Whether you choose to maintain your ThermoWood cladding is purely down to personal preference. It is not essential for maintaining its lifespan, however, is dependent on if you wish to keep your claddings natural colour or let it fade to a silvery grey.
Cleaning your cladding.
If your cladding is near the ground or prone to being splashed with mud we would advise cleaning the boards periodically. To clean your natural ThermoWood boards, all you need is some soapy water, a sponge, and a hose. If you have our ThermoChar® we recommend using our QFlex® Charred Touch Up Sealer or our QFlex® AtelierClad Touch Up Paint if you have purchased our AtelierClad® range.
If you wish to keep your claddings natural colour and do not want your ThermoWood cladding to weather to a grey hue, you will need to apply our Messmers UV Plus Oil for Cladding & Decking oil that would prevent this weathering.
The advantage of our thermally modified hardwoods is that you don’t need to do anything with it. You can simply install your cladding and leave it. Your decision to maintain your timber is purely down to personal choice since weathering does not affect the durability of the material.
Your Cladding Vs UK Climate.
When we talk about lifespan we mean the durability of the material. Our ThermoWood cladding offers a lifespan of 30+ years while our Softwood materials hold a slightly shorter lifespan. How quickly your timber weathers depends on the amount of exposure your material will endure. For example, if your project is located on the coast and is constantly being battered by salt spray, then the timber will weather quicker compared to an area that endures less exposure to these elements, however, this is nothing that a good clean and our Messmers UV Plus Oil for Cladding & Decking oil can't fix.
*The above project uses our ThermoWood Ash Hardwood cladding.
Cladding and Finishes.
You can apply a range of finishes to your timber cladding. For example, we have a ThermoChar® range that offers different charred finishes. We also have an AtelierClad® range which offers different colour-coated finishes. The most important thing to consider in the UK is to have very stable and durable timber, which will not expand, contract, twist, and warp. These properties will offer you the opportunity to incorporate a painted surface on a board that will last a long time.
*The above project uses our AtelierClad® in the colour Carbonite.