The vast majority of garden offices built in the UK are finished in wood cladding. This is a finish that is both durable and attractive, which helps a garden office building blend with its surroundings.
We are regularly asked by buyers about the differences between the woods used as garden office cladding and how they will age. We have been talking to Millworks who supply cladding to several garden office suppliers about this, and they kindly sent us some photos of the most popular garden office wood claddings.
They have sent us four images of each cladding - one freshly milled / newly installed, one with UV oil protection, another with a new Sweedish finish called Organo which ensures even weathering and a piece of cladding in its natural state.
Thermowood (Redwood)
Thermowood is Redwood that has been heated at high temperatures to make it stronger and highly durable. It has become a popular wood cladding on entry level garden offices.
Click a photo to open a larger version to appreciate the differences:
Siberian Larch
Siberian larch is a finish we are seeing being used more and more on garden offices. It's being used as an alternative to cedar which we will look at in a moment.
Siberian larch is a naturally durable wood, which has a lovely grain pattern. It can be left untreated and will weather to a silvery grey. If you want to preserve the natural colour you should ask your supplier about UV protection.
Click a photo to open a larger image to appreciate the differences:
Western Red Cedar
Cedar is perhaps the most popular garden office cladding. It's certainly one of the most desired finishes. It's popular because of its colour, the reddish brown contrasts well with the grey joinery which has become the 'trend' recently.
Cedar is also popular because of its natural durability which means it needs little maintenance going forward.
If you want to preserve the original reddish brown colour you will need to ask your supplier to apply a UV oil before the cladding is installed. Otherwise, the cedar will weather to a lovely silver grey.
Click a photo to open a larger image to examine the differences:
Thanks to Millworks for these images as they clearly show the differences betwee the finishes. We will write another article looking at the UV and Organo coatings - so look out for them!
For more information about the claddings that Millworks offer, visit their website or give them a call on 01223 967733