Gents, I’m soon going to clad an outside (garage) wall in larch that faces the garden. All the old render had blown and looked a bit crap so decided to replace it with some nice Scottish larch. The blown render had been put on top of the existing pebbledash, after I hacked all the render off the original pebbledash is in pretty good shape and solid.

So, my plan is to fix new uprights onto the old pebbledash then fix the cladding onto these. I’m planning on using Fischer Universal Frame fixings 10×135 (http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Screws+Fixings/Frame+Fixings/Fischer+FURT+Universal+Frame+Fixing+10+x+135mm/d90/sd1950/p88699) for the fix into the breeze block.

So, would those fixings be adequate bearing in mind there will be a lot of weight to support? Plus would it make much difference leaving the old pebbledash on and fixing through it bearing in mind its obviously uneven the the timber won’t be flush/level on the wall?

Cheers

You’ll be fine to fix vertical battens onto the pebble dash, any variances will be evened out over the length of the boards, which I dare say will be 12ft long or so.

Important to remember when cladding:

Orientate the boards so you have the heart out. Ie the growth rings concave to the outer face. This will enable you to use a single line of fixings (preferably stainless steel screws with larch) about 35mm from the top edge. Reason being, the wood will then typically cup into the building as it dries and seasons, thereby increasing the clamping force of the boards onto each other.
Allow for a 50mm overlap, so your fixings are hidden by each successive board.
Join boards on a vertical batten and scarf them with 45deg cuts, so that the adjacent board holds the other edge in to the building.
Think about corner stops to ensure the end grain of the boards are covered. Vertical 100x50mm larch fastened to each corner will just about do it. Also think through the weatherboard stops around doors, windows etc.

I’ve done a lot of weatherboarding, using oak, larch, western red cedar and notice there are very few carpenters who understand their medium enough to fix this type of cladding properly!

If it’s the proper clinker type breeze block there is no better fixing imo than a cut nail, you’ll never get the feckers out**. And it’s obviously a lot quicker. They are not quite so ideal if you have to pack out and tweak though, for that plug and screw would be better.

EDIT ** Well you will obviously but only with a claw hammer and a lot of effort.

That’s all great advice thanks.

The cladding I’ve gone for is essentially a rebated feather edge so there shouldn’t be issue with getting the correct board orientation: http://russwood.co.uk/cladding/profiles/scotlarch rw003 profile.

At the base of the wall I’m cladding there is a linear drainage channel so, to get the cladding to drip/drain directly into this I’m going to need to fix the vertical battens to the wall using the frame fixings mentioned, then fix another set of battens onto these to pad them out the necessary 100mm, the clad onto these.

I have given thought to where the cladding starts and stops especially around the door. Essentially where the cladding starts/stops from a wall I’m thinking of using a larch trim board fixed on top to cover these points. Then around the door I have some nice deep larch boards which I will trim down once the cladding is fitted and fix to the door recess edges so these are about 15mm proud of the cladding.

I’ve thought all this up and never asked for advice but am happy to accept some more!

Oh, the fixings I’ve got are stainless steel ring shanks as per the advice from the supplier.

Use a Tilt Fillet (triangular arris rail) on the lowest board and this might well kick out the board enough to drip into your drain channel 😀

Rebated boards will be pot luck as orientation, my mistake, I thought your boards were going to be normal feather edge, in which case, fix along the tongue of the rebate and pre drill 🙂

Thanks for the advice chaps. The timber arrived yesterday, all the battens are up so hope to get this done on Friday. Will post a picture depending on the end result…

I’m in for the photos!

Gents, I’m soon going to clad an outside (garage) wall in larch that faces the garden.

I’m not sure that’s allowed under Building Regs, AIUI you’re not allowed a flammable covering on a building. I was going to do the same on my workshop, but Building Control vetoed it.

Righttttt, so how do all the timber clad houses get approval? This is Scotland and I know of quite a few who have something similar. Also the garage is classified as a lean to if that makes any difference.

Yet you can build houses out of wood , both external clad and timber kit ? Then clad the interior with pine…..

Its in scotland anyway – your fine. – esp if neighbours dont look directly at it.

