Your opinions on Larch/Douglas Fir cladding and framing please

[el_Pedr0]

I'm going to clad the front of my small garden building in a waney edge timber. A couple of questions for you.

Q1) Larch or Douglas Fir?
I was thinking of European Larch. But what about Douglas Fir? My permeter fence is planed western red cedar (the contemporary horizontal slatted type), so I was thinking Larch might be a slightly better contrast because I understand Douglas Fir is a bit redder (and so more cedar-ish) than Larch.

Q2) What do I need to consider for the other bits?
The cladding seems quite straight forwards: buy it from the sawmill, and nail it straight on. I want to use the same type of timber for the door frame and the corner posts that will cover the edges of the cladding. Are there additional considerations? For example, will I have to somehow dry/season the timber for the door frame before fitting it? That could mean having a building without a door for months .

This is the kind of look I'm gunning for:

 

[Adam W.]

You're right to chose larch for cladding, but only nail the top third, otherwise the boards will split when they dry if you nail both edges.

Remember boards cup away from the pith, so you need to allow for that when fixing them. Larch is a strange orange colour, but will go a nice silvery grey over time.

And yes, if you want to season the boards first before making the door, it would take time. Can't you just make a temporary door in the mean time ?

 

[Fitzroy]

I did larch cladding, local Scottish sawn, I love it but it’s also quite orange/pink. I’m not treating it and letting it silver. One bit of advice I picked up was the larch is prone to splitting so pilot drilling is advised. I built the window frames fro Doug Fir and colour was not that different

I built my door from C16 materials and clad in the same material.

Fitz
May 2017(the base board is freshly planed, crazy pink colour that oxidises to the orange over a few days)

May 2021 (much more colour under the overhang, and dirty lower 20cm due to splashing on the grass)

 

[el_Pedr0]

Wow @Fitzroy that's pretty substantial and looking pretty solid. Good work.

Why did you choose the different material for the window framing? Is larch only for cladding and not for framing?

Did you season the window frame material? If not, has it presented any problems/movement?

And is the door frame just c16 material hidden by the cladding, or did you use doug fir for the door frame too?

 

[John Brown]

I clad my shed in waney edge larch, but I was short a few boards, and my supplier had run out. He sold me some DF, and to be honest, I defy anyone to guess which is which.
I could take a photo, but it would be obvious that they're the top boards, as you have to fix the cladding bottom up.

 

[Fitzroy]

Wow @Fitzroy that's pretty substantial and looking pretty solid. Good work.

Why did you choose the different material for the window framing? Is larch only for cladding and not for framing?

Did you season the window frame material? If not, has it presented any problems/movement?

And is the door frame just c16 material hidden by the cladding, or did you use doug fir for the door frame too?

Needed 2” stock to make window frames and someone local was selling air dried DF, that’s only reason. No issue with movement but it was air dried so not unexpected.

Door just clad over c16 frame. However, my door is a ridiculous design, it’s basically a framed wall section on hinges. But you could make a more trad design and still clad with the same material to blend in.

Fitz

 

[el_Pedr0]

Next question. How much waney edge do I need. One sawmill says he sells per square metre (but I assume this does not accout for overlap). Another sells per linear metre and says his boards are between 8 to 12 inches in width.

I guess that a waney edge board can vary significantly along its length and so might have to have significant overlap at its widest point in order to have at least the minimum overlap at its narrowest.

My total area to clad is about 2m by 2m including the door plus a fascia board of a bit more than 2m.

 

[John Brown]

Next question. How much waney edge do I need. One sawmill says he sells per square metre (but I assume this does not accout for overlap). Another sells per linear metre and says his boards are between 8 to 12 inches in width.

I guess that a waney edge board can vary significantly along its length and so might have to have significant overlap at its widest point in order to have at least the minimum overlap at its narrowest.

My total area to clad is about 2m by 2m including the door plus a fascia board of a bit more than 2m.

My supplier had a rule of thumb. I can't remember what is was, though. I seem to remember a min of 50mm overlap.
The vendor selling by the square meter, should, in my opinion, be allowing for overlap, the linear metre, probably not.

 

[John Brown]

If it's any help, I estimated my area to be 34 square meters, and I ordered 52 3.6m lengths. I didn't quite make it, but I had a lot of short ends I wasn't prepared to use, and I had pointy gable ends.

 

[el_Pedr0]

Thanks John. You don't remember how wide your boards were quoted/marketed/described as do you?

 

[John Brown]

Thanks John. You don't remember how wide your boards were quoted/marketed/described as do you?

Yes, about the same as yours. 8 to 12 inches.
It's probably obvious, but if you need to use more than one board for a horizontal run, line the waney edges up, not the straight edges.

 

[baldkev]

Buy a bit extra..... you'll use it for something

 

[John Brown]

Buy a bit extra..... you'll use it for something

Maybe. It's a devil to glue, in my experience. So use it for something naily or screwy.

 

[baldkev]

build yourself a nice bird table

 

[el_Pedr0]

build yourself a nice bird table

I did that last year but only get one regular visitor. Can't figure out why I don't get more birds...

 

[baldkev]

What size birds are you aiming at? Pterodactyls?
I dont condone feeding seaguls, although if they can eat a whole cat......