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House & Garden Room Cladding: Vertical or Horizontal?

4 min read

Modern wooden building with vertical slat cladding, a large rectangular window, and sunlight shadows on the facade, with blue sky and trees nearby.

When you’re planning a new cladding project, you’ve got a few things to consider. The timber species, the profile — but also its orientation.

A well-executed cladding project looks incredible, adds value and protects your property from the elements. But should yours be vertical or horizontal? Which would work best for your project?

Vertical cladding — clean, contemporary and Scandi-inspired

Vertical cladding has grown tremendously in popularity in recent years, particularly for homes and garden rooms.

The long, flowing vertical grooves are elegant and imposing. This can elongate your building and add the impression of greater height, particularly when a narrower board is chosen.

When paired with brick or rendering, vertical cladding can also provide a smart contrast and visual break on the building exterior.

Two-story modern house with white walls and wooden cladding at the entrance, blue front door, large windows, trimmed shrubs, and a pebble driveway on a sunny day.
Wood-clad poolside retreat with glass doors, string lights, and a cozy outdoor lounge; potted plants line the patio beside a blue-tiled swimming pool.
Modern wooden house with stone base, curved brick driveway, landscaped garden in foreground, overlooking a lake with hills under cloudy sky.
Two-story wooden house with vertical siding sits among trees; a raised front deck, a centered door, and a large upper-right window, with dappled branch shadows.
Modern two-story home with a stone base and light wood siding, large windows, and a curved driveway, set among a green lawn and shrubs under a blue sky.
Modern wooden house with vertical siding, brick foundation, and large black-framed windows and doors; sits on a grassy yard under a blue sky.
Modern wooden house with tall vertical planks and large glass panels; angular rooflines and a blue sky, sunlight along the right side.

Especially in a darker colour – such as dark grey, coated black or charred look – it is particularly popular for recreating the Scandi barn aesthetic.

Modern two-story home with dark vertical siding atop a white base, a gray front door, several windows, under a blue sky with distant hills.
Thermo-ayous vertical cladding with a 'stone grey' factory coating
Modern dark wood-clad building with tall vertical panels, two large glass doors, and a flat gray deck, set beside evergreen trees under a blue sky.
Charred look vertical timber cladding – popular for a dramatic, Scandi-inspired look
Modern two-story wooden house with vertical timber siding and expansive glass walls; dark pitched roof, concrete patio, and neatly trimmed hedges in a rural setting.
Modern house with a black slanted roof, timber columns, and glass walls; covered patio with wicker seating, potted plants, and a green lawn.
Western red cedar with a natural stain, contrasted with Thermo-Nordic pine in a coal black 'charred look' coating
Modern two-story house with dark vertical siding, large windows, and a central wooden door; solar panels on the left, a garage, and a lush front garden.
Modern exterior with vertical warm-brown wooden slats, black trim, and wall-mounted lanterns along a row of windows; green trees in the background.
Thermo-ayous cladding in both natural and coal black stained finishes
Row of modern semi-detached homes with white lower walls and wood-clad upper facades, gray roofs with solar panels; fenced front gardens.
Tan vertical wooden siding on a modern building, with a gray-framed window on the left and an open doorway on the right, a stone path and small garden beyond.
Single-story building with vertical wooden siding in warm brown, black-framed windows, exterior lights, a small ramp, and a paved parking area in front under a gabled roof.
Random-width, board-on-board Thermo-ayous vertical timber cladding
Two modern facades meet: a curved wood-clad wall with vertical slats and white-framed glass windows, beside a dark glass surface under a blue sky.
Western red cedar vertical cladding, Redcar Leisure Centre

With vertical cladding, there's also the small added bonus that it follows the general direction of rainfall, making it optimal for drainage and avoiding water penetration.

But with proper installation, horizontal performs just fine. Water ingress shouldn't be a big consideration. 

Modern patio with gray decking, a wicker dining set, and large glass sliding doors opening to a bright interior with potted plants.
Vertical cladding can help to add the impression of height to single-storey buildings
Modern wooden-clad single-story building with wide sliding glass doors opening to a pool; gray tiled patio and a wicker lounge chair beneath a blue sky.
Modern wooden extension with vertical timber cladding, large black-framed glass doors, a concrete path, and potted plants by the doorway under an overcast sky.
A wooden garden room with large glass sliding doors, surrounded by a green lawn and a wooden deck; two potted topiary trees frame the entrance.
Modern wooden-clad single-story extension with large glass doors and a flat roof, set on a paved patio beside a green lawn.
Siberian larch (grade A) untreated vertical cladding
Modern wooden garden room with vertical timber cladding, black-framed glass doors and windows, a flat dark roof, and a small concrete patio on a green lawn.
Curved wooden garden room with black-framed glass doors on a curved patio, fenced yard, green lawn and tall trees behind.
Clear-grade Thermo-ayous vertical cladding
Wood cabin with a gray metal roof and glass doors on a raised deck, bordered by a rope fence and a garden with yellow shrubs.

