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British sweet chestnut

(left pic) British sweet chestnut halflap cladding with 4mm gap
(right pic) British sweet chestnut halflap cladding with 6mm gap

British sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) (hardwood)

Sweet chestnut (not to be confused with horse chestnut) grows widely across Britain and the rest of Europe, but it is rarely specified or used in this country for construction or joinery. This is a shame because it is a beautiful wood with some excellent properties.

British sweet chestnut has a similar golden colour to oak, but with stronger grain and occasional dark brown mineral streaks. The wood will contain various small- to medium-sized knots, most of which are of the same colour as the heartwood. Occasionally, there are some loose dark knots, which can fall out during drying and machining. Freshly cut or machined sweet chestnut can sometimes have a light yellow stain resulting from the ageing of the log. This stain will fade as the wood weathers. Chestnut will bleach to a silver colouring if left untreated.

British sweet chestnut is hard-wearing, strong and durable, and relatively light when compared to other hardwoods, making it ideal for cladding. Additionally, sweet chestnut is known to be a very stable timber, resulting in less movement, distortion or splitting.

As with oak, sweet chestnut has a high tannin content, so care should be taken to select non-corrosive fixings.

BS EN350-2 Sweet chestnut is classed as durable and does not require treatment for external use, as long as the sap is excluded.

Workability: Renowned for its excellent working qualities. Can be cut and nailed easily. Takes stains, oils and paints well.

Available with FSC certification
British-grown