Air Dried Oak V Tongue and Groove External Cladding

Our Air Dried Oak V Tongue and Groove External Cladding is v tongue and groove cladding in European oak, for external use.

About European oak

Air dried (seasoned) European oak, more stable and less prone to shrinkage than fresh sawn oak.

The boards are air dried outside for approximately 6 months, to between 16% and 25% moisture content.

Characterful boards that may show a small amount of sap on the underside, sound knots without limitation and occasional historic insect damage.

Supplied untreated.

Left alone it weathers to silver grey.

Profile and fitting

Boards fix together by inserting the tongue into the groove. Chamfered top and bottom edges give a subtle 'V' shadow line at each joint. They can be fitted horizontally or vertically; fit horizontal boards tongue uppermost so moisture runs off.

The boards are reversible, so either face can be used. Tongue 12 × 8 mm on both widths.

Grades and options

• First Grade: mostly clear of knots, with some knots up to 5 mm allowed and a small amount of sap on the underside only.
• Character Grade: sound knots without limitation, sap and occasional historic insect damage.
• End matching (tongue and groove on the board ends) lets you place joints where they fall rather than on a batten, which speeds up fitting and reduces wastage.

End matching available

End matching is a paid option you can choose from the dropdown. The board ends are machined to interlock end to end as well as along the edges, so joints can fall between battens instead of having to land on one. That makes fitting faster, cuts waste because offcuts can be used, and gives a neater finish with no visible butt gaps.

Sizes and pricing

• 120 x 24 mm (visible face 108 mm; tongue 12 × 8 mm): from £52.49 per m² ex VAT
• 142 x 24 mm (visible face 130 mm; tongue 12 × 8 mm): from £56.99 per m² ex VAT
• Supplied in random lengths between 1200 mm and 3600 mm.
• Set lengths are available for an extra charge using Set lengths (Cladding): surcharge £8.00 per m² ex VAT up to 3500 mm, £12.00 per m² ex VAT above 3500 mm. Add the same number of m² of set lengths as cladding.

Specifications

Finishing and aftercare

Supplied untreated. No treatment is needed, but to hold the colour for longer or add a weather-resistant finish, see our cladding treatments.

Good to know

• Use stainless steel fixings only. This is essential for oak: its tannin reacts with ordinary steel fixings and causes dark staining.
• Natural timber varies: expect some differences in colour and grain from board to board and from the photos.
• Boards left exposed to changing weather before fitting are likely to cup, warp and split. We suggest fitting between October and April where possible, within 7 to 14 days of delivery.
• Sizes are nominal and can vary slightly with moisture content.
• Not sure? Order up to two cladding samples first.
• Questions? Please contact our Sales Team on 01536 267107.