Timber cedar cladding installation in Guildford, Surrey

Installation Gallery

The beauty of redwood timber cladding

Here at Summit we’ve been in the cladding business for over 30 years now, but we are still doing “first time” jobs using new materials – and what a pleasure it is for us to discover something different.

This latest installation, on the extension of a house at Guildford in Surrey, involved a timber cladding treatment called Brunnea, which we hadn’t come across before and guarantees a really impressive finish.

Over the years Summit has fitted many different brands and styles of cladding to clients’ homes and although we specialise in maintenance-free composite cladding, our installers are also highly skilled in fitting natural timber. It’s a specialist skill and not one to be attempted by a general tradesman.

Strict planning rules

Our client’s home is in a conservation area and the local planning department has very strict rules on what developments are permitted. One of the restrictions ruled out synthetic cladding, so our client opted for Western Cedar, a beautiful wood but one that can lose its lustrous red colour over time.

Step forward Brunnea treatment, which not only intensifies the timber’s natural colour but also carries a 30-year guarantee against rot and fungal decay – provided the process is carried out correctly.

Installing with care

There are several requirements to be followed when installing cedar cladding. First, it’s essential to leave small gaps to allow for expansion and contraction of the wood. If this is not done the timber can warp. Second, the ring shank nails used to secure the cladding must be made of stainless steel, so that they don’t stain the timber, and they must be 2.5 times longer than the thickest part of the wood. Third, all cut edges, as well as the face of the timber, must be given the Brunnea wood treatment.

Before the cedar was nailed in place, the breezeblock outer fabric of the extension had to be cross battened to allow for a flow of air behind the timber, with an insect grille to prevent infestation by unwanted guests!

As we said at the beginning, this is the first time that Summit has worked on a cedar cladding project using the Brunnea treatment and we’ll definitely be recommending the product again. We think you’ll agree that the result is a stunning looking building, making the best of the natural knotted timber, sitting comfortably among the trees in this rural part of Surrey.

Categorised in: Timber Cladding

This post was written by Summit Cladding