I choose houses from Siberian cedar!

August 11, 2013, 19:47

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Anastasia and the “Ringing Cedars of Russia” – we agree with them regarding the benefits of houses from the Siberian Cedar

Of course, the public movement Anastasia – “Ringing Cedars of Russia”, has a lot of interesting things. Their ideas are supported by the state. For example, Alexander Borodai, deputy head of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Pskov Region, suggested using the idea of a “family homestead” for keeping prisoners.

There are, of course, controversial moments in the activities of the Ringing Cedars of Russia movement. There are contradictions between the ideas of the Ringing Cedars of Russia movement and the Orthodox Church. The international scientific-practical conference classified the Ringing Cedars of Russia movement as one of the “most famous and dangerous modern destructive cults.” (*)

We will not discuss the controversial points of the “Ringing Cedars of Russia”, it is better to look at the positive points with which it is impossible to disagree, especially in terms of the construction of a family estate and housing from natural Siberian cedar wood, for example.

Let’s turn to history. The history of man’s love for cedar dates back thousands of years. It was considered the Tree of Life by the most ancient and mysterious Sumerian civilization. The Phoenicians, the great navigators of the ancient world, built ships from cedar. Wooden details of the sarcophagus, numerous cult items in the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen are made of cedar. Surprisingly, despite the fact that their age exceeds three thousand years, they are perfectly preserved, and not only the structure of the wood, but also a delicate, delicate smell.

There is also mention of the cedar in biblical stories. So the legendary King Solomon used cedar to build a fleet. Also, the Jerusalem Temple and the Palace were entirely built from this precious wood. Noah built an ark out of gopher, which is the name of the cedar that grows in the Bahrain Islands.

Everything in cedar – needles, resin, wood – has a high phytoncidity. During the day, a hectare of forest emits more than 30 kg of volatile organic substances, which have a huge bactericidal power. According to researchers, this amount of phytoncides is enough to neutralize all pathogenic microbes in a big city.

Berries and plants growing in cedar forests are richer in vitamins and provitamins than those growing in other forests. This is due to the fact that phytoncides actively promote the formation of vitamins and other biologically active substances in plants and fruits. Phytoncides not only disinfect, kill pathogens, they have a beneficial effect on the reproduction of those microorganisms that come into the fight against pathogens.

Honored Scientist of the RSFSR B.P. Tokin argued that in the cedar forests the air is practically sterile – 200-300 bacterial cells per 1 cubic meter. m. Whereas, according to medical standards, even for operating rooms it is allowed in 1 cu. m. air 500-1000 non-pathogenic microbes.

All this makes the construction of family estates and houses made of cedar timber the best choice, in which members of the movement Anastasia – “Ringing Cedars of Russia” offer to live

*Data from the Free Encyclopedia “Wikipedia”: http://ru. wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringing_cedars_of_Russia_(movement)

August 8, 2013, 19:37

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Siberian cedar description, and healing properties of Siberian cedar

Experts consider Siberian cedar the most useful material due to its resins. Siberian cedar retains its healing properties for 5-8 years. In many ways, this is why Siberian cedar is one of the most expensive materials.

In folk medicine, an infusion of fresh walnut shells is drunk for deafness, nervous disorders, diseases of the liver and kidneys, hands and feet are washed with a decoction of the shell to remove excessive hairiness. Pine nut oil has a cholesterol-lowering effect, contributes to the normalization of the blood spectrum, lowering blood pressure and reducing excess body weight!

Linoleic and linolenic acids, being part of cedar nut oil, protect against premature aging, neoplasms, allergic manifestations and other pathological syndromes.

Also, linolenic acid of Siberian cedar oil is considered a necessary component of immunomodulatory therapy: it normalizes the functioning of the sebaceous glands, reduces the risk of inflammatory reactions in the epithelium and strengthens the barrier (protective functions), is used to treat skin diseases, including: acne, dermatitis, psoriasis, seborrhea, eczema.

Siberian cedar has a pleasant smell and, when heated in a sauna, releases essential oils that are beneficial for the body. Maybe a bath is not a panacea for all diseases, but it, made from Siberian cedar, will definitely give you a charge of vivacity for a long time and raise your immunity.

