Preservative Treated Timber Cladding
Timber Cladding is popular across such a wide range of end uses, from private homeowners, education projects, through to entire industrial unit developments. Many of these will require the Timber Cladding to have a different treatment requirement or modification to the timber.
Timber Treatments are typically water-borne chemical solutions, often applied to sustainable softwood species, ensuring their long-term performance as an external cladding product.
This blog summarises some of the various Timber Cladding Preservative treatments available at Vincent Timber, ensuring the right product is used on your project.
Preservative Timber Treatments (UC3 – User Class 3)
Timber cladding used externally can be exposed to the elements; weathering, insects, and fungi. To reduce the impact of rot & fungal decay, our VTX range of preservative treatments offer a 30-year warranty as either a Pigmented (Brown) system, or a Pigment-free (Zero) system:
VTX Pigmented®
The treatment contains brown pigments and dyes. Upon exposure to UV light, these pigments will enrich in colour before offering a level of colour stability for a number of years (subject elevation/ exposure and detailing). This process is often requested to slow the initial weathering of timber without the need to introduce a coating.
VTX Zero®
A treatment which does not contain any pigment or dyes. Left exposed, VTX Zero treated timber will begin to weather down and over time, the wood will begin to silver-grey. This weathered appearance is sometimes purposely sought by architects or clients who want softer, weathered tones in the board.
Either of these treatment options can be applied to a range of Timber Cladding species offered by Vincent Timber, with European Redwood being the most popular – this is the preferred species for receiving the treatment due its open and receptive cell structure and appealing cost point.
Being a preservative treatment, not a coating, there is no requirements to overcoat the product to ensure ongoing performance.
Fire Performance of Preservative Treated Timber Cladding?
Commonly requested alongside a Preservative Treatment is the need for a EuroClass B Fire Treatment applied to the Timber Cladding.
Working with a UK Test Centre, Vincent Timber had independent testing carried out on the VTX range of preservative treatments, alongside a Pressure Impregnated EuroClass B Fire Treatment.
Fire testing and classification standards for construction products are defined under European Standard EN 13501-1.
BS EN 13501-1 divides building materials into 7 classes according to their reaction to fire
A1 – Non-combustible materials: do not contribute to the development of a fire
A2 – Materials with limited combustibility: do not contribute to the development of a fire.
B – Combustible: limited contribution to fire. – VTX Preservative Timber @ Vincent Timber
C – Combustible: minor contribution to fire.
D – Combustible: contributes to fire.
E – Combustible: will only resist a small flame for a few seconds.
F – Materials that have not been classified or have not met the minimum requirements of class E.
Correct specification of Fire Treatment alongside a Preservative Treatment.
It is vital to ensure that any fire treated products being applied are fully and independently tested, showing compatibility and testing with all elements alongside one another. In turn, providing a completely tested finished product.
For further information on how Vincent Timber can help supply your project with a Preservative Treated Timber Cladding, alongside Fire Treatment if required, then please get in touch today.
