How long does timber cladding last?

When you have gone to the expense and considerable bother to have timber cladding installed, you want it to last. Therefore, the best wood for cladding in terms of durability is the type that will give you decades of protection and ideally with minimal upkeep.

Top of the list in terms of durability is Accoya wood cladding. This fast-growing, sustainable softwood undergoes a proprietary high-temperature acetylation process that changes the structure of the wood to make it incredibly durable whilst retaining its natural beauty. In fact, Accoya comes with warranties of up to 50 years, offering long-lasting performance with minimal maintenance.

At the opposite end of the spectrum are softwoods which are prone to rotting, warping and splitting. These include Pine and Douglas Fir. So, whilst they are amongst the most popular and affordable woods for siding, they are not the best timber cladding material for long-term durability.

Sitting in the middle are Cedar, Redwood, Cypress and Oak, which offer a balance of affordability and moderately good durability.

Project shown: SILT Building, Belgium. Architects: ZJA, OZ, DELVA and Bureau Bouwtechniek Construction companies: Furnibo and Democo. Specialists in wooden constructions: HESS TIMBER. Manufacture of the parts: Manufactured by HASSLACHER Holzbauteile. Installation: Arwo Bouw was involved in the installation.

How much is wood cladding?

When trying to work out the cost of the best timber cladding, it tends to work on a sliding scale that is in direct correlation with how durable the timber cladding is. Basically, the more durable the wood cladding, the more expensive it tends to be.

You have to weigh up not only how long the timber cladding will last, but also the maintenance costs and the value it will add to your home. Therefore, the higher quality and more durable the timber cladding you can afford, the better an investment it will be.

Ranking from the best timber cladding to the worst in terms of value for money, ease of maintenance and longevity, here is our round up for what is the best wood for cladding:

Best value timber cladding long-term – bang for buck, the best timber cladding are the woods with the longest lifespan like Accoya.

Best value timber cladding short-term – if you are prepared to spend time and money every one or two years maintaining all the cladding on your home, then a softwood cladding has the lowest initial purchase price.

Project shown: Private home in Delft. Architect: September architecture. Constructor: Bartels Ingenieursbureau B.V. Elst.

Accsys is pleased to announce the successful development of the first sliding sash window, featuring slimline glazing bars and a 44mm thick sash, designed to meet the requirements of PAS 24: 2022. This was made possible through a collaboration with a consortium of stakeholders, including Midland Joinery, ERA, and SD Hardware.

PAS 24: 2022 is a rigorous testing standard that is designed to evaluate the enhanced security performance of windows and doors, ensuring their ability to withstand a specified level of attack. Designed to mimic an attempted break-in by a burglar using tools that are easy to conceal. A window or door is put through several tests including mechanical load testing, manual attack testing and impact testing; each designed to explore any vulnerabilities. The test was conducted at the independent UKAS accredited test house at ERA’s facility in Wolverhampton.

Statistics provided by the police force have highlighted that in domestic burglaries, 30% of all opportunist offenders gained entry through a window*.

The innovative design of the Accoya sliding sash window includes a ¾ Inch Radius End Sash Pulley, Timber Series Sash Lift , Timber Series High Security Classic Cam Lock and Sash Window Screw Locks.

Before we explore the properties of hardwood, we need to know where hardwoods come from.

Hardwoods are sourced from trees with broad leaves which grow comparatively slowly compared to softwood trees. This is why hardwoods are denser than softwoods.

More condensed, hardwoods have a complex structure which makes them stronger and more durable than softwoods.

Because hardwoods are so string and resilient, they are usually used for construction that needs to be durable and last.

Hardwoods are seen as an investment due to their strength, lower maintenance and ability to resist weather.

Accoya Insights – our bi-monthly newsletter bringing you relevant company updates and key developments from around the world.

This edition includes:

• Production underway in our new plant in Kingsport, US.
• Updates in operational improvements
• Expansion of the commercial team
• Latest projects
• Sustainability credentials
• Marketing updates on our Where to Buy site

 “While a newly fitted kitchen and plenty of natural light have always been significant features to homebuyers, energy efficiency has risen in importance. Of course, with high – and unstable – energy bills affecting every household, this is hardly surprising. Nonetheless, for those looking to increase the buyer appeal of their existing property, it is important to note that this is now one of the key features for those looking to purchase a home. 

