CI/SfB

(41) Yi

UDC 69.022.32
wood information

SECTION 1 SHEET 20
REVISED MAY 1993 £2.00

External timber cladding

Timber cladding can be used to achieve a variety of As an alternative to profiled boards, planed, or
patterns, textures and colours on buildings. A sawn finished square edged boards can be fixed
number of standard profiles are available from vertically as board on board, or board on batten
most timber merchants (Figure 1) but specific cladding. Modifying the sizes or relationship
sections may be machined to order if a reasonable between the front and rear boards can produce a
quantity is required. Some standard profiles are wide range of different patterns (Figure 2).
included in BS 1186 Part 3 `Specification for wood
SPECIES
trim and its fixings', but specifiers should satisfy
themselves that the chosen profile is available and Timber used for cladding should be straight
is suitable for the intended use. Non standard grained and free from open defects (eg excessive
profiles should be checked with the supplier to splits and open knot holes) which could allow water
ensure suitability for machining. penetration.
The joint overlap in interlocking boards should be Durability
sufficient to accommodate movement of the board
The 1991 E ngl and and Wales Building
resulting from seasonal changes in moisture
Regulations and 1990 Scottish Regulations
content. Some board profiles intended for internal
recommend that materials likely to be adversely
use are not suitable for external use, where 10mm
affected by moisture, eg non-durable species or
i s th e mi n i mu m s a ti sfactor y overl ap. A
the sapwood of any species, should be protected,
proportionally larger allowance should be made for
either by suitable design or by preservative
boards over 100mm wide. Board profiles with
treatment. TRADA interprets this as meaning that
tongued and grooved edges should normally be
non-durable species of timber should be treated
restricted to 100mm in width. With dimensions
with preservatives. BS 1186 : Part 3 lists timbers
larger than this the risk of slight distortion
and their need for treatment.
preventing alignment and fit increases and wider
boards should generally employ a simple overlap Acceptable preservative treatments are either
principle to avoid the problem. pressure impregnation using water-borne copper
chromium arsenic (CCA) treatment or double
vacuum impregnation using organic solvent
Horizontal boarding Horizontal or diagonal boarding preservative. Detailed specifications for the
preservative treatment of timber cladding are
min
6mm provided in BS 5589 'Code of practice for the
preservation of timber'. None of the approved
30mm lap
30mm lap

15m m lap
20mm lap

fixing methods of application include brushing or

spraying, except on limited areas of freshly
exposed timber resulting from on-site cutting or
drilling.
Timber treated with water-borne preservatives
must be redried after treatment. The Control of
Square edge Feather edge Rebated feather Rebated shiplap
150mm max edge 150mm 150mm max
width max width width
Horizontal, vertical or diagonal
boarding

Tongued and grooved v-jointed (secret nailed,

tongue uppermost) 100mm max width

horizontal batten groove for ventilation,

Modified tongue and groove v-jointed drainage and
(secret nailed, tongue uppermost if stress relief
horizontal) 100mm max width
Vertical or diagonal boarding

Tongued and grooved (secret nailed, tongue Boards and battens should each be single nailed
uppermost) 100mm max width across their width to allow for movement.
Longitudinal movement may be considered negligible

