CLOSER LOOK INSTALLING TIMBER CLADDING
When attaching horizontal wood cladding, a standard detail is to use a single layer of vertical battens to achieve the required airgap, but Simon Orrells advises even greater prudence. “Best practice is to double-batten to be certain you’re going to get enough cross-flow ventilation,” he says. “If you only use a single batten and the airflow gets blocked somehow – for instance at the bottom of the cladding – then you’ll get stale air in the cavity.”
The battens are typically attached at 600mm centres, although this may be altered depending on the location of your project (ie how exposed the site or elevation is to wind and rain) and the exact material used. Green oak cladding, for instance, is likely to move a lot – so the battens might be positioned closer together to minimise this. Timber and wood-effect claddings are usually nailed or screwed using corrosion-resistant galvanised or stainless steel fixings.
Wherever you’re using a horizontal batten, this should be chamfered so that the water is directed away from the structural fabric (ie back towards the cladding in the case of a single batten, or into the centre of the cavity if you’re using cross-battening). Around windows and doors, special trims will be needed, and potentially an insect mesh (also known as a perforated closure).