“By choosing windows made from high performing materials, such as Accoya, homeowners get both natural light and high efficiency, so it’s a no brainer to put replacing old windows at the top of the home improvement wish list to help reduce energy bills and increase desirability,” comments Gillian Edwards, Head of Communications and ESG at Accoya.  

While the market remains unstable, many property owners are investing in their current premises. In fact, more than half (51%) of homeowners say they are currently planning to make energy-efficient home improvements and, when it comes to higher-income households, two thirds (66%) say they’re planning on improving the energy efficiency of their property. 

However, it’s not just energy-efficient modifications that are rising in popularity. Homeowners are also looking for more sustainable products as part of an effort to reduce their property’s carbon footprint. In fact, over a third (36%) of homeowners say they would invest more in sustainable home improvements

 “While a newly fitted kitchen and plenty of natural light have always been significant features to homebuyers, energy efficiency has risen in importance. Of course, with high – and unstable – energy bills affecting every household, this is hardly surprising. Nonetheless, for those looking to increase the buyer appeal of their existing property, it is important to note that this is now one of the key features for those looking to purchase a home. 

“By choosing windows made from high performing materials, such as Accoya, homeowners get both natural light and high efficiency, so it’s a no brainer to put replacing old windows at the top of the home improvement wish list to help reduce energy bills and increase desirability,” comments Gillian Edwards, Head of Communications and ESG at Accoya.  

While the market remains unstable, many property owners are investing in their current premises. In fact, more than half (51%) of homeowners say they are currently planning to make energy-efficient home improvements and, when it comes to higher-income households, two thirds (66%) say they’re planning on improving the energy efficiency of their property. 

However, it’s not just energy-efficient modifications that are rising in popularity. Homeowners are also looking for more sustainable products as part of an effort to reduce their property’s carbon footprint. In fact, over a third (36%) of homeowners say they would invest more in sustainable home improvements

First off, we have the Hotel Rotterdam Airport. This is a special project in a special location, as it is not often that you get to build right next door to Rotterdam Airport. Accoya was chosen by both the contractor and the architects as the perfect material to use for cladding. The most important aspect of the wood was its need to be fire-resistant as well as durable, stable, and sustainable.

The underlying idea in the age we now live in is to construct safe buildings by adhering to the strict criteria that go with it. Let’s not forget the emphasis on sustainability, which is becoming increasingly important. For this project, the aspect of sustainability in connection with the environment and the surroundings is not only represented by the Accoya façade cladding but also by the plants that decorate it. In this way, all parts of the building have contributed towards creating a beautiful, stable, sustainable hotel that gives its guests a warm welcome.

Accoya was chosen for the material used for the Olive Seymour Boardwalk located at Herdsman Lake Regional Park. As a result of the previous boardwalk made using Jarrah rotting, Accoya wood was used to replace decking boards, handrails, and joists.

The RHS embarked on ambitious plans to realise their fifth garden—a 154-acre site in the former Worsley New Hall grounds, on the outskirts of Salford. White Cottage Greenhouses were commissioned to design, manufacture, and install two large mono-pitch lean-to glasshouses in the new Paradise Garden, designed by Tom Stuart-Smith. The garden was created within a heritage landscape and is the first RHS garden in the North West of England’s climatic and ecological conditions.

White Cottage has been successfully manufacturing painted-timber greenhouses for many years. Their ethos has always been to create a genuine timber-framed greenhouse while minimising maintenance and decay risk. This made them the perfect fit for this project.

Over the last five years, White Cottage has shifted entirely over to Accoya wood, and so there was no other material choice for the Paradise Garden superstructures. With Accoya, excessive movement in tongue and groove boards is eliminated, meaning cracks in paint are far less likely to occur. There are time savings in the joinery manufacturing process, fewer defects such as knots, and better performance all around, as well as outstanding, guaranteed durability.

A key feature of Accoya is that the coatings will last longer than on other timber products. White Cottage believes that Accoya is easier to paint and requires less preparation than other timber alternatives.

The uniquely designed piece of public artwork, Please Be Seated, was made from 1440 planks of Accoya timber and designed by London-based designers, Paul Cocksedge Studio. Accoya is a fantastic timber to use for sculptures such as this one due to its high performance, yet what is particularly outstanding is that you don’t need to sacrifice performance for non-sustainable timber. A key benefit of making Accoya the material of choice is the Cradle to Cradle Gold Certification. This recognises that Accoya is fully circular, with no added synthetic materials, fully recyclable, and non-toxic. The Accoya planks are supported by a framework of bent steel designed to be easily assembled and disassembled for travel.

