Green Oak Cladding

Sawn freshly from logs, green oak is a traditional choice for rustic hardwood cladding. Green oak boards are supplied with a sawn surface and are ideal for oak framed buildings and barn conversions.

Style

Rustic

Profiles

Feather-edge and waney-edge

Source

England and Wales

Beware

Shrinkage and tannin

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Green Oak Cladding

Green Oak Cladding Features

Green oak cladding is a timeless choice, valued for its natural beauty, strength and long-lasting performance. Fresh-sawn oak has a warmth and character that few materials can match, with a bold grain and rich colour that brings depth to any façade.

Oak is naturally durable, making it well suited to external use without the need for chemical treatment. As it weathers, it gradually softens to an elegant silver-grey, allowing buildings to settle gently into their surroundings.

Choosing green (unseasoned) oak also offers a cost-effective solution. By avoiding the drying process, we can supply high-quality oak at a more accessible price point, without compromising on performance for most cladding applications.

The majority of our oak is sourced from well-managed woodlands in England, supporting local forestry and reducing transport miles. Where availability is limited, we carefully select additional logs from responsibly managed forests in France to ensure a consistent and reliable supply.

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Green oak cladding specification

Green oak cladding from Vastern Timber

British / European oak
Quercus robur
Legal and well managed forests in England, Wales and France
Supplied by Vastern Timber (sales@vastern.co.uk)
Grade : Grade B BS1186-3 1990 Class 3 / EN942:2007 J50
Random lengths 1.8mt – 3.6mt +, allowing small % down to 1.5mt
Available in feather-edge and waney-edge profiles
Supplied Green / wet
Durability EN350-2 Moderately Durable. Class 3
Supplied uncoated. No treatment required.

Characteristics of green oak

Appearance
Green oak is a pale yellow colour with streaks of pink. As the boards dries the oak takes on a golden colouring. Boards will contain regular sound knots and may contain the occasional worm hole.

Weathering
As green oak weathers, the colour will change to a silver-grey. On shaded elevations or in areas of higher pollution the oak may change to a colour closer to black than grey. In semi-shaded areas such as under eaves, the exuding tannin may leave unsightly stains. As the oak dries out the boards will shrink and are likely to distort to some extent, resulting in a rustic appearance.

Desired service life
Occasionally wet 30 yrs. Frequently wet 15 yrs.

Movement class
Large

Resistance to impact
Medium to high

Working properties
Green oak is generally easy to work and takes fixings satisfactorily, but becomes increasingly difficult as it dries.

Density
670 – 760 Kg / m3 (When dry)

Extractives
Oak contains tannic acid, which will corrode ferrous metals. When the two come into contact, a blue sludge is formed that will stain the oak and anything else it meets. All fixings used in conjunction with green oak should be stainless steel. Tannic acid could also leave unsightly brown stains on the surface of the cladding and will stain any porous materials below the cladding. The reactivity of tannin makes oak cladding unsuitable for polluted areas and shaded areas.

Installation of green oak cladding

How to fix green oak cladding
Pre-drill oak cladding and fix through the face with stainless steel ringshank nails. Because the boards will shrink considerably, do not attempt to use secret or hidden fixings . Nail guns are not recommended. Ensure a suitable overlap (normally 50mm) between following boards.

Recommended batten type for green oak cladding
Profiled Thermowood or treated softwood battens are recommend behind oak cladding. The minmimum thickness of primary battens should be 40mm. Horizontal battens to have angled top face to shed water.

Click to find out more about our Thermowood batten system

Batten spacing for external timber cladding
400-500 mm

Fixings for green oak cladding
Only use stainless steel fixings for external cladding. For green oak cladding we recommend 65 – 75mm stainless steel ring shank nails.

When to fix green oak cladding
Only fix oak cladding during the autumn and winter months to avoid distortion caused by hot dry weather soon after installation.

Resistance to fixing
High. Pre-drilling of oak cladding boards is essential.

Green oak cladding profiles

We produce timber cladding to the profile of your choice. View our full range of cladding profiles

We recommend the following profiles for green oak.

Disclaimer

While the utmost care has been taken to provide accurate information, Vastern Timber shall not be held responsible for any consequences arising from any errors or omissions on this website nor for any damages resulting from the use of the information.