Cladding Options for Your Bespoke Garden Office or Summer House

Cedar garden room cladding

Cedar garden room cladding is possibly the most popular choice for garden offices and summer houses. Its popularity is down to two main factors. Firstly, it has a natural, reddish-brown hue which is very attractive and blends in well with most outdoor spaces. Secondly, cedar offers inherent durability against rot and fungal attack.

Cedar has a long, maintenance-free lifespan of around 25 years or more. It will over time develop more of an aged, silver-grey patina however, but you can retain the as-new reddish brown colour if you wish by applying a UV-oil at design stage. Durability won’t be affected though if you decide not to oil the wood, but it is a matter of personal taste, so you’ll need to make a decision early on before the timber is exposed to sunlight.

Western Red Cedar is one of the most common species of cedar used for garden office and summer house cladding. The Malvern Collection for example, committed only to utilising the most premium quality materials from sustainable sources, uses Western Red kiln dried cedar across all its ranges.

Contemporary yet classic, Western Red Cedar, being a stable timber, never fails the durability test. It is also very aesthetically pleasing and highly versatile, as well as being renowned for its natural thermal insulation properties, making it the ideal choice for outbuildings that will be used year-round, such as garden offices.

With cedar garden room cladding, you’ll need to ensure your fixings are non-ferrous. This is because the natural resins in the wood can cause corrosion to certain types of metals, which will weaken the fittings and potentially stain the wood. Whilst a little more expensive, non-ferrous fixings really are an absolute must for cedar garden office and summerhouse cladding for these reasons.

Painted garden room and summer house cladding

If you are looking to blend your garden room in with its surroundings, you may consider a painted finish. The Malvern Collection as already mentioned uses Western Red Cedar across its range, but all can be painted and, in fact, there is a vast range of colour choices to suit a variety of personal tastes and garden styles.

A coloured garden office, studio, shed or summer house can act as a standout feature within a garden, or alternatively, painting the building may help it to blend in against its backdrop. Whether you are opting for a contemporary building, or something more traditional or classically styled, a painted finish could work very well for you.

Tongue and groove, feather edge and shiplap cladding all lend themselves to painted garden room designs. Repainting periodically will of course be necessary, but by choosing a paint or stain that offers maximum durability, you can extend the maintenance interval. Of course, the amount of exposure your building gets to the sun and other climatic and environmental conditions will also influence how often you will need to repaint.

Taking care of your garden building

Whether you go for natural cedar cladding or a painted finish, you will need to take steps to maintain the quality of your outdoor room.

An annual treatment is recommended to help prevent weathering of softwood buildings, especially if yours is located in an area that is exposed to sea air, direct rainfall and high winds. Ironmongery should also be regularly oiled to keep it functioning smoothly. Also be sure to ventilate the building to allow any condensation to evaporate.

Ready to bring your garden building dreams to life? Talk to Surrey Hills Garden Buildings.

Why not visit one of our dedicated show sites to view a range of summer house and garden room cladding examples? Our family run team will be able to provide you with helpful, expert advice on creating the garden building of your dreams, whether you opt for natural cedar wood cladding or a painted finish.

You are also welcome to get in touch to discuss your garden outbuilding ideas. We look forward to speaking to you.