The structure was fabricated in partnership with UAP, and the Accoya was sourced and supplied by a local Accoya-approved distributor, Jiangsu Dragon Wood (JDW). Paul Cocksedge Studio worked with JDW to complete and install, managing the entire process remotely as a result of COVID restrictions.

The Belgian Kalmthoutse Heide park has gained a valuable landmark: a new 42-metre-high fire watchtower. Architect NOHNIK and construction partners Bureau Bouwtechniek and Ingenieursbureau ABT Belgi created an elegant truss structure by perfectly combining wood and steel. From every angle, the fire watchtower offers a dynamic and panoramic view over the natural landscape of the Kalmthoutse Heide.

Accoya wood was the material of choice for the railings, balustrades, and fire watchtower—the ultimate contrast to the steel truss construction frame. A variation of wood thicknesses and spacing was used, creating a sophisticated look, and thanks to the colour and material combination of Accoya wood, the tower harmonises beautifully with the surrounding natural landscape.

John Alexander, Group Director of Sales, Accsys commented: “The Thames water is a tough environment with brackish salt water with active marine organisms which rapidly degrade all but the most durable wood types. It’s a real endurance test for a wood product and the performance is in line with our expectations after running sea trials of up to 13 years from the Pacific Ocean to the North Sea.”

The fenders are being used by the Environment Agency’s TEAM2100 programme as proof of concept that it can replace hardwood, provide habitat and contribute to achieving the organisation’s Circular Economy, Net Zero, Environmental Net Gain, and Social Value sustainability ambitions.

Regenerative design consultancy, 540 WORLD worked with Accsys, Jacobs, Balfour Beatty and TEAM2100 to implement this important sustainability initiative, with a view to more widespread substitution of slow-growing hardwood with fast-growing, rapidly carbon-sequestering and very durable Accoya. The lack of toxic or plastic-based additives to Accoya is vital to its use in these environments, eliminating the risk of potential leaching into the water and environmental or ecological harm.

Each cubic metre of Accoya contains nearly one tonne of CO₂ absorbed by certified sustainable forests, which keeps that carbon safely stored for decades. This installation in the Thames Estuary will provide further data on long-term performance, adding to the consensus of positive data that Accsys has collected from sites in the Mediterranean and North Seas.

We are pleased to share our positive updates with you, including the successful commissioning of our fourth reactor in Arnhem and plant construction in North America, both leading to increased Accoya production capacity!

It’s been a busy time for Accoya, with several award wins, numerous projects, and the introduction of our new innovation, Accoya Color. Find out more within the RoundUp below.

With regular inspection and care, you’ll enjoy a beautiful finish for decades to come.

Inspect your joinery regularly. Any damage in the paint should be addressed immediately to prevent moisture ingress and water entrapment under the coating. Like most things, wooden joinery can greatly benefit from regular inspection, care and maintenance – just like an annual service on a boiler or car. We strongly recommend annual inspection, cleaning of the frames and maintenance.

Please speak to your coatings supplier about supporting documentation such as care and full maintenance recommendations.

This video is based on best practice techniques and will help you keep your windows looking their best for even longer.

We have already referenced some of the properties of uPVC that made it seem such a compelling material for application in window frames and even doors when launched in the 1980s:

Cheap: There is not getting away from the fact that uPVC window frames are possible to mass produce and therefore drive down the cost of manufacturing. Compared with bespoke timber framed windows uPVC can seem like a significant cost saving, although it is necessary to look at the full life cost – something we will refer to again later in the article.

Low maintenance: uPVC was introduced into the market as a wonder product that required little to no maintenance, which is an attractive proposition when faced with the alternative of timber windows, particularly with the paintwork which is prone to flake off over time. uPVC window frames do have their own issues however which are important to reference here.

• Structural integrity – even though uPVC is relatively durable, their light weight means that they’re prone to sagging. Essentially the weight of the glazing can cause the frame to bend, an issue not seen with wood or aluminium window frames
• Discoloration – over time uPVC window frames will discolour and peel. This is due to extensive UV exposure with the frames turning an unsightly yellow colour. Unlike timber frames which can be re-painted the same cannot be said with uPVC. If you’re looking to smarten up your house, you have little alternative other than replacing your windows.