In addition to healing properties, cedar has a number of advantages:

Siberian cedar retains its natural aroma for up to 3 years;
Wood is practically not affected by termites, they simply do not like it;
Siberian cedar is almost not subject to rotting;
Siberian cedar is easy to process, holds nails well, does not split;
Low content of technical resin, which is easily removed during heat treatment;
Fire resistance: burns very slowly;

Siberian cedar is a long-lived tree. Siberian cedars live up to 800 years. Considering this, as well as the climate of Siberia, it is not difficult to guess why Siberian cedar wood is so resistant.

If you decide to build a house, then it is better to consider the possibility of building a house, cottage or bathhouse from Siberian cedar timber in order to be healthy and young!

August 2, 2013, 22:55

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Technology of building houses from cedar

Building a cedar house using the right technology will ensure safety, comfort and a long service life of the building. Cedar is an ideal building material. From one tree, 2-3 logs are obtained. Exclusive specimens without external knots are a butt cut. When sawing, there may be hidden knots in the core, but they are small and do not affect the quality of the wood. Almost the entire radial part of the butt is of high quality. From a large cedar, 4-5 business cuts are made.

Butt parts of round timber of large diameter with a clean surface are used for sawing. For construction, logs with a diameter of 250 to 500 mm are needed.

Chopped logs are generally valued for their protective layer. In cedar, the bast contains resin, which contains an antiseptic component. Resin (cedar resin) contains the highest concentration of gum, which is responsible for protection against decay.

Characteristics of cedar

Houses made of cedar are 25% warmer than pine log cabins. Compared to Siberian larch – by 50%.
There are 60,000 fibers per square centimeter of saw cut cedar, which determines the strength of the wood. The cedar beam is not inferior in strength to steel.
The wood is dense, with a beautiful texture of pinkish color.
Cases of beneficial effects on the health of people with diseases of the respiratory, nervous and cardiovascular systems have been scientifically confirmed.
The antiseptic properties of cedar have been known since ancient times – cedar was used to make dishes for storing milk, in which it remained fresh for a long time.
Insects do not live in a cedar house, they are repelled by a balsamic smell. This was also used in ancient times – cabinets and chests of drawers were made from this wood, in which moth never started.
The energy efficiency of a log house made of Siberian cedar is high, 100 mm walls have the same heat saving coefficient as brickwork 500 mm thick. These data are confirmed by studies using thermal imagers.

How to determine the quality of cedar?

There are several main parameters that are characteristic of premium wood. It:

No ringing.
There are no signs of blue and decay on the wood.
Curvature no more than 10%.
No visible defects, including tobacco knots.

Features of working with cedar

Working with large-diameter cedar round timber is time-consuming, the presence of special construction equipment on the site is mandatory. Classical technologies are used for construction – Russian and Canadian felling.

Tape interventional heaters are always used. The most popular are jute, “Klimalan” from sheep’s wool and “Avaterm” (a synthetic sealant that has appeared on the market recently).
Cedar blanks are laid with the northern (more “hardened”) side outward , dry birch dowels are used for fixing, which are mounted in each crown.
When choosing Russian technology make a “Siberian” bowl, cut in the top log and pointing down.
Canadian felling provides a tight and secure connection with an internal spike that self-locks under the weight of the felling.
Looks great on large-diameter logs diamond saw – a kind of Canadian felling. The diamond bowl is an elite cutting direction, its only drawback is the possibility of blowing through the corners due to the reduced log diameter. For a cedar house, with its high thermal efficiency, this disadvantage can be neglected.
Cedar houses from gun carriage are built very rarely, this is due to the high cost of the material and a large amount of waste. Most often, the customer stops at a semi-carriage – the logs are hemmed only on one side (inner), while the outside of the log house is decorated with beautiful roundness.

Smart Design

For the construction of a house or a bath, detailed logs are needed. These documents are included in the constructive sections of professional projects. The diagrams clearly show how many logs are needed for construction with given indicators (diameter, length).

Cutting charts help to save business cedar and rationally saw the existing blanks into logs of the desired size.

The standard log length is 6 meters. If the design of the log house involves the use of long lengths, several logs are interconnected. The connection method is indicated in the project documentation.

