Ark design build have made 100s of garden studios all across the South East and most of our clients ask us which type of cladding’s we favour and why.
The main two we prefer are Thermowood and cedar. These are both capable of well over a 30 year life and differ in price mostly because of geographical origins and production costs. Below highlights some of the main benefits of each species.
What is Thermowood cladding?
Thermowood cladding refers to timber that has been heat-treated (typically between 160–215°C) in a controlled environment to enhance its durability, stability, and resistance to decay. This process changes the structure of the wood, reducing its moisture content and making it less susceptible to warping, swelling, or rotting
No toxic chemicals are used and it is typically made from sustainably sourced softwoods like Scandinavian pine or spruce.
Visually Thermowood offers a rich, dark brown color and smooth texture. It can be left untreated to weather naturally to a silver-grey, or it can be oiled to maintain the original tone.
What is Cedar cladding?
Cedar cladding is a premium timber cladding option known for its natural beauty, durability, and excellent weather resistance. It is typically made from Western Red Cedar.
Western Red Cedar Cedar wood has a distinctive and attractive appearance, which is one reason it’s so popular. Comprised of a mix of rich red, brown, and pinkish hues with occasional streaks of cream or yellow sapwood.
When compared to Thermowood, Cedar gives a very modern striking contrast due to the colours and variations of the boards.
What are the alternative cladding options available?
While Thermowood and cedar make the majority of our finished studios, we have on occasion used composite cladding to finish a studio.
Composite cladding is a high-performance, low-maintenance exterior cladding option made from a combination of materials, typically Recycled wood fibers, Recycled plastics and Resins, stabilizers, or pigments
This blend creates boards that resemble wood but are engineered to last much longer and resist common problems like rot, warping, or fading.
Can my garden room have a Painted finish?
We can also finish our studios using acrylic paint.
This type of paint is a versatile, water-based acrylic paint designed for the protection of exterior surfaces such as barns, sheds, fences, cladding, and industrial buildings. Renowned for its durability and excellent colour retention, it’s suitable for a wide range of substrates, including wood, metal, plastic, concrete, brick, and cladding.
While black is a popular finish colour for this style we can also have a colour mixed in the same way to suit a customers requirements
Ark design build are a well established garden studio company with over 130 five star reviews
Below are links to a gallery of our work across the south east as well as a link to our reviews. Which number over 100 all at 5 star.
https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/arkdesignbuild.co.uk
https://arkdesignbuild.co.uk/case-study-family-annex-in-paddock-wood-tunbridge-wells-kent/