Durability: One of the key selling points of uPVC window frames is claimed durability – probably the most important factor when deciding what type of window frames you go with. Compared to soft wood timber frames uPVC undoubtedly has a clear advantage here, but as we know different types of wood have different properties and we must be careful not to lump them all together. What is the best way of establishing how durable a product really is? Well, looking to see what the manufacturer warranty or guarantee offered is a good place to start. You will struggle to find a uPVC window maker that offer a warranty of more than 10 years on the uPVC elements of the window. There are plenty examples of uPVC windows that have lasted longer than 10 years, but it gives you an insight into how long they expect their product to last. By contrast, the best performing wood brands such as Accoya wood have been offering warranties of up to 50 years on their product.

Whilst it was the Romans that pioneered the use of glass for windows, wood has long been the preferred choice of material for window frames. The size of one’s window through history has often represented wealth and class, and as window making techniques evolved, so the size of windows has increased. In the seventeenth century the fashion became to have taller, rather than wide windows, and to facilitate this they were often divided into four. In the same century the sash window was invented with the top sash fixed and the bottom sash sliding upwards.

In term of the species of wood used, oak and pine were the two most common, with oak offering better durability than the softwood pine.

The very thing that makes wood so good to look at and to touch, is also part of its inherent limitation as a building material… Wood is a natural, organic material which over time and subject to certain conditions like rain will decay or rot. However, whereas all uPVC broadly has the same properties and performance, wood covers a huge spectrum of performance from the cheapest low performance softwood, all the way through more robust hardwoods, and to the pinnacle of high performance and durability – acetylated wood, otherwise known as Accoya. Like we discussed on uPVC, you really need to determine how long you expect to be living in your house… Cheaper softwood window frames might last 7-10 years, slightly worse than uPVC, whereas a hardwood window frame (such as iroko, sapele, or even oak) could be expected to last anywhere from 10-30 years. This would depend on the exposure of the window (to sun and rain), the climate, or even the quality of the wood, which can vary batch to batch. For the belt and braces approach, an Accoya window frame is warranted for 50 years, with an expected service life from between 77-90 years, according to a recent study by the Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.

On 29th and 30th June 2022, at the Windmill Village Hotel, Golf & Spa in Coventry, the 8th WPA annual two day event took place to celebrate all that is good in the timber industry.

On the evening of 29th June was the awards ceremony to recognise the achievements of businesses in the wood protection technology sector.

Accsys entered the awards category ‘Modified Wood Project of the Year’ with the new Google HQ in Kings Cross, London. Although the project is not yet finished, the use of Accoya is extensive and once completed, the building will be first of its kind – a landscaper. The Google HQ will be longer than the Shard is tall and features the world’s largest timber and glass façade.

The project won the category, showing that Accoya wood has been used to enhance the performance of the building and meet specific design requirements.

Designed by Heatherwick Studio and Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG).

Wood is an organic material, and it changes over time as it reacts with the sun and the rain, developing new colours and textures: a process known as weathering.

Accoya, as a natural wood product, is no different

Like other wood species, uncoated Accoya wood will weather over time to an elegant slivery grey colour when left outside and exposed to the elements.

Unlike other woods however, weathering does not affect the durability, stability or performance of Accoya.

During the weathering transition process the surface colour of Accoya can appear patchy due to the different levels of sunlight and rain coming into contact with the wood, but over time it evens out to a beautiful silvery grey effect that lasts for decades to come.

Because Accoya has such great dimensional stability, coatings are not so stressed by shrinking and swelling forces that affect all other types of wood – meaning they last and look better for longer. For certain applications such as windows it is industry standard for frames to be coated to protect the other parts of the window fittings and mechanisms.

Considering the return of wood to nature leads us on to the next key prediction, lifelong wellbeing. We must now be mindful of the entire lifecycle of the materials and building process and, beyond this, the health and wellbeing of those that work on and live in the buildings we erect. The World Green Building Council’s Six Principles for a Healthy, Sustainable Built Environment underlines the importance of the relationship between sustainable development and human wellbeing, detailing how harmony with nature and climate change action is linked to social values, including the health of construction workers.  Buildings made of wood have seen not only construction time, effort, and waste reduced by as much as 90%, but have had a positive impact on construction workers, whose exposure to the dust and toxic fumes of a regular building site is drastically lowered. Furthermore, timber buildings continue to have a positive impact on people throughout their lives as wood surfaces have been found to lower stress levels, improve attention and focus, and increase creativity. With the difficulty of the preceding two years, a movement towards design that benefits wellbeing is likely to be at the forefront of many minds.