Figure 2 Examples of variations in appearance by

Figure 1 Examples of cladding profiles different boards or batten claddings

1 900253B
Pesticides Regulations require that 'treated wood bonding should be equivalent to the weather and
should be held for 48 hours, or until dry, before boil proof (WBP) requirements of BS 6566 Part 8
dispatch or erection'. 'Specification of bond performance for veneer
plywood' or equal exterior adhesive and the sheets
The Northern Ireland Regulations require that
should be marked with the appropriate grade
timbers used as cladding should be naturally
stamp. However, the fact that plywood is bonded
durable (excluding sapwood) or be subject to
with a WBP adhesive does not automatically mean
preservative treatment. The requirements are set
that it is suitable for cladding. Most plywood is
out in Part B and detailed in the table to B4.
manufactured from non-durable or moderately
Cladding boards should be not less than 16mm
durable species of timber and should be treated in
thick except for shaped boards which may be
accordance with BS 5268 Part 5 'Preservative
minimum 6mm thick at their thinnest edge.
treatments for timber'. Edges subsequently cut
The timbers most commonly used for cladding in should be retreated by a liberal brush application of
the UK are softwoods, such as European redwood, preservative. The only exception is plywood
European whitewood or Western red cedar. manufactured in accordance with BS 1088 and
European redwood and whitewood are similar in 4 0 79 ' P l ywood for mar i ne craft' . Further
colour and appearance except that redwood information on the specification of appropriate
generally has fewer, but larger, knots than plywood is included in TRADA WI Sheet
whitewood. The difference is not usually noticeable 'Specification and treatment of exterior plywood'.
unl e ss t he t wo s pec i e s a re m i xe d a n d Quality
subsequently treated with a translucent finish.
The selection of timber for cladding normally
Western red cedar is a naturally durable timber; it occurs at two stages. Prior to machining, the
can be left to weather naturally to a silver grey supplier chooses a commercial grade which will
colour or can be finished with a decorative stain. It produce a consistent quantity of suitable quality
is available as shingles as well as various board, taking into account the species to be used.
machined board profiles. Shingles are made by The cladding is then delivered to site for fixing
sawing and splitting sections to form tapered tiles where a further selection can be made as each
approximately 400mm long and 75 to 300mm wide. board is cut to length. Local unacceptable defects
Shingles in Britain are normally supplied treated, can be cut out and with care economic use of the
usually with CCA to improve their long term boards can be achieved. The specifier should
durability. Cedar shingles can be treated with non- indicate the required quality of the finished
leaching flame retardant to satisfy AA fire rating to cladding and should ensure that this is brought to
BS 476: Part 3 'External fire exposure roof test' the attention of the supplier or fixing contractor, to
using a non- leaching treatment. Full information allow him to select from the most appropriate
on the correct application, fixing and detailing of commercial grade.
shingles is provided by the UK suppliers and a list
of suppliers may be obtained from the Council of BS 1186 Part 3 covers timber cladding. It may be
Forest Industries of British Columbia, 131 Upper used in conjunction with Parts 1 and 2 to provide a
Richmond Road, London SW15 2TR. basic specification for the quality of material. Four
classes of timber are defined for use for wood trim:
Douglas fir has some similar characteristics to
Western red cedar and, although rated moderately
durable, is accepted by BS 1186 as suitable for Class 1 for high quality or specialised trim
external trim without treatment. Western hemlock Class 2 } for general purpose trim, using spe-
has straight grain and even texture but does Class 3 } cies such as European redwood or
require treatment if it is to be used externally. whitewood, or hardwood
Class CSH for trim made from `clear' grades of
Plywood should be at least 9mm thick to satisfy fire softwood and hardwood
performance and durability criteria and must be
manufactured for external use. The adhesive

Table 1 Cladding timbers - from BS 1186 : Part 3

Desired service life of 60 years

- without treatment, sapwood excluded: - with treatment to BS 5589 Category A
Timbers rated as very durable or durable
HARDWOOD eg SOFTWOOD eg HARDWOOD eg SOFTWOOD eg
American mahogany
Iroko Western red cedar European redwood
European oak
Utile

Desired service life of 30 years

- without treatment, sapwood excluded: - with treatment to BS 5589 Category B
Timbers rated as very durable, durable or moderately dura-
ble
African mahogany Douglas fir (imported) Meranti European redwood
Lauan / Seraya European whitewood
African walnut Western hemlock

