British Larch Waney Edge Cladding

Waney edge cladding is like feather edge in that the boards are designed to be fitted horizontally and over lap each other. The difference between the two is that no two waney Edge boards are the same because the one Waney edge is basically the outside of the tree and often still includes the bark.

The knotty and characterful nature of British Larch waney edge really brings this profile to life and gives you one of the most traditional looks for your cladding at a great price. This timber is supplied as "Fresh Sawn Merchantable Grade".

The natural variation of colour in the Larch really sets it apart from some of the other more uniform timbers. The colour of the boards can vary from a reddish-brown to a brick red. If you would like to keep the natural variation of your cladding you can protect it by treating the cladding with a UV protection oil, this will delay your wood from turning silvery grey as it is exposed to the sun.

British timbers are really popular and a lot of projects have started to demand the use of hoe grown timbers over the use of their foreign counterparts. British timbers are structurally sound, great for exterior use and bring character to your cladding which some of the more uniform foreign timbers lack.

We supply British Larch in random lengths of 3m and longer. If you have a requirement for exact lengths please give us a call on 01889 279 018 or talk to us on our online chat, before ordering, so we can confirm we can fulfil your order. If we can, then leave the lengths you need in the “Special Instructions” box on the shopping basket page.

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

These are only basic guidelines on how to fit your waney edge cladding, please speak to a professional for advice and help before fitting your cladding because each individual situation is different.

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 waney edge cladding, which is fitted horizontally, your battens need to be placed vertically, at around every 600mm (60cm).

Fixing

** Whether you use nails or screws, it's important that they are stainless steel, or silicone bronze ARS, so that the natural tanins in the timber will not corrode them. Never use iron nails for fixing timber.

For fixing the cladding to the battens we recommend that you pre-drill any holes to help avoid splitting the timber. Start by fitting the boards at the bottom of the structure you are cladding and work your way up. Use extra battens underneath the bottom of the bottom board to hold it away from the building. We work out the number of boards you need off a 25% overlap, so if you increase the overlap size you will need to order more boards. It’s important to make sure that the waney edge is at the bottom and the square edge is at the top.

Because the waney edge gives varying widths down the length of the board, you may need to overlap more than 25% in some places to ensure full coverage if you encounter a particularly thin part of a board. It's therefore advisable to order slightly more than you need in case you need to overlap any boards greater than 25%.

Treating Timber Cladding

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.