Our final prediction is that net zero emission targets will no longer cut the mustard. With several governments and large companies committing to net zero targets, reducing emissions is a global target. However, with increasing pressure from those who recognise this may no longer be enough, we believe there will be a push towards climate positivity: removing more greenhouses gases from the atmosphere than are released. In an industry that is responsible for a large portion of global emissions, we think companies have started to notice the scale of the positive impact we could have if we pushed for these more ambitious targets.

So much attention is paid to the interiors of our homes, but the exterior is what makes the first impression. A beautifully designed façade enhances the architecture and sets the tone and feel of a home before guests even set foot inside. With its warm, natural appeal and virtually limitless design potential, wood cladding has emerged as a major trend in exteriors. Here are six of-the-moment ways to use it to give your property serious street appeal.

While standard wood cladding has its benefits, it’s not suitable for every project or homeowner, as it requires ongoing maintenance and can deteriorate over time. Today you’ll find innovative alternatives that provide all the warmth and natural appeal of wood, with minimal maintenance requirements and far superior durability. Accoya’s acetylated wood cladding can withstand even tough weather conditions, is resistant to rotting, and if left untreated will weather naturally to a beautiful silvery grey.

Accoya wood has impressive environmental credentials too. It’s fully sustainable, and every panel comes with FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification. It is also 100 percent nontoxic, so you can have peace of mind knowing it’s a healthy choice for you and your family.

If you’re looking to make a statement with a bold exterior, consider giving your home the shou-sugi-ban treatment. This ancient Japanese technique involves charring the wood to preserve and strengthen it. The charring turns the wood a deep charcoal black while revealing its texture and grain. Not only does this wood treatment make for a striking façade, but it minimizes maintenance.

Natural appeal aside, wood cladding gives you endlessly creative ways to express your personal style. Take this three-story office building designed and occupied by architectural firm Dillon Kyle Architects in Houston, for example. It’s clad in 2,500 Accoya boards that have an abstract leaf-like pattern carved into the wood. The pattern references the oak trees that line the neighbourhood, and it adds not just texture and softness to the modern structure but a unique personal touch.

“The Accoya wood boards are unsealed and allowed to weather over time,” says Peter Klein, associate principal architect at Dillon Kyle Architects. “The idea was to use a material where you couldn’t tell where the patterns started and stopped — just one big continuous object.”

As the wood cladding would play a pivotal role in the look and performance of the building, the firm took their time choosing the right one. “Even left untreated, it didn’t warp or mildew or mould, and that let us know we were on the right path,” Klein says. “The neutral grey tones coupled with its long-term durability, resistance to rot and insects made Accoya wood the ideal material for this project.”

Running slender boards vertically, as the architect has done here, is a clever design technique for making a low roof or ceiling appear higher. You can use this strategy both outside your home with wood cladding and inside with wood wall lining.

If room height is not a concern, consider mixing vertical and horizontal patterns for added texture and interest inside or outside your home.

More: Learn more about Accoya’s range of sustainable, acetylated wood products by visiting our homepage here.

This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.

A week earlier, the company was also listed as a runner up on the shortlist for the IR Society Best Practice Award for Best ESG Communication. This marks a year of substantial progress in Accsys’ development of its Environmental, Social and Governance strategy and reporting: making sure the growing positive environmental impact of increasing its supply of products is matched with increasingly improved performance and transparency as a responsible and ethical business.

Rob Harris, CEO, said:
“I’m delighted to see the hard work of our talented and committed colleagues recognised and rewarded by the people and organisations leading our industry. I want to say ‘congratulations and thank you’ to everyone who helps make this possible – every single person and role in our business contributes to and deserves credit for these achievements. Our fantastic customers, distributors, and architects, specifiers, joiners and builders who make great use of our products every day are a big part of our success too. Thank you all!”

In London on 25th November 2021, the Wood Awards winners were announced.

Held at the Building Centre, 8 projects were awarded after successfully being chosen during the rigorous judging process.

The prestigious awards celebrate excellence in architecture and product design in wood.

Accoya wood was used in two winning projects and in one highly commended project, details below.

See more information and the full list of 2021 winners here.

Accoya used for internal joinery and interior at this property in London.