In Europe, timber construction is becoming increasingly popular among investors, architects, and contractors. However, there are still many mistakes made when building wooden structures. In order to avoid them, it is enough to follow the most important recommendations of specialists in the industry, and in case of doubt, seek the help of a professional. Below you can find the most important information about the wood cladding wall exterior.
What determines wood cladding system durability?
The strength of our façade depends primarily on the thickness and profile of the panels. The most common profile is a rectangular plank 16mm thick and up to 150mm wide. Planks with rim, imitating a wall made of solid logs, have more varied cross-sections. Typically, boards with rectangular and diagonal cross-sections, as well as bevels, are assembled in an overlapping pattern, so that the top board overlaps the bottom board. All sharp edges and chamfers on the board should be gently rounded because they like to peel, which in turn leads to damage to the paint and moisture penetration into the board.
In the case of wood cladding wall exterior, the boards should keep the outer surface. The impregnate is better absorbed by the surface that has not been sanded, creating better protection against harmful weather conditions. The wood panels should be fastened open side facing outwards.
How to choose the length of wood boards?
Softwood façade boards are available in lengths up to 4.8m. Hardwood planks are available in sizes 2-4 m. Tropical timber cladding, on the other hand, can usually be purchased in sizes from 2.1 to 4.2 m. The length of the boards’ influences what architectural solutions using timber cladding can be implemented.
Wood cladding wall exterior – which type to choose?
Horizontal siding
For wood cladding wall exterior, it is best to use horizontal siding. There are several ways to do this: overlapping, flange overlapping, open joint and tongue and groove.
The width of the boards should not exceed 150 mm, and the width of the overlay should be at least 25 mm. 25 mm. It is recommended that a gap of about 2 mm should be kept between the boards to prevent warping.
An open joint is formed by maintaining a gap between the individual façade boards. In this case, parallelogram planks are used, but the plank profiles can vary.
An open façade does not provide adequate protection against the weather and UV rays. To protect the layers under the open façade, use the wooden panels with partially chamfered longitudinal edges. Keep an open joint between the boards, i.e. 8-15 mm distance between the chamfered edges of the boards. This will reduce the harmful effects of sunlight.
For tongue and groove boards, do not use boards wider than 125 mm and the tongue length should be min. 10 mm. There should be a 2mm gap between the boards. Rounded or chamfered edges will prevent water from getting onto the surface of the cladding. Always install the boards with the tongue facing up.
Diagonal siding
The diagonal boards are laid at a 45 degree angle and fixed to a vertical grid. Two systems are used for board cladding: overlapping joints and tongue and groove joints. The same rules apply as for horizontally laid boards.
Vertical siding
Plank cladding installed vertically has three systems: overlapping, tongue and groove and board-on-board.
Vertical siding usually requires two perpendicular grids, one vertical and one horizontal. The vertical grid is placed on the wall first to ensure proper ventilation under the cladding. The horizontal grid attached to the vertical grid is the base for the wooden cladding.