Connection with galvanized ties

The Royal Cedar company uses galvanized ties to connect the logs, which make it possible to achieve a rigid structure.

Technology features

In the connecting logs, a longitudinal cut is made, at the ends of which triangular grooves are created.
Washers are installed on both sides of the “stud”, which are fixed with nuts.
During assembly, the nuts are tightened, which ensures a rigid connection.
Interventional insulation is placed in the grooves, so the joints are not blown through.

Benefits of Method

This method was borrowed from Canadian carpenters. It has stood the test of time. The crowns connected by this technology do not differ in strength from monolithic logs.

Unlike metal staples, , which are used everywhere, “studs” have a large area of contact with the surface, thereby reducing the pressure on the wood.
Galvanized steel does not corrode, so wood rot does not occur. For additional protection of wood from biological damage, antiseptics are used.

Large diameter cedar building

When building a house from a log of large diameter, it is necessary to use a shooting type crane. It is constantly on the site, because the craftsmen cannot lift a multi-ton log manually.

Large log house is beautiful, monumental and authentic, so the owners go to high costs associated with the cost of material and installation. Such a house will serve almost forever, because after manual debarking (this is how the bark is separated from cedar round timber), a bast 5–7 cm thick remains. When finishing, the cutters do not remove it and it serves as a reliable protection for the log house.

Cedar diameter

The size of the cedar differs depending on the place of growth. In general, specimens grow in cedar forests, whose sizes are several times larger than pine.
It is problematic to find trees with a lower diameter of more than one and a half meters.
Most of the blanks have a lower diameter of 500-800 cm. The minimum size of a drill cedar at the top is 260-300 mm. Less – these are knotted trees with a large coefficient of curvature, which are not suitable for wooden housing construction.

Density of cedar

At 100% humidity, the weight of 1 m3 is 730 kg. With a decrease in humidity to 12%, one cubic meter of cedar weighs 450 kg.

The moisture content of sawn logs depends on the season. In winter, it is the smallest due to the minimum amount of internal moisture. In addition, over time, the tree more actively gives up moisture, and at a young age, on the contrary, it gains.

The maximum moisture content of cedar is 160% at a density of 950kg/m3. Ripe winter cedar has a density of 50% to 90%.

How to distinguish cedar from pine?

Cedar round timber is more expensive than its pine counterpart, it can be distinguished by the following features:

more attractive appearance;
less signs of warping;
practically no cracks;
there are more deep furrows on pine bark;
growing cedar 5-7 meters higher than pine;
cedar needles grow in bunches of 5 pieces, pine needles grow in pairs, so the cedar looks fluffier.

How to distinguish a cedar frame from a pine one?

In appearance, finished log cabins made of pine and cedar are similar. It is not easy to distinguish them, but there are four characteristic features:

Pine has a reddish hue.
The knots of cedar are smaller than those of pine.
Without finishing, cedar darkens faster.
The aroma of pine is less intense.

Beautiful and fragrant log cabins made of cedar, in which insects do not live, food does not get moldy and smells like a forest – this is the dream of many Russians. Such a mansion will increase the business prestige of the homeowner and improve the quality of life due to the ideal microclimate.

Is it possible to finish the sauna with Siberian cedar | Experts

Bagretsova Galina Vyacheslavovna

chief specialist

Cedar is a coniferous tree, which is endowed with healing properties that have a great effect on human health. Living quarters, balconies, steam rooms get off with its wood. Sauna from Siberian cedar – pros and cons, we will consider in this article.

I have heard a lot of controversy about how cedar lining behaves in a sauna. Usually those who opposed it turned out to be either Canadian cedar sellers or people who read reviews on the forums of the first, who did not deal with cedar wood.

Those who at least once worked with cedar, or went into a house trimmed with clapboard or a sauna, always speak enthusiastically about the wealth of our homeland – the Siberian cedar.

What will you learn in the article?

What is good about cedar and what properties distinguish it from larch and pine?
The role of a steam room made of cedar in the lives of our customers
Why we do not supply cedar lining without knots in the “Extra” grade

What is good about cedar and what properties distinguish it from larch and pine?