Have building control rushed suddenly back to 1666 and reinstated the paranoia? 😯

First I’ve heard of that one, there’ll be a lot of timber framing companies going out of business 😉

Depending on the distance the wall will be from a boundary with an adjacent property, it may also need to provide resistance to fire (to limit the effects of fire spreading from or to adjacent properties).

Probably that he fell fowl of as oppose to the building burning down.

Iirc the workshop was close to boundary walls with neighbours( not their house just their land)

Ratty, do the same restrictions also apply here in gods country? The reason I ask is the garage terminates at the boundry wall with the neighbours… Their house is approximately 6 feet the other side of that. Never thought of any of this!

Depending on the distance the wall will be from a boundary with an adjacent property, it may also need to provide resistance to fire (to limit the effects of fire spreading from or to adjacent properties).

That was probably why my cladding was rejected, the workshop runs next to a wooden fence! I did point out that the fence was just as flammable than the same stuff stuck to the walls, but rules is rules….

Interesting discussion here: http://www.selfbuildportal.org.uk/forum/6-building-regulations/686-timber-summer-house-within-1m-of-boundary-help

So, I’m trying understand the applicable restrictions, reading the link below (pages 38-42) point 2.6.4. Surely if I am cladding onto a concrete block wall this should be OK or am I missing the point because this meets the boundary wall.

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Building/Building-standards/publications/pubtech/thdomfireoct11

2.6.1 seems to say much the same as 2.7.1, but I find 2.7.1 easier to follow as I don’t know what the “unprotected area” in 2.6.1 is about.

I think this means the last 1m to the boundary has to be non-combustible, the rest is OK as timber boards.

Bugger as this directly butts the boundary wall.. Do these regs still apply the same even though the garage/wall has been there for years? What are the implications if I just go ahead as planned, the only place this is visible if from my back garden. Thanks guys.

Does the garage have a window in that wall ?

Read 2.6.4

It has a door… Buggery.

Who makes up these regulations?

I want names people. Addresses and everything. Presumably insurance risk and liability driven in the interests of shareholder dividends.

Shame they don’t pay your mortgage, seems they want to control what you can do with your property.

So, how about a lime render with a bit of pigment? 😉

Ill be honest , id probably still clad it

No different to a fence butted up to your garage on boundary wall…..or a shed…..or my **** wood store….which is against the house and my neighbours on the boundary wall – along with my oil tank next to that and isnt moving.

But it depends how adverse you are to risk…. For me its no one will liekly come tell you to remove it but if there is a fire for some reason…..

Think I’ll just go ahead as planned. I have found this stuff which is colourless so could if needs be do the trick. Of course it would alter the weathering process but hey ho.
http://www.rawlinspaints.com/products/FlameProof-Timbertreat.html#sthash.cRhY65L1.dpbs

Then the real potential kick in the nuts is building control are coming round next month to sign off on an extension we had built last year and they will be able to see this..

That- thats been there for years mate , nothing to do with the extension thats on the plans that your here to sign off…..

Another thought – is this boundary wall a non combustable material….say brick ?

Also is it a boundary wall or is it your neighbours house…..

The former – id have had the wall clad by now…..the latter id think a bit longer about 😉

Aye, its a granite wall. The neighbours house is is about 6ft the other side of that. They like what I’m doing and are looking at doing something similar!

Ever seen granite catch fire…….

Get it build.

Oh and pictures please….. I always liked the look of larch clad houses- my kitchen extension may end up larch clad 🙂 – there are a few local houses with it

Aye, there are a few around here, I live just a couple of miles from yourself.
The guys I got the timber from were Russwood based in Newtonmore, the timber is local and processed there too. Highly recommend them.

Sorry, just trying to do this with google drive

There we go, not too bad, will replace the white upvc door when I have more time.

Is your clad wall is perpendicular to the boundary? The allowable unprotected area is for walls parallel to the boundary. If your door is perpendicular to the boundary it should be fine.

If you had a great big window (or door) facing a great big window in your neighbour’s wall a fire could spread by radiated heat between the two properties. This is the reason for the restriction and why you can have a greater percentage of unprotected area (windows) the further you get from the boundary……at least it is in England and Wales, Scotland may differ.

Looks good that, good work