British Larch Rainshield Cladding

We provide British Larch Rainscreen cladding in our IWC8 profile. Rainshield is a type of cladding where the boards are lined up with a small gap between them of around 12mm (click on 'more information' next to the profile above for a diagram).

Our Fresh Sawn British Larch is supplied in a Merchantable grade and is ideal for external use. British larch contains knots which makes it one of the more characterful timbers we supply.

There is a lot of variation in the colour of British Larch meaning the boards can be anything from pale reddish-brown to brick red. The variety in the wood can leave you with a very unique product and a lot of people like to keep that uniqueness by treating their timber with UV protection so that it doesn’t weather and turn silvery grey, but it is entirely your choice.

British timbers are some of our more in demand species as people look to source their wood locally. Not only are British timbers favourable on price they are also high quality and great for a number of outdoor uses. Our Larch is sourced from well managed forests which want to make timber a more sustainable resource which means that supply will continue to be strong and, just as importantly, the environment will be protected.

The lengths of our British Larch Rainscreen cladding are usually supplied 3m and longer to match the coverage you specify. We can provide exact lengths if you require however we will have to check we can get hold of those lengths before we can process your order. In these cases, please call us before ordering so that we can check we can fulfil your order beforehand. You can call us on 01889 279018 or you can talk to us on our online chat.

If we can provide the lengths you want you can enter them in the “Special Instructions” box on the shopping basket page before proceeding to checkout.

Treatments

Be sure to read through our treatment information by clicking on "Treatment Guidance" above. It talks about sealing, preserving and protecting the timber from the sun's UV rays. Here are quick links to the products we recommend:

• Wood Preserver Basecoat - Barrettine Premier Universal Preserver
• UV Protection to Delay Weathering

Fitting Guidance

Our fitting guidelines are designed to give you a starting point on how to fit your rainshield cladding and we recommend that you consult an expert fitter to advise on your actual scenario.

Please note: One of the edges of our rainscreen profile has a steeper angle than the other. The profile is designed to be fitted with the steepest angle at the top, so the gap between the boards is widest at the front exposed side, and smallest at the back.

Be sure to read our treatment guidance as treatment needs to be applied prior to fixing your cladding.

Breathable Membrane

Rainshield cladding should be fitted on top of a breathable membrane, because it is designed to be fixed with gaps around it. This membrane stops rain getting to the wall, but allows moisture to escape, helping to prevent internal condensation and mould that can come with it.

Treated Softwood Battens

Treated softwood battens (available from our cladding accessories pages) are most commonly used to fix to the wall (or on top of the breathable membrane) to then fix your cladding to. For rainshield cladding, which is fitted horizontally, your battens need to be placed vertically, at around every 600mm (60cm).

Fixing

When fitting your timber to the battens we recommend pre-drilling the holes to avoid splitting the wood and then hold the board with screws. Rainshield cladding boards are designed to sit on top of each other and we recommend leaving a 12mm gap in between them on the front face.

Unlike other profiles of cladding, many people line up the joins on each row of cladding to create bold lines for a modern look.

As already stated, these are just ideas to get you thinking about installation and you should consult a professional installer before fitting your cladding as every scenario is different.

Treating Timber Cladding

All of our timber cladding is provided untreated.

For best results, cladding should be treated before it is installed to ensure application of the treatment on all sides and ends of the boards.

We recommend Wood Finishes Direct for all of your treatments. We have found them to be well priced and their telephone support and advice is second to none. We highly recommend giving them a call.

The following information is from Wood Finishes Direct in relation to treating timber cladding.

When it comes to treating your timber cladding, there are three areas of protection to consider.

1. Sealing against moisture movement - Sealants are used to help prevent moisture entering the wood causing it to expand. Kiln dried timber like European Oak will definitely need to be sealed, and for other timbers it is highly recommended.
2. Wood Preserver - Helps to prevent rot and protects the wood from insect infestation and mould.
3. UV Protection - The ultraviolet rays of the sun slowly bleach external timbers. UV protection oil helps to keep the natural colour of your timber for longer and prevent it from turning silvery grey so quickly. Some people like their timber to weather and prefer the silvery grey look so it’s completely down to you.

The following links will take you straight to the products on Wood Finishes Direct's website:

Product to Seal and Preserve

To address Sealing and Preserving, they recommend applying one or two coats of "Wood Preserver Basecoat - Barrettine Premier Universal Preserver" before installation to seal against moisture movement and protect it from mould and insects.

Product to Protect from UV Rays

Then to optionally delay weathering, two coats of OSMO UV Protection Oil. There are different colours of OSMO UV Protection Oil available, with names like 'Cedar' and 'Oak', but these colours are to make other timber look like the stated species. We recommend the 420 clear version which interferes the least with the natural colour of your timber.