Why use timber cladding

Timber cladding offers designers a unique combination of practical, aesthetic and environmental advantages:

Practical advantages include:

• It’s a lightweight material offering protective and decorative design functions
• Dry installation means external envelope is quicker to install
• Elimination of heavy masonry outer walls reduces size and cost of foundations.
• Cladding panels may be factory pre-fabricated complete with insulation and breather membrane.
• Wide choice of softwoods, hardwoods and modified woods to suite all budgets.
• Performance easily enhanced by preservative treatment, wood modification, flame retardants and surface coatings
• Outstanding thermal and sound insulation properties
• Suitable for both new build and renovation projects
• Ease of repair

Aesthetics advantages

• Timber is a natural material, warm and comforting
• It is attractive in grain and colour
• Wide availability of styles, textures and finish options encourages design innovation.
• Easily rejuvenated or redecorated

Environmental advantages

• Timber is a renewable resource
• Source certification schemes ensure its sustainability
• Low carbon footprint - requires less energy to produce than any other construction material
• Growing trees remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. Using wood stimulates the expansion of managed forests to absorb more of this global warming gas.
• Major potential for re-use or recycling at end of life

As climate change and CO₂ reduction assumes growing importance in building design, timber cladding provides the ideal cost effective solution. Specifying timber has major environmental benefits over other materials.
To find out more, read Tackle Climate Change: Use Wood