2
 Classes 1, 2 and 3 are obtainable in commercially
available softwood and hardwood. Class 1 will
require special selection and consequently be
more costly; it is therefore only appropriate if the
timber is to be left clear finished and knots are not
visually acceptable. Softwoods such as Douglas
fir, Western red cedar and hemlock can be
supplied to Class 1 or even CSH grade, although
this is not normally used for external cladding
because of the high cost. Class 3 is normally
accepted as a serviceable quality for most cladding
applications. When redwood is specified, the
resinous nature of the wood should be borne in
mind, particularly when used on south facing walls.
Where European softwoods, such as redwood and
whitewood, are required to achieve a high visual
quality, Class 2 can be specified.
MOISTURE CONTENT
BS 1186 Part 3 recommends a moisture content of
13-19% for external trim and sets out the methods
to be employed in measuring the moisture content.
FIXINGS
The most common method of fixing timber
cladding is by lost head nails. These should be hot
dipped galvanised steel or a corrosion resistant
metal such as silicon bronze, aluminium, stainless
steel or copper. Annular ring shank nails give
improved holding. Nail length should normally be
2.5x the thickness of the board being fixed (2x the
board thickness for annular ring shank nails). Nails
should be punched below the board surface and
stopped with a suitable filler before finishing if an
Figure 3 Typical horizontal boarding details opaque finish is to be used.
When CCA treated Western red cedar is used, it is
advisable to avoid the use of aluminium nails and to
ensure that a minimum of 7 days elapses after
treatment before fixing the cladding to avoid risk of
the nails corroding.
Detailing
Cladding boards are normally fixed to preservative
treated battens nailed to the masonry or timber
frame substrate. Battens should not be less than
19mm thick and 38mm wide to avoid the risk of
splitting when nailed. Vertical battens must
coincide with studs, and horizontal battens should
be spaced at maximum 600mm centres. When
battens span horizontally between counter
battens, or between studs without sheathing
directly behind to provide support, a thicker batten
is necessary to conform with the required
thickness for nail penetration.

Figure 5 Vertical junction between timber cladding and

Figure 4 Typical board on board cladding details adjoining masonry

3 900253B
Figure 6 Typical window detail to horizontal shiplap
boarding

The battens provide a cavity for the drainage of any horizontally or diagonally, the groove must always
water which may penetrate the cladding and also face downwards to avoid collecting water. Water
ventilation to the back face of the cladding, will tend to travel in a horizontal as well as a vertical
permitting any moisture to evaporate. With direction and the edge details must allow for
horizontal boards the vertical battens create this adequate drainage from the ends. It is preferable to
cavity (Figure 3), but when vertical boarding is avoid any direct junctions between diagonally
used and the battens run horizontally, provision for opposed boards (ie boards in a V formation)
drainage and ventilation must be considered. because of the quantity of water that can collect at
Board profiles which provide continuous space the junction.
behind the back face, such as board-on-board,
It is good practice to finish cladding at least 150mm
have been shown to work satisfactorily when fixed
above ground level or above any other horizontal
to horizontal battens, with short gaps at intervals,
projection, to avoid excessive wetting and
or to battens fixed diagonally. Profiles that have a
consequent discolouration due to splashing off the
tight flat back face require vertical counter battens
horizontal surface.
behind the horizontal battens to provide a clear
vertical space for drainage. Sharp edges or arrises should be avoided since
these tend to induce early failure of finishes and
Boards should be end jointed over battens and it is
are vulnerable to handling damage. A minimum
good practice to splay cut the ends of vertical boards
3mm radius is recommended for all arrises on
at joints to assist in shedding water away from the
profiled planed sections.
end grain. By using offcut lengths around door and
window openings the number of butt end joints can Figures 3 to 6 illustrate typical solutions to common
be minimised. Site-cut ends of preservative treated cladding details for horizontal and vertical boards.
cladding should be liberally brushed with additional
preservative to maintain protection. Plywood cladding should be fixed to a similar
framework of battens as timber boarding to allow
Corners and junctions with doors and windows ventilation to the back face and drainage of
require careful detailing to ensure durability, avoid moisture behind the panels. It is essential that edge
leakage and give a satisfactorily neat appearance. detailing is correct since this is the potentially
When horizontal boarding is used, it is important vulnerable part of the sheet. Typical panel and
either to protect the end grain of the boards or to junction details are shown in Figure 7. Simple butt
provide space at the ends to allow for drying out joints which rely on mastic as a seal are not
and for future maintenance of any finish. Where effective in the long term and a treated softwood or
timber cladding abuts masonry, a clearance should hardwood batten should be used to cover the joints
be left to avoid the boarding absorbing moisture, and fixings. The cover batten should have anti-
and to improve ventilation to any end grain (Figure capillary grooves to drain away any water that may
5). When tongued and grooved boards are fixed otherwise collect between the plywood and batten.