The benefits of cedar cladding are varied:

the texture of cedar is inferior to larch, but it looks beautiful, it has a calm, relaxing difference between hard and soft layers;
release of useful essential oils, especially clearly felt when heated;
excellent resistance to high temperatures, the panels retain the natural colors of the wood for a long time, and over time they slightly fade into a brownish color;
not high resin content, lining does not burn the skin, like cedar shelves, i. e. in terms of density, cedar wood does not differ from linden;
does not crack due to the short fibers contained in the wood, it does not even have end cracks;
cedar panels retain their geometry well, which is an important factor for a steam room, at high temperatures it does not lead, does not bend.

Photo 1. Cedar lining on the sauna ceiling

The role of a cedar steam room in the lives of our customers

Sauna from Siberian cedar quickly relieves fatigue, improves well-being for people with diseases of the lungs and cardiovascular system. A feature of cedar is the presence of short fibers in its wood, due to which it is easily bent, processed and polished. Also, the material does not rot over time.

Some of our customers, having mounted a cedar health cabinet in their house, open the door slightly, cooling the sauna, enjoying the aroma throughout the house.

Over the years of ‘s work, we have not heard a single complaint from that resin has flowed or any other troubles have happened, but a lot of people come to buy boards on the recommendation of relatives, friends and neighbors.

Photo 2. Photo of oblique cedar planken

What are the factors against the use of Siberian cedar for a sauna? After studying this issue for a long time, the specialists of our company came to the conclusion that such lumber is ideal for finishing steam room and there are no negative points with its use.

On the contrary, the Siberian cedar wins, in comparison with the Canadian one, at a more affordable price, while not inferior to it in quality and, most importantly, aroma!

Why don’t we supply cedar lining without knots in “Extra” grade

No flaws at all? – you ask.

Well, if you don’t consider a live knot on the face of the board as a disadvantage, then there really are no shortcomings. The knot is really alive, tightly fused with wood and at the same time having SUCH a HIGH concentration of gum, fragrant resin ( not to be confused with ordinary resin like pine or spruce ), that not even a single parasite and not a single mold takes root on this wood, and this, admit it, is very important in a humid steam room.

But the cedar lining without knots practically does not differ from the Angara pine EXTRA in smell. The concentration of flavor in knots… minus or plus – it’s up to you. For me personally, what emphasizes the natural origin of the material is not vice, but beauty.

Photo 3. Steam room sheathed with cedar clapboard, grade AB

Sauna from the Siberian cedar will bring a lot of pleasure from the time spent in it, relax and charge with positive emotions for a long time! Do not hesitate, do not listen to non-professionals, trust the experience of our company and purchase a cedar wagon for the steam room.

See how we can

October 10, 2019

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Russian sauna with wood trim in Shestovo

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310 000

14 days

KP Shestovo

01 April 2019

1503

Steam room shelf made of basswood treated with Teknos protectant

27 m ²

380 000

7 days

the village of Khotilovo

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1298

Russian sauna with a shelf made of linden in the village. Efremovka

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What is a cedar shell?

Cedar sheathing is a finishing material used to cover the exterior walls of a building. In North America, this product is more commonly known as “siding”, although it is referred to as “cladding” in much of Europe and Australia. This material is made using cedar wood and is known for its rich texture and heavy grain patterns. Cedar cladding is available in a variety of warm, natural colors ranging from amber to deep red-brown. It is also known for its unique, attractive scent that can last for years after installation.

When installing cedar cladding or siding, homeowners can choose between shingles or planks. Cedar shingles are installed in a row overlapping each other to create a look similar to a shingled or shingled roof. They can be smooth or coarsely textured, with coarser cuts and shingle textures known as “shakes” in much of the world. Shingles and shakes are available in many different sizes to suit the needs of any homeowner.

Planks or boards of cedar sheathing are stacked on top of each other, creating a look often referred to as “clapboard” siding. These boards can be beveled to provide a flat surface, or rectangular to add a little more texture and depth to the wall. Some cedar siding products are installed vertically to create a more traditional plank and plank style. Thinner horizontal cedar beams, known as battens, connect the vertical members and add a decorative element. Tongue and groove installation can be used to create a smooth cladding where the boards do not overlap like a hardwood floor.

