Timber Cladding: How To Preserve The Stunning Appearance Of Your Home

In many projects, timber cladding is a practical and affordable solution for indoor and outdoor uses. Timber is the material of choice for new construction and renovations throughout Australia because of its unmatched beauty, toughness, and lifespan. In building design and contemporary architecture, it is rising in popularity. Wood cladding has various variants, including traits, ageing style, and upkeep requirements.

Like any wood, lumber exposed to the elements for an extended length of time can experience changes that, if left untreated, may cause it to deteriorate. Naturally, certain timber products are more resistant to this impact than others.

While Western Red Cedar is a softwood, it exhibits the characteristics of a hardwood in terms of its resistance to decay, but it may require treatment to keep some of its colours. Over time, all wood cladding will need some upkeep; this may involve keeping it clean or require re-treating or coating.

Problems To Avoid When Installing Timber Cladding On Your House

Timber cladding is prone to ageing and eventual disintegration, just like any wood. To maintain your cladding in fantastic shape and looking beautiful, be on the lookout for the following issues and take prompt action.

1 Shape Change

With water absorption and drying off, wood will swell and shrink. It is a normal process that you cannot stop, but it should always be considered when deciding where to place the cladding and installing it. When putting the cladding, a qualified installer of timber cladding will make room for this.

2 Inconsistent UV Exposure And Weathering

Uneven weathering of external timber cladding can be caused by UV exposure in various locations. One side of a structure with many sides of cladding will probably weather more since it receives considerable amounts of sunshine, wind, and rain. You have little influence over this, but you should know that the appearance will change over time.

3 Algae And Mould

On timber panelling, mould and algae can develop in wet environments. Fungus and insects coming into contact with the exposed timber cladding might potentially be the cause of this. It is a common issue for timber cladding that is always shaded and not exposed to direct sunlight. Cleaning the wood frequently may stop the growth of mould and algae.

Maintenance Options For Your Timber Cladding

Following these three easy actions, you can keep your cladding in fantastic condition for many years.

Take Care Of Your Wood Siding

While deeper colours may still fade, UV-protected paint will help keep the timber from silvering. Treated wood often lasts longer than untreated wood and is far more likely to preserve its colour, protecting it against water and UV rays. Select from various coatings and coloured, water-based paints made especially for wood, or go with opaque layers that provide higher levels of UV protection.

Clean With A Pressure Washer

If your wood cladding hasn’t been coated or treated with a preservative, pressure washers are a great way to clean it because the water will damage those treatments. Try a corner of the cladding before proceeding to ensure you won’t harm the wood. Reduce the pressure if it’s too high to keep the wood cladding from suffering any harm. The time spent cleaning is significantly reduced when using pressure washers, and the pressure’s strength will remove any mould or algae growing on the external timber cladding surface.

Experts Should Install Your Cladding

Fitting wood cladding is more complicated than it first appears. Making sure that the cladding is installed and done correctly will safeguard your investment and extend the life of the timber. A skilled installer will be able to consider weathering and make a provision for the wood’s movement.

Why Should You Preserve Your Timber Cladding?

The exterior component most vulnerable to climatic aggression is timber cladding. Some claddings, like wood composite cladding, don’t need to be maintained. You must use a brush, water, and black soap to clean the wooden cladding. All other types of wood require routine maintenance. If you don’t treat your wood siding, it will eventually turn grey or tarnish from exposure to rain and UV rays.

Regular maintenance of your wooden cladding is advised to prevent the need for an expensive and time-consuming renovation. A wood siding treatment should be applied every two years, ideally, or even annually on average. When to keep your wooden siding is something you can decide for yourself. Secure your cladding when a grey colour starts to show up or when there is too much damage that is obvious. 

A variety of treatments are available to treat wood siding, including:

• Products for maintenance: saturators and stains to shield the timber from environmental dangers (bad weather, sun, rain, etc.).
• Products for renovation: degreasers that brighten dark wood.
• Methods to prevent or eliminate parasites (wood borers and fungi).

Conclusion

Any house or business structure may benefit from cladding, and with the proper maintenance, your timber cladding designs can last for many years. Keep in mind that every piece of timber is unique. Therefore, it’s crucial to examine it frequently so you can meet the particular requirements of your cladding.