Horizontal cladding — a more traditional-yet-timeless choice

Horizontal is certainly the more traditional orientation for cladding, particularly in profiles like feather edge. But in a modern designer profile like V-groove or shadow gap, the result can be stunning and on-trend.

When machined from a quality timber species like western red cedar, Siberian larch or Thermo-ayous, it's not hard to see why horizontal is a perennial favourite of architects and designers. It blends well into surroundings and offers a cosy look. Simply put, horizontal is never going out of style.

Modern two-story home with stone ground floor, wood upper level, blue-trim gable roof, glass balcony, and tall wooden garage door; gravel driveway.
Modern two-story wooden house with pitched roofs, expansive glass walls and balcony, warm interior lighting, and a green lawn at dusk.

This project in Cheltenham proves that horizontal cladding can still work fantastically as part of a contemporary design.

Two-story house with a wood-clad, horizontal plank facade on the right and white wall on the left, a small upper window, and a gutter downspout against a blue sky.
Western red cedar in a horizontal V-groove profile, treated with a UV protectant oil
Modern two-story house with white walls and horizontal reddish-brown wood cladding; large glass doors, windows, gravel path, and blue sky.
Two-story house with warm wooden plank siding in varying brown tones, black downspout, and several windows on a gravel yard against a blue sky.
Modern wooden garden room with a slanted roof and open glass doors; two black wicker chairs inside, surrounded by a lush garden and a brick path.
Horizontal cladding can create a more cosy, at-one-with-nature look – good for garden rooms
Open-front wooden garden shed with a curved roof; interior features a bar and seating, while wicker chairs and a table sit on a stone patio amid greenery.
A modern wooden garden cabin with a dark frame and large glass doors, surrounded by greenery, potted plants on a small deck, under a blue sky.
Horizontal cladding – great for a more rustic, countryside feel
Blue two-story house with a large wooden-framed glass conservatory along the ground floor, brick foundation, and a bright green lawn with leafless trees.
Horizontal cladding in a traditional featheredge profile, factory coated in RAL 5014 'pigeon blue'
Blue two-story wooden house extension with large glass doors framed in natural wood, brick base, green lawn, cloudy sky.

Horizontal cladding is typically easier to install, which might make it your choice for a hassle-free, budget-friendly project, particularly in a featheredge profile.

Modern houses with dark wood siding and red-tiled roofs, a paved driveway, a carport, brick bases, and a wooden fence with trees in the background.

If you're looking for a 'safe' look — perhaps if you're renovating a property for sale — then horizontal could be the best bet.

Both (or diagonal) —to make a statement

Why not both? Horizontal and vertical cladding can be a way of creating a nice architectural impact.

Modern gray wood-clad building with vertical and horizontal siding, a skylight, slim windows, a slatted entrance, and sparse desert plants in front.
Modern wooden building with vertical panels and a brick base features large glass doors, gray gutter, and a paved path, with grass and trees in view.
Modern beige wooden house extension with a large dark-framed glass door wall, sloped roof, a chimney on the left, and a tiled patio with chairs outside.

A single diagonal wall can add some subtle architectural impact. When applied more liberally, it can give your project a standout, retro feel. It was popular throughout the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s.

Wooden slat facade of a Costa Coffee shop with burgundy panels showing the Costa Coffee name and "Discover your new favourite" beside a coffee bean logo.
Side view of a wooden building with vertical planks, a downspout, small window and glass door, beside a paved path and shed; a car is visible in front.
Sunny wooden cabin with a sloped roof and skylights, a deck with outdoor seating, a folded umbrella, and a green lawn under a blue sky.
Modern wooden house with a steep dark roof, multiple skylights, and a wooden deck with outdoor seating on a green lawn under a blue sky.
Close-up of a light wood wall with vertical slats arranged in a repeating, three-dimensional geometric pattern of staggered blocks.

Ready to start your cladding project?

Such is timber’s natural beauty, it’s hard to go wrong with either horizontal or vertical.

If you’re looking to keep things traditional and cosy yet stunning, horizontal might be the best choice. This orientation has stood the test of time for good reason. For on-trend architectural flair, consider vertical.

For a little more inspiration, be sure to check out our completed projects.

To get started, explore our range of timber cladding. We offer a selection of quality imported species and designer profiles in all orientations.

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