Cedar cladding offers many advantages over other siding materials. It contains natural oils that help increase its resistance to moisture and humidity. Unlike traditional wood siding, cedar is unlikely to warp, curl, or rot, yet it still offers the rich beauty of wood. Cedar also contains air pockets that provide a high level of insulation and help minimize sound transmission through the walls of the home. This material is also very stable and durable and will last for years if properly installed.

Like all cladding materials, cedar requires regular maintenance to maintain its appearance and maximize its lifespan. Paint or stains must be applied every few years, and even unfinished cedar cladding must be sealed to minimize moisture and wear. Strong winds or extreme weather can damage the cedar, especially shingles or shivers. Luckily, cedar is fairly lightweight and easy to handle, making repairs or replacements a fairly straightforward task.

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what breed to choose for a wooden house in Novosibirsk

Brick, concrete, plastic, metal, glass – these materials surround us in the daily life of large cities that have turned into a “stone jungle”. It is not surprising that many people prefer to build country houses from the most natural, natural and environmentally friendly material – wood. Unlike bricks, various blocks based on concrete and reinforced concrete monolith, wooden houses are famous for their unique microclimate and level of readiness. If the walls from the listed categories need to be leveled with rough plaster, and then still do the fine finishing, wooden, if desired, you can simply paint with azure or soak with wax.

And in order to preserve the permeability of the tree and its ability to change the moisture balance, it is enough not to use film-forming coatings. And without them, there are enough products that can protect wood and emphasize its natural attractiveness for many years. Active demand motivates manufacturers to develop the industry, and today the choice of materials for wooden houses is extensive – chopped and rounded logs have been supplemented with steadily demanded profiled and glued beams. As for the types of wood, coniferous woods are traditionally used for the construction of log cabins, chosen for their high technical characteristics and beautiful texture. The most popular are pine and cedar, they can rightfully be considered leaders in demand. True connoisseurs prefer houses and baths made of cedar, let’s look at the reasons for their choice.

Cedar – features of a valuable breed
Specifications
Microclimate and decoration
Baths from cedar
Advantages of cedar profiled timber
Why it is more profitable to build from cedar

Cedar – features of a valuable breed

If pine can be equated with a mass-market product due to a combination of good physical and aesthetic properties and affordability, then cedar is already from the premium segment. This elite wood is characterized not only by outstanding heat-saving parameters and a stunning color scheme, coupled with an expressive texture, but is also a strong natural antiseptic. Siberian cedar, also known as Siberian cedar pine, also known as Pinus sibirica, as the name implies, grows in the vast forests of Siberia, is unique as well as the region itself, is considered one of the most valuable forest-forming species and a real national treasure. Mighty, forty-meter giants, without the intervention of our brother, are able to grow for half a century (300-500 years on average), or even 800 years. In young trees that have not reached the first century anniversary, the crown is in the form of a sharp pyramid, over time it turns into a wide-spreading, and even multi-topped, if the clubfoot, in an attempt to get to the nuts, managed to break the top. Finding safer and more environmentally friendly raw materials for your home is difficult, since cedar does not tolerate polluted air and grows only in regions clean of emissions.

Specifications

In technical terms, cedar wood is perfect – it is a durable, lightweight material with low thermal conductivity due to the special structure of the fibers. Since cedar grows for a very, very long time, but rather quickly, most of the trunk falls on “early” soft, porous wood. Which explains the lower weight and the ability to retain heat, freely removing moist air along the fiber. In terms of thermal conductivity, cedar is superior not only to pine, but also to spruce.

Cedar – 0.095 W / (m * C).
Spruce – 110 W / (m * C).
Pine – 150 W / (m * C).

That is, with an equal wall thickness, it will be almost half warmer in a cedar house, since it passes heated air less, and a beam of a standard section without additional insulation will pass according to the heat resistance standards of enclosing structures. Considering that energy tariffs are growing with enviable constancy, which cannot be said about income, the energy efficiency of a house today is as important as its strength, reliability and durability. A bonus of cedar walls, with the right roofing cake and adequate glazing, is also lower air conditioning costs in the summer, as the rooms remain cool and fresh air without auxiliary systems and equipment. Living in nature, such a factor as scaring away midges is also important – mosquitoes, flies, midges and other small, but very undesirable “neighbors” in terms of heat cause a lot of inconvenience. So, in a house made of cedar, this problem also does not arise because of the characteristic aroma.

