But even if you don’t, by calculating the amount of cladding required, you’ll be able to see what sort of project price you’re looking at in different types of timber.

How much timber cladding do I need for my project?

You need to calculate the area you’re wanting to clad in square metres (m²). With square or rectangular spaces, this is done simply by multiplying together the wall dimensions.

Using the example above, you would multiply 3.8m (length) by 2.2m (height), giving an area to be clad of 8.36m².

Of course, to avoid running out of material, it’s always wise to account for a little waste. We’d recommend an extra 10% on top of the area calculated. So, multiply your figure by 1.1. In the example above, this gives a figure of 9.2m².

So, let’s say you were wanting to clad a small garden room that was 2.2m tall, with two of these walls (3.8m length each) and two shorter walls (2.4m length each). This would require 27.2m². To allow for a popular 8’ bifold door, with measurements of 2.4m x 2.1m (5m²), the approximate area to be clad is 22.2m². To allow for 10% wastage, around 24m² of cladding would be required. You would follow this calculation for any windows that were included as well.

If you’re cladding inside a gable end, then measure the length of the barge board, multiply together and then divide by two. Bargeboards that are 4.5m long, therefore, would require 11m² of cladding; (4.5 * 4.5) / 2 = 10.125, then allow for 10% waste.

The number of lengths of cladding required to accommodate a certain amount of square feet varies from profile to profile. Our team is always on hand to iron out any finer details — just give us a message.

Calculating the cost of your timber cladding project

So, you know how much cladding you need for your project. Now, for a firmer idea of project cost, you need to choose the following:

• Species — the tree that the timber comes from. Some of the most commercially popular are softwoods like Western Red Cedar, Siberian Larch, Alaskan Yellow Cedar and Douglas Fir; they’re durable, dimensionally stable and good looking. Thermally modified options, like Thermo-Ayous, ThermoWood and Thermo-Tulipwood are also growing in popularity, particularly for their exotic medium-dark brown tones.
• Profile — the shape that the timber is machined to, determining how the boards fit together. The most popular are tongue and V-groove, shiplap, and shadow gap, but rainscreen and featheredge are also popular choices.

All of the cladding products in our range are clearly marked with a cost per m². So, simply multiply the amount of cladding required by the cost per m² of the cladding product you want for an overall cost.

How much do different species of timber cladding cost?

Other than the amount of cladding required, the biggest factor affecting the cost of your project is the species chosen. Some woods, such as Western Red Cedar, are incredibly popular as a result of their natural beauty, durability and stability outdoors; this places them towards the higher end of the cost spectrum.

In our ever-popular DTC2 tongue & V-groove profile, Western Red Cedar will set you back approximately £80 + VAT per m². One way that many home improvers are imitating cedar’s beauty at a lower cost is with Alaskan Yellow Cedar (£60 + VAT per m²) — similarly durable, but with a versatile yellow colour. The cladding is then finished with a product like Owatrol Textrol HES (Cedar) to replicate WRC’s reddish-brown hues.

Other popular choices include Siberian Larch ‘B’ grade (which has more knots and natural features than ‘A’ grade), costing £38 + VAT per m², or Douglas Fir, an excellent, eye-catching choice at only £52 per m² + VAT.

Designers are being increasingly won over by the beautiful tropical tones offered by thermally-treated Ayous. As well as being an extremely durable, dimensionally stable product choice, the treatment process is highly sustainable (compared to some other types of modified timber) — great for creating an outdoor space with a story. At £73 + VAT per m² in our DTC2 profile, Ayous represents a saving over the most expensive species.

Using the small garden room example mentioned earlier, 24m² of cladding in a number of species would cost:

• Western Red Cedar — approx £1,920 + VAT (£80 + VAT per m²)
• Thermo-Ayous — approx £1,750 + VAT (£73 + VAT per m²)
• Thermo-Tulipwood CAMBIA® — approx. £1,510 + VAT (£63 + VAT per m²)
• Alaskan Yellow Cedar — approx. £1,440 + VAT (£60 + VAT per m²)
• Douglas Fir — approx. £1,250 + VAT (£52 + VAT per m²)
• Siberian Larch (‘B’ and ‘A’ grade) — approx. £915–1,200 + VAT (£38–50 + VAT per m²)

Unless you’re going down the DIY route, you’ll have to factor in labour costs too. Hiring a cladding installation specialist will usually cost in the region of £200 per day. The amount of time needed will depend on the size and complexity of your project; cladding a wall of your house, for example, may take a couple of days. A trades team will be able to provide a more concrete quotation.

* All prices are correct as of October 2022.

After a more in-depth explanation of the different species, profiles and treatments available? Our team of timber experts are only a quick message away.

Start your timber cladding project today

Explore our full range of timber cladding. We import a range of stunning species from across the world, each machined to a number of stylish profiles right here on-site.

From your initial enquiry through to the delivery of your cladding, our team’s with you at every stage — however big, however small your project. Our focus on quality of service and product is why we’re now one of the UK’s leading cladding specialists.

Get in touch using the button below, through our contact page, by emailing sales@duffieldtimber.com or by phoning 01765 640 564. We can’t wait to help with your next cladding project.