4
In addition, a minimum gap of 10mm should be left Plywood may also be obtained completely pre-
between the edges of the plywood. In most finished with heavy resin coatings which, to date,
situations, this gap can be left open as an show promising exterior durability. Some have
additional drainage channel, but in very exposed mineral chippings embedded in heavy resin which
conditions it may be preferred to incorporate a can provide an attractive durable surface. These
compressible seal or fully fill it with mastic. The heavy textured coatings will reduce maintenance
plywood edges should be sealed with a minimum to a minimum, but, because they create a virtually
of two coats of wood primer or water repellent impermeable layer on the outside, it is particularly
finish, plus, if the edge is to remain exposed, the full important that the inner face is well ventilated to
finishing system which is applied to the panel face. avoid moisture build-up in the plywood.
Plywood sheets can have one or both faces FIRE PERFORMANCE
sanded; the type selected will depend on the finish
Wood and wood-based materials may be used for
to be applied. Textured or plank effect plywoods are
cladding in England, Wales and Scotland providing
also available as proprietary cladding boards.
that they satisfy the spread of flame requirements of
FINISHES the Building Regulations, either inherently or by
appropriate treatment. The Northern Ireland
Timber boarding can be painted, varnished or
Regulations allow the use of a suitable plywood or
stained although the number of joints will tend to
tempered hardboard to BS 1142 as cladding but
cause skin forming finishes such as paint to crack.
preclude the use of other board materials. All UK
Varnishes are also particularly vulnerable to this
regulations have an 'unprotected area' rule which
and should only be used on boarding which is well
controls the extent to which combustible claddings
protected and where regular and frequent
may be used. Wood and the majority of wood-based
maintenance is acceptable. Guidance on the
products, either treated or untreated cannot be
appropriate paint and its application will be found in
included within a 'non-combustible' or 'limited
BRE Digest 261 'Painting woodwork'.
combustibility' category. Some wood-based materials
Exterior stain finishes do not rely upon an intact such as wood cement board are acceptable if their fire
skin to provide protection and are probably the performance can be substantiated by test to BS 476:
most appropriate choice where a high gloss finish Part 11 'Method for assessing the heat emission from
is not required. Details may be found in the WI building materials' 1982.
Sheet 'Finishes for exterior timber'. The first coat of
Note: 'Unprotected area' in relation to an external
finish should be applied to the face, back and
wall of a building means any opening, eg a door or
edges of boards before fixing. This will avoid the
window, or any part of an external wall having less
exposure of any untreated surfaces should slight
fire resistance than that required for the building
withdrawal of the overlap or tongue occur, as well
group and any part of the external wall having
as providing additional protection to the concealed
combustible material more than 1mm thick to its
faces of the board. Although applying stains to
outer surface. H ow ever, to s im plif y t he
sawn rather than planed surfaces will take up more
requirements certain small openings can be
stain initially, far longer periods between recoating
disregarded.
can be expected (possibly up to three times as
long). The wall area on which wood based materials may
be used as cladding depends upon the proximity of
Exterior stains are also suitable for plywood, and
the building to the relevant boundary. The
medium to high build stains or paints will reduce
regulations do not permit timber cladding when the
the risk of surface checking of the face veneer,
building is less than 1m from the relevant boundary
particularly opaque types. Plywood can be
or higher than 20m above the ground (15m in
obtained presealed with a factory applied coating
Scotland and Northern Ireland). Within these limits
known as a 'resin overlay' which stabilises the
the cladding may be of wood or wood based
surface veneers and provides a very smooth final
material if it is at least 9mm thick, or is a material
finish.
which has an index of performance (I) not more
than 20. It will still be subject to the unprotected
area rules, but if the wall has the required fire
resistance and is 1m or more from the boundary,
the combustible material area may be reduced by
half when calculating the unprotected area.
In England and Wales the requirements are given
in Approved Document B4. In Scotland the details
of the unprotected area rule are found in
Regulation D2.6. The relevant section of the
Northern Ireland Regulations is E7.
Note: For a boundary to be 'relevant' it must either
coincide with or be parallel to an external wall or be
at not more than 80° to the external wall. Where the
boundary is a street, railway, canal or river it can be
taken as extending to the centreline of the street
etc.
The total permitted unprotected area in small
residential buildings in England and Wales of not
Figure 7 Plywood cladding, typical junction details more than 3 storeys and not more than 24m long is:

5 900253B
 junctions between compartment walls and roofs or
Minimum distance from Maximum total unpro- external walls, regardless of the cladding used.
building (m) tected area (m2) They must be of non-combustible material (eg
1.0 5.6 mineral wool or non-combustible board). Where
3.0 18 timber cladding passes over the end of a
6.0 no limit compartment wall, in any wall construction, the
cavity between the cladding and the wall must be
fire stopped.
Cavity barriers and fire stops TIMBER CLADDING AS PART OF A THERMAL
Cavity barriers are required in certain locations, in IMPROVEMENT SCHEME
external walls to restrict the movement and Where additional insulation is to be added
penetration of smoke and flame. Houses and flats externally to improve the thermal insulation of solid
require them at junctions with compartment walls masonry walled buildings, timber cladding can be
or floors and at eaves and verges. In Scotland and used to protect the insulation material fitted
Northern Ireland they are also required at between battens. Battens must be thick enough to
intermediate floors and around openings, and also provide sufficient space for the insulation and
at 15m vertical distances in Scotland: 8m vertical provisions for some ventilation behind the
distances in Northern Ireland. For other building cladding. 60mm of mineral wool insulation
types, see the relevant regulations. Cavity barriers incorporated into the cladding in this manner
are usually of mineral wool or preservatively improves the 'U' value of the wall from 2.13 to 0.45
treated timber, at least 38mm x cavity dimension W/m2K and 80mm further improves the value to
(details of other suitable materials are given in the 0.37 W/m2K (values corrected for, on average 10%
Regulations). timber battening). Alternatively rigid foam boards
Timber framed buildings require fire stops at the can be used to achieve similar performance but
with less insulation thickness.

REFERENCES DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND

BRITISH STANDARDS THE WELSH OFFICE The Building Regulations
1991. Approved Documents B Fire. B2/3/4 Fire
BS 476 Fire tests on building materials and spread. HMSO. 1992.
structures
Part 3 External fire exposure roof test. 1975 UK PARLIAMENT Building and Buildings. The
Part 11 Method for assessing the heat emission Building Standards (Scotland) Regulations 1990.
from building materials. 1982 Statutory Instruments No 2179 (S187). HMSO.
1990.
BS 1088 and 4079 Plywood for marine craft. 1966
NORTHERN IRELAND PARLIAMENT Building
BS 1142 Fibre building boards Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1990. Statutory
Part 2 Medium board and hardboard. 1989 rules of Northern Ireland 1990 No 59. HMSO. 1990
(as amended).
BS 1186 Timber for and workmanship in joinery
Part 1 Specification for timber. 1986
Part 3 Specification for wood trim and its fixing. BUILDING RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENT
1990
Painting exterior woodwork. BRE Digest 354.
BS 5268 The structural use of timber 1990.
Part 5 Preservative treatments for constructional
Timbers - their natural durability and resistance to
timber. 1989
preservative treatment. BRE Digest 296. 1985.
BS 5589 Code of practice for the preservation of
timber. 1989
TRADA WOOD INFORMATION SHEETS
BS 6566 Plywood
2/3-1 Finishes for exterior timber
Part 8 Specification for bond performance of
veneer plywood. 1985 2/3-10 Timbers - their properties and uses
2/3-11 Specification and treatment of exterior
BUILDING REGULATIONS plywood
UK PARLIAMENT Building and Buildings. The 2/3-20 Edge sealants for wood based boards
Building Regulations 1991. Statutory Instruments
1991 No 2768. HMSO. 1991.

TIMBER RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION

Stocking Lane, Hughenden Valley,

High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP14 4ND, UK
Telephone: +44 (0)494 563091
Fax: +44 (0)494 565487 Telex: 83292

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the advice given, the Association cannot accept liability for loss or damage arising from the use of the
information supplied.
© TRADA 1993 Printed in England