Craftsmen also love cedar timber for the convenience of work – although in most cases house kits are manufactured in a factory way, certain improvements are still required during the assembly process. Cedar, on the other hand, with high strength, is quite soft and lends itself well even to hand tools, which simplifies fine-tuning.

Microclimate and decoration

Due to the large amount of flavonoids and essential oils that give it antiseptic properties, the breed is highly resistant to all types of biological damage. That is – the house will not only have an amazing aroma, which can never be achieved artificially with fragrances and fresheners, but it is not afraid of any rot, blue and various mosses with mushrooms in principle. For people with a weakened immune system, prone to various diseases caused by viruses and bacteria, their own cedar house will become an alternative to a hospital, since the air in it is not only sterile, but also healing. Quite real stories, when in a few months the residents had chronic rhinitis, and asthmatic attacks of shortness of breath became much less frequent.

Also, the cedar has the ability to accumulate and give off energy, charging a tired body with positive, for which it is especially appreciated by dendrotherapists. Perhaps this property is from the category of a placebo, but the fact that without any purifiers in the house is constantly fresh and safe air is quite enough. The outstanding antiseptic properties of wood are evidenced by the fact that it was cedar oil that the Egyptians used in mummification, and it did an excellent job with the task. When construction is carried out in conditions of high humidity, permanent impregnations with antiseptics and water repellents become a panacea for wooden houses. Cedar timber, even without such protective manipulations, is resistant to moisture and only becomes stronger every year. If desired, antiseptic compounds can be used during assembly, but there is no real need for their use, since the properties of the wood itself are similar to the action of chemistry and duplication is only relevant for complacency.

In terms of decorativeness, cedar has no equal at all – all shades of pink, from the most delicate, dawn, to rich, crimson, plus “coffee with milk”, and sunny, yellow-pink tones. The most expressive in terms of color is the Canadian, red cedar, its wood is similar to a ripe grapefruit in the context, which undoubtedly looks bewitching. But this breed, even in the elite segment, stands apart, and only a few can afford a cottage in a juicy, red, with a scarlet tint. If you really want a similar shade, but for less money, you should take a closer look at the domestic, Altai cedar. For those who like a calmer, pastel range, Krasnoyarsk cedar, with the color of a tea rose, as well as Khakass, Tomsk or Irkutsk, with their yellowish-pink and coffee shades, will be an excellent choice. It is quite possible to preserve the original color scheme, modern natural-based products prevent visual changes, provided that the coatings are regularly updated. Neglect of treatments in principle, does not entail any consequences for the technical condition of the house, only the color of the facade will gradually go into a red-brown tone of various saturation in a relatively short period of time.

Cedar baths

It is precisely because of the resistance to moisture and pathogenic microflora that develops in conditions of waterlogging, as well as because of the healing properties, that not only houses, but also the best baths are also built from cedar. When the walls are heated, oils and phytoncides are more actively released, having a beneficial effect on the body of bathers. And the harsh temperature and humidity regime inherent in this building, cedar, with its minimal absorbency, endures without consequences. Yes, and heating a cedar bath, for example, a barrel that is popular today, is easier than a brick or log cabin made of wood of another species. It not only warms up faster, but also keeps heat longer, allowing you to use less fuel. Well, no less important aspect is the interior decoration, which for many is no less significant than the right steam. Cedar cladding and cedar shelves are considered the standard of bath business, having built a brick or block building, a steam room and a sink are specially sheathed with cedar clapboard. Whereas during the construction of a bath from this material, it remains to assemble only the shelves, the lining will already be ready. And if the owners of baths from other materials are forced to strictly monitor the level of humidity and whether the bath has dried out after regular procedures, those who have them from cedar simply enjoy the fragrant steam.

Advantages of cedar profiled timber

For a long time, the adherents of wooden housing construction had only two options for wall materials – a hand-cut log and a machine-cut log, rounded. The main disadvantage of a rounded log is its susceptibility to putrefactive processes associated with the removal of a protective natural layer, but when it comes to cedar, this problem is not worth it. However, in recent years, log cabins have given way to houses made of profiled timber. And this is due both to the greater manufacturability of this material and the assembly method itself, and to the visual component. From a log, no matter how hard you try, it is impossible to assemble a house in a modern style. Even with an attic, at least one floor, even with extensions under the chalet – a hut, it is a hut, even with beautiful architecture. The beam, in this regard, is universal, both habitual cottages and cube houses with flat operated or inverted roofs are built from it. The popularity of timber is also evidenced by the fact that one of the most sought-after finishing facade and interior materials is precisely its imitation. And not only from the wood itself of smaller thickness, but also from polymers, metal and even fiber cement.

Profiled timber is more technologically advanced than ordinary, planed, and more affordable and natural than glued. This is the optimal wall material for wooden houses, both for seasonal arrivals and for permanent residence all year round. Naturally, provided that the section is chosen correctly, and the assembly of the house kit is carried out in compliance with the technology. Due to the minimum thermal conductivity, cedar profiled timber with a section of 200 × 200 mm can be used without additional insulation even in cold regions, not to mention the middle zone or warm, southern climate. Yes, and caulks of walls made of profiled timber are not required, since a specialized heat-insulating material laid between the crowns, coupled with a groove fixation system, is enough to ensure the tightness of the box. And since the groove system and insulation block the access of cold air and prevent blowing, then a modern “warm seam” after shrinkage is also not needed.

Cedar timber, among other advantages, is also practically not subject to cracking, even if we are talking about a material of natural moisture, which makes it possible to minimize finishing work inside and on the facade. As the owners of houses note, where the pine is twisted by a “helicopter”, the cedar remains even and does not create problems. And given its perfect geometry, chic color and stunning texture, it is enough to cover the walls with transparent oil or wax to emphasize their beauty. That is, you can safely do without fixing defects, and the rough finish is reduced to grinding. And this is a real opportunity to save on materials, and on performers, and on interior design. The walls themselves look like a decoration and do not need an abundance of decor, properly selected textiles, the necessary furnishings, and the house is ready to move in.

Why is it more profitable to build from cedar

Despite the increased interest in cedar in recent years, houses made of cheaper, profiled pine timber are still more common. This type of wood also has a number of advantages, and the house will delight its owners for decades, but cedar is not in vain in the elite segment. It is both warmer and more attractive, and is not afraid of moisture, and has healing properties, and its durability rolls over. But often the choice is not between good and best, they choose what at the moment seems cheaper. And for some reason they do not think about the future – that the share of wall material in the total building volume is only 30%, and with this approach, the difference in the price of a cubic meter is not so significant. And also that in the future, walls that conduct less heat will save on energy, and our heating season is six months or more. Yes, and the cost of puttying cracks and their masking due to paint with high hiding power, it is not customary to immediately consider, but in vain.

If we calculate all the associated costs, including operating costs, a house made of cedar timber is not an unbearable pleasure, but a rational investment in liquid suburban real estate. Naturally, provided that the beam or house kit is ordered from a reliable manufacturer and pine is not brought under the guise of cedar. It is visually quite difficult for a non-professional to distinguish one species from another, especially if you have not had to deal with cedar wood before. But the characteristic aroma cannot be faked, in pine the smell is less pronounced and with a coniferous tint, while in cedar it is more intense and with a balsamic character.

House Cladding – Everything You Need to Know About Timber Cladding Your House

What is Cladding on a House?

Benefits of Timber Cladding

External Timber Cladding Materials for Houses

Tips for Cladding your House

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Best Timber for Cladding | Exterior Wood Types, Species & Profiles

Exterior timber cladding: a quick introduction

What is timber cladding?

Why should I choose timber cladding for my project?

What’s the best timber for external cladding?

1. Western Red Cedar

2. Siberian Larch

3. Alaskan Yellow Cedar

4. Douglas Fir

5. European Oak

6. Thermo-Ayous, ThermoWood & other modified timbers

Pricing up your project: how much does cladding cost in different types of timber?

Exterior cladding profiles: different types, styles, designs, options & examples